# Chain Mail, I could not help myself...help me price these?



## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Oh I needed a new craft to try and there they were, a bag of chain mail rings my son had not wanted to use due to the patience required to make anything. Ok well armed with a set of heavy flat pliers, I began learning patterns less than a week ago and made 20 bracelets. I am hooked on bending things....?????

Now for the help me part, what should I sell these for? They are made with Shiny Bright Aluminum so they are lighter than stainless steel and stay shiny, you just use soap and water to wash them. The simple patterns take about a half hour to make with the most intricate ones taking me about two hours. I am deciding on clasps but had lobster claw ones in my supplies. Each ring is opened and closed with the added rings needed for the pattern I am doing.

Here is a pic but not very good. The one that looks like flowers was folded a little on the end..oops. I will try to get better pics later. This will give the basic idea anyhow. They range from a half inch wide to 1 1/2 inches wide. I make them whatever length is needed (for me it was 6 inches long) my son needed one that was 8 inches long so I figured the cost would not be determined by the length so it is more fair to men getting them. So they can be from 6 inches on to about 8 inches and I would make those cost the same. I realize the ones that take me two hours should cost more then the ones that take a half hour but not sure what to charge to begin with....do you have suggestions, anyone????


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## FarmboyBill (Aug 19, 2005)

Are the ends fastioned, ur butted together?


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

FarmBoyBill said:


> Are the ends fastioned, ur butted together?


These are just the lengths made by a slight twist and a pinch with both pliers to close them per each link (no sodder if that is what you are asking per link). They are a machine cut link at a slight angle, the upper portion of the pic has a link, that is how they came. The way they are fastened or for the closures to make them into bracelets are what I am thinking of having different choices for. I have lobster clasps that will attach to a link easily. I am thinking of making the hooks too but have to get the wire for that. The widest one, I made one of them for my son and added links to make it like a V at both ends. Then I attached a lobster clasp to that one. I was thinking even having up to three hooks on the really wide one if it is a straight edge as in the pic because of the nice look it might add to it.


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## GrannyG (Mar 26, 2005)

Maybe button bracelets for a few....buy jewelry findings for the closures....add charms...try some ribbons...


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

I made one for myself out of silver very similar to the top one...wound and cut the rings myself, assembled, and then added a handmade clasp. If I would have sold it, the assembly work alone would have demanded at LEAST $25-30 IMO.

Google aluminum chainmail and see what the average prices are for bracelets.


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## edcopp (Oct 9, 2004)

I would think about $35,000 would be a good price. That way you should not need to make so many.:clap:


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

GrannyG said:


> Maybe button bracelets for a few....buy jewelry findings for the closures....add charms...try some ribbons...


*When I can afford to add special touches that was my plan. I like the idea of charms too. I was thinking Crystals as the shine of these is very nice! Once I can afford more supplies, you have the right idea!*



hippygirl said:


> I made one for myself out of silver very similar to the top one...wound and cut the rings myself, assembled, and then added a handmade clasp. If I would have sold it, the assembly work alone would have demanded at LEAST $25-30 IMO.
> 
> Google aluminum chainmail and see what the average prices are for bracelets.


*I did google it and found a myriad of prices. Then I figured out a very reasonable price as I am pretty fast at this. My hands are just that way..very cooperative. I really enjoy making them and would love to use Sterling Silver for some and Stainless Steel for others. The cost of those wires are not cheap due to the thickness. They sell for around $100 for a nice pattern done in Sterling Silver. I did Sterling Silver swirled Earrings for my daughters wedding..they turned out great! I found out I have a nack for bending wire??LOL I It is so much easier to bend Sterling Silver than these hard links though, I found that it is making my hands stronger. I made 20 of them this week and a flower pattern necklace.*



edcopp said:


> I would think about $35,000 would be a good price. That way you should not need to make so many.:clap:


*I priced the first one at $6, the second one at $12.00, the wide one at $20.00 and the other ones at $15 and put them under barter here on HT. Then I added that I can make the necklaces for $15 more. I will also place an ad in our local CL as it is free to do that too. I know that does not seem like much to charge but I am enjoying making them and I do it pretty fast from what I have read online. Alot of folks do not have much spare cash these days. I already had these links and the first lobster clasps were not expensive either. I do it during my coffee time, tea break or during a show I don't want to watch that the guys do. I have always needed to do some activity with my hands.. Once I can get Sterling Wire and Stainless Steel wire, I will have to ask more for them. Thank you for the compliment Ed on your pricing suggestion! I am going to see if my daughter would like to have some in the salon she works for with my other products I am supposed to bring her. *


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## hippygirl (Apr 3, 2010)

romysbaskets said:


> The cost of those wires are not cheap due to the thickness.


You got THAT right! I have a HUGE stash of silver (wire, sheet, and solder) that I accumulated before the price jumped, but if I had to buy it now, no way!


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

hippygirl said:


> You got THAT right! I have a HUGE stash of silver (wire, sheet, and solder) that I accumulated before the price jumped, but if I had to buy it now, no way!


Yes I wish I had done like you, too busy playing with my plants and such....then my daughter and I discussed her upcoming wedding, the need for Bridesmaid gifts...so she went on ebay and saw Swirled Sterling Silver Earrings with Crystals on them...they were pretty. I saw the price and told her, I can make those alot cheaper. Even though I have not bent metal before...well I figured I could. So she bought the supplies and in one afternoon I had 12 pair of very cool Sterling Silver earrings with swirled designs uniquely me! She loves them as I sent her pics, then I had no projects as my sewing machine needs this one hard to find part...Ok so there sat my son's chain mail and I have no self control...it was just sitting there... I am glad you like the patterns but I made a few more I need to post.  Someday I will be able to get a spool of Sterling Silver wire as I am going to make this bracket to hold a metal bar that I can wrap the wire around, I saw a video where this guy does it with a drill on low..it was cool. Otherwise I could just hand wind it, sure looked easy enough for these silly hands.


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## happychick (Sep 20, 2010)

I saw your thread selling these beautiful chain mail pieces over in the barter board - your prices are VERY reasonable.

If you contenue having loads of fun making these and want to get well paid for it, I would suggest opening a shop on Etsy.com (a site kind of like eBay except for handmade items). People there pay top dollar for quality handmade items. There are a few sellers selling chain mail jewelry - Here is some search results you can look through to help with prices:
http://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?ref=auto&q=chain+mail+bracelets&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US


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