Advice for pricing please.

[Dibbler]

Hello. I hope I'm posting in the right place.
I have returned to bee keeping after a break due to a large stroke.
A lot of things have changed, pricing of honey being one.
I've done my new labels to be legal now.
Am I right in thinking that the area and roughly what other beekeepers charge is what I should base my price on?
At the moment I'm selling 340gm in new hexagonal jars for £5.00p.
The only other person near to me has no price or weight on the small board advertising honey for sale.
There are a lot of honesty boxes in our part of Norfolk selling plants, eggs and veg. But no honey.
What is your advice please ?

 

[enrico]

Hello. I hope I'm posting in the right place.
I have returned to bee keeping after a break due to a large stroke.
A lot of things have changed, pricing of honey being one.
I've done my new labels to be legal now.
Am I right in thinking that the area and roughly what other beekeepers charge is what I should base my price on?
At the moment I'm selling 340gm in new hexagonal jars for £5.00p.
The only other person near to me has no price or weight on the small board advertising honey for sale.
There are a lot of honesty boxes in our part of Norfolk selling plants, eggs and veg. But no honey.
What is your advice please ?

sounds about right to me. I put two out at a time with an honesty box and a camera on it. Never had a real problem. Sometimes people leave more!

 

[Dibbler]

sounds about right to me. I put two out at a time with an honesty box and a camera on it. Never had a real problem. Sometimes people leave more!

Thank you Enrico,
I'm not sure about me using an honesty box.
At the moment I'm selling to my husbands bowls club, the local postman.
In the surrounding villages 16 mile radius of me. Honey prices vary from £6.50 to £9.00 for 240gm to 340gm.
There doesn't seem to be any set price for the area. Seems to be charge what you want kind of thing.

 

[enrico]

Thank you Enrico,
I'm not sure about me using an honesty box.
At the moment I'm selling to my husbands bowls club, the local postman.
In the surrounding villages 16 mile radius of me. Honey prices vary from £6.50 to £9.00 for 240gm to 340gm.
There doesn't seem to be any set price for the area. Seems to be charge what you want kind of thing.

Charge what you can get but never under sell. Then again do you only want rich people to eat real honey

 

[Antipodes]

Then again do you only want rich people to eat real honey

Any risk of losing a whole (younger) generation of honey customers into the future with them never to bothering with it?

 

[madasafish]

Any risk of losing a whole (younger) generation of honey customers into the future with them never to bothering with it?

I encourage parents with young children to see the bees: a clear CB on my nearest hive is always a great attraction - to adults as well.

 

[Dibbler]

I encourage parents with young children to see the bees: a clear CB on my nearest hive is always a great attraction - to adults as well.

What a great idea ! All my hives are visible through the glass from my conservatory. I sell to all age groups. Our postie is early 20's.
I will investigate your idea madasafish.
Thank you for all the replies. I don't feel so at sea in my stroke brain.

 

[Lolly Bee]

I sell for £7/jar in Wiltshire and London. Both areas consider it to be good value and jars sell so quickly I'm gobsmacked.

 

[Dibbler]

Update, I've sold all my spring honey. 2 jars to a family with primary school children who called in on the walk home from school. They are going to visit when I inspect my hives one weekend.
2 local shops would like to take some of my next lot of honey.
Do I charge them £5.00 as I do to everyone else ?
People who have bought from me are saying my price is excellent value. Makes me think I could charge £6.00 for my summer honey, as I'm sure costs will increase for next year. That way I can sell my honey to shops for less than my gate price.

 

[Garry R]

Update, I've sold all my spring honey. 2 jars to a family with primary school children who called in on the walk home from school. They are going to visit when I inspect my hives one weekend.
2 local shops would like to take some of my next lot of honey.
Do I charge them £5.00 as I do to everyone else ?
People who have bought from me are saying my price is excellent value. Makes me think I could charge £6.00 for my summer honey, as I'm sure costs will increase for next year.

If we could give weights when we discuss the price we charge it would make for a true comparison. eg £5 for 1lb I consider very cheap but still cheap for 12oz. Still a bargain at those prices though. Remove the jar and label cost and you are charging ~£1 for 4oz if it's a 1lb jar.

 

[Dibbler]

If we could give weights when we discuss the price we charge it would make for a true comparison. eg £5 for 1lb I consider very cheap but still cheap for 12oz. Still a bargain at those prices though. Remove the jar and label cost and you are charging ~£1 for 4oz if it's a 1lb jar.

Sorry. Forgot to say. My jars are 340gm/ 12oz.

 

[Dibbler]

If we could give weights when we discuss the price we charge it would make for a true comparison. eg £5 for 1lb I consider very cheap but still cheap for 12oz. Still a bargain at those prices though. Remove the jar and label cost and you are charging ~£1 for 4oz if it's a 1lb jar.

Sorry forgot to say. My jars are 340g/12oz. After jar and label costs it works out at £4.20.

 

[Erichalfbee]

My regular customers are happy without a label which makes it even better for me

 

[inthewoods]

my local shop .i job lot 6 jars ..£4 each [£24].sell at my door ..£5...8oz..labels..i buy at 100..£13.50 .thats with post cost .jars have loads from last year ..
i ask if they want label .some dont bother ..with a few hives im happy to get some cash back for more kit ..

 

[Garry R]

I certainly don't stick the fist in when it comes to pricing but it amazes me what some people can charge and also what some people will pay! It works equally the other way where charges can be too low. As regards outlays I tend to visit the apiary 2-3 times per week at a 5 mile round trip so that's £2-3 in fuel costs - all things we may not factor in. So I think £5 for 8oz is very good. Even though you have last years jars they will have been bought at some point so factor in for replacement. It all adds up. I think a lot of the public have no idea of the work that beekeepers put in in the UK and of course the supermarket pricing of "honey" works against us. Even though many beekeepers are retired they don't cost their time. It has been said here numerous times - don't undersell yourself or your product.

 

[inthewoods]

I certainly don't stick the fist in when it comes to pricing but it amazes me what some people can charge and also what some people will pay! It works equally the other way where charges can be too low. As regards outlays I tend to visit the apiary 2-3 times per week at a 5 mile round trip so that's £2-3 in fuel costs - all things we may not factor in. So I think £5 for 8oz is very good. Even though you have last years jars they will have been bought at some point so factor in for replacement. It all adds up. I think a lot of the public have no idea of the work that beekeepers put in in the UK and of course the supermarket pricing of "honey" works against us. Even though many beekeepers are retired they don't cost their time. It has been said here numerous times - don't undersell yourself or your pro

im retired my hives are 5 min walk up the fields .so i dont have any fuel cost .honey price around me seems to be about the same price .
im not a big hitter only hobby .so selling is not income i relie on .it pays for more kit .i see what you mean .about time put in etc..i could make more if i charge for advice i give out .to folks who want bees in thare gardens..

 

[Garry R]

I have 7 hives so not in a big way either. I charge about the same as you give or take a few pence.

 

[Dibbler]

Reading everything here. I'm almost decided to increase my summer honey 340g to £6.00.
Labels 10.00 per 100. Jars I'm still researching if I can get them cheaper at .60p I have no travel costs as mine are on my land.
I just need to cover my costs and give me money for replacement kit and maybe more hives. Although I think 10 will be my limit. I get tired easily since my stroke.
I am really glad I decided to keep bees again. I love watching them.
I didn't realise my bees foraged on Ivy behind us. The honey is a lot darker, richer tasting.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Reading everything here. I'm almost decided to increase my summer honey 340g to £6.00.
Labels 10.00 per 100. Jars I'm still researching if I can get them cheaper at .60p I have no travel costs as mine are on my land.
I just need to cover my costs and give me money for replacement kit and maybe more hives. Although I think 10 will be my limit. I get tired easily since my stroke.
I am really glad I decided to keep bees again. I love watching them.
I didn't realise my bees foraged on Ivy behind us. The honey is a lot darker, richer tasting.

My jars cost
34p and labels 12p if you can buy a bulk load of both do! don’t have best before dates on the labels either get a dating label gun or buy small square label which you can write your best before dates on, your honey labels will then last you for ever.
I perchased 2000 jars last year also I have started selling 8 oz jars which are selling twice as quickly as my 12oz jars
In comparison per lb I make 25p more on my 8oz jars

Edit: £6/ £6.50 whole sale for 12oz is a good price

 

[inthewoods]

someone on the bay sells jars ..72x212 ml .at £29.free post ..no idear what they would be like ..