Delivery costs
As a small business, I have taken the decision to be transparent and charge for delivery, rather than absorb these costs into the price of my art. My delivery charges do not make me money, and P&P is not, as many assume, simply postage - it's the packaging, too! P&P also includes backing card, biodegradable cellophane sleeves and hard-backed envelopes to stop the print getting damaged, paper parcel tape, and my (not insubstantial) time packing an order and walking it to the post office. When you buy small, such costs are a big contribution to overheads.
So I try to be reasonable but fair with P&P costs, whilst keeping it simple. I charge a flat rate of £5 per print in the UK, or £7.50 anywhere else. BUT for each additional print you buy in the same order, the cost is just £1 extra, regardless of location. Whilst postage rates have increased, my charges have remained the same.
Sometimes this means I make a loss on postage. If you're local to my Egham home and can collect, you can use the code HANDDELIVERY at checkout, which will make P&P costs free for you. In this situation, the cost of packaging will remain the same for me, but I think of it as a goodwill gesture to my lovely loyal customers who buy local.
Returns
Please note, returns are never accepted. You are buying a handmade item, made with love. I want my art to be accessible so I try to keep my prices low, but this means that I do not have the admin time to process returns. When I send out one of my babies for adoption, I am assuming that it will be going to a loving home, so please be sure before you buy!
Whilst we're on the subject of my costs...
As I mentioned, I want my work to be accessible, but the price you pay is not just for the print. Of course, I'm aware that current times are financially difficult for many, which is why I have recently gone through my website and dramatically reduced the prices of almost everything I have listed. I honestly don't want to give it too much thought about what that means for me, however, because if I did, I suspect I would find that I'm paying myself an hourly rate of pennies, rather than pounds.
I spend many hours per week creating marketing content on social media, researching my muse, keeping my books, updating my website and Etsy shop ( not my strengths!) - I even write whole sections about P&P! As a (*very*!) small business, absolutely every aspect falls upon my shoulders. That's all on top of designing and carving a new plate and then printing it! So yes - when you pay for that print, you are not just paying for the ten minutes or more that it may have taken to hand burnish...
That's why small businesses appreciate each and every sale, one thousand times or more than a large or even medium sized business would - so THANK YOU for your support, because it means more than you could ever know! ❤️