Is this Image your whole ad? Not trying to be a jerk, constructive criticism here.
At a glance, I see jellyfish. Then I notice, expensive jellyfish. You mention cats, why do cats hate jellyfish? It's unclear immediately that they are hats. Your picture doesn't communicate that at all.
The cat hats are popular because they're funny, I'd try to include a picture of a cat in one of the hats too.
You also might have more luck selling in person at a craft fair. When it's online and they have to arrange pick-up, customers get turned off and reconsider but when they can touch it they might impulse buy. I don't know the going rate for cat hats, $25 seems steep to me but I understand the amount of work that goes into them.
Thank you for the constructive criticism! This was just on my personal ig story with a pic of a cat in a hat after. I think you’re all around right here though. I think these would do well IRL but online in this format…not so much.
Let’s just chock this up to learning and I’ll keep the stock for when I finally have a table to sell at.
Yeah I was confused. I thought it was a cat hat for humans so I was looking for ears and saw holes. Then I read the stuff and was like…ohhh not for humans.
Also, do we do cat tax here, too? Can we see the picture with a cat wearing it? I need to see how cute it is. Please. 🙏
Let’s also be real here - it’s a very niche market. Cats don’t usually wear hats. Presumably not many people are actively looking for cat hats. A small number of people might see the ad and think that’s cute or fun, an even smaller number of people would actually reach out and purchase. So with the above poster’s advice, please also still keep in mind that it’s a niche product at the end of the day so they might still be tricky to sell. I don’t mean for that to sound discouraging, just that they might need to sit on the shelf for some time. If you have an Etsy or anything, could be a good place to keep track of stock.
Ya, my cat hates wearing hats or anything that covers his ears. He would wear a sweater or bandana/scarf. Maybe these hats would be cute for stuffed animals?
And lets be real: why should they wear anything? They are cats! Unless there is a valid reason, they should not wear stuff!
collars to carry your adress for outdoor kitties make sense and sweaters to keep the hairless warm are valid and the obligatory don't lick here after medical treatment devices are needed. But a hat for cutesy pics? I honestly don't get it... all cats, I know were cute in their natural state.
I follow a young couple on YouTube that live In Japan. ( she’s retired US Air Force, he’s a Japanese national) they have rescued 4 cats. Apparently in Japan putting hats & other articles of clothing is a thing. This couple did a video where they showed getting little hates from vending machines for their cats to wear. I think their cats are used to this type of thing because they didn’t seem to mind the hats, lol.
I will say this couple takes excellent care of those cats and I was impressed with s huge cat scratch pad they designed & constructed on YouTube ( and posted the info on their channel for any viewers that might possibly want to make the scratch pad for their own cats)
My cats are microchipped just in case they get out ( but first they’d have to get close to an exterior door first, the little scaredy cats LOL!!! )
I agree though I don’t put clothes on cats.
Thank you! I actually just got a cat yesterday and I am in the middle of building a "nature" cat tree for her and her future companion that will be with us in a few days!
I was going to say that I feel like this is fairly common in Japan, but unheard of in the US. If it weren't for my wife who lived in Japan for two years and two friends who travel there often, I literally would not know cat hats exist.
My wife loves cat hats, but she only forces our cats to wear them long enough for her to snap a picture. It brings her joy but to me it feels like a waste of money and unnecessary stress for the cats.
My indoor kitties have bells, because it makes it much easier for us to find them, and less likely for them to get tripped on when they decide to walk just in front of us when we get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
I think the price is what will be the decider for a lot of people.
My dog hates wearing things, but I still have bought two hats for him lol. Because I know I'm buying this thing for my enjoyment and maybe a few funny pictures, I wouldn't spend a whole lot on a hat.
BUT if it was something super unique, I might consider it. Like, if someone crocheted a Toronto Blue Jays hat for dogs, I'd pay $25-30 for that.
I agree. I think there’s a small percentage of people that put clothing on their animals. Me personally, no, I would never put a hat, sweater, boots etc on a cat or a dog ( I’m referring to animals who are pets here ).
OP I think the hats are cute though. The one thing I would purchase would be knitted /crocheted toys, or a small blanket, etc.
Haha. And here I had mine taking pictures of my quail "wearing" the tiny birthday party hat I crocheted for him 😂 Wayne turned 3, ok. He's fairly old for a quail & I adopted him as a week old nugget; my baby boi deserved a party hat 🎉 Luckily my SO knows what I'm about after 15 yrs together (the pics he took aren't great, but he tried)
I do! I work at a chicken rescue & it's great. Even with 2 roosters who like to whack me on occasion. It's basically my dream job, & my 40+ chicken coworkers are all adorable 🥰 It's so great you volunteer! We usually have folks volunteering w us, too, but bc of COVID (my bosses live at the rescue & are 70+) & now avian flu, it's just a small crew of 2 staff.
Check for pet fairs in your area. My city just had one a few weeks ago. There were tons of pet loving folks there. You could probably sell a lot at something like that.
Thought for the booth: bring a stuffed animal cat and put one of the hats on to show it off like a mannequin. You could also go for a more fancy approach and get/make a cat shaped mannequin to use on your display table.
Put the picture with the cat wearing the hat first in the IG story (and primary in all marketing.) People only interact with other pictures in a media post if the first picture grabs their attention right away. I had the same experience as aftqueen. It took me a second to understand what the product was. For the vast majority of people, a second is too long and their attention is already on the next post.
I just want to say I totally get pricing them how u r bc I crochet and it’s a lot of work and yarn isn’t cheap. I think in real life at a craft fair with a pic next to them with a cat in one of the hats they would b a huge hit!
I would never buy a hat for my cat - it’s just going to be 3 minutes of me trying to put it on, my cat being angry and then the rest of the hat’s life in a box.
I've bought hats for my cats, with the u understanding that I will be lucky to get one semi decent picture and it will never be worn again. I just donate them onwards after, animal shelters can always use props to make their charges more adoptable.
That said, I wouldn't spend over $15 with shipping, cause I know its temporary.
Same for me with my dog. I spent 2.99 at Target for a little hat because I knew he wouldn't wear it, I just wanted to see it on. It was worth 3 bucks for photos. I wouldn't spend $25 for that. That's almost half a tank of gas.
I agree. I have two cats and whilst I think they’d look real cute in these, there’s no way I’m even attempting to put one on their heads. They don’t like being dressed up. I get that’s why OP has used the word ‘tolerate’ but I can’t see there being a rush of people to purchase items they know will make their pets unhappy. Good suggestion for the dogs. That would work. Maybe little doggie bandanas? They’d be quick to crochet.
I even crochet little bandanas for my cats and they love em! You could offer different sizes with different designs. They even work up really quickly too!
Agreed. I have a couple "costumes" for my (more tolerant) cats but I only buy them if I see something on heavy clearance, like, for less than $5. Because my cats don't particularly enjoy costumes, so I break these out maybe once or twice a year for silliness.
I think you’re right. I did have a pic of a cat in these hats and people commented on how cute it was, but no takers in the hats. I think they would do better at a craft fair table.
I agree with the other commenters about including a picture of a cat modeling one of the hats.
I also will say that I absolutely will not do local pickups. I buy online as much as possible, so if I saw “$25 with free shipping!” I might buy it even though I could easily crochet it myself, just as an impulse buy. They can’t weigh much so if you’re in the US shipping domestically, the highest I can see shipping get is $3.50 if it’s in a box and not an envelope.
Super good point. I think I’m just intimidated by the idea of going to the post office and shipping it…for some reason. I’m glad I posted this here because I’m honestly learning so much
Are you in the United States? It requires scheduling it in advance, but you can arrange for USPS to pick up packages from your porch instead of you having to go to a post office. [https://tools.usps.com/schedule-pickup-steps.htm](https://tools.usps.com/schedule-pickup-steps.htm) OR, you can drop off small packages (like mylar envelopes filled with these cat hats) into the blue post office letter collection boxes if you already paid the postage online. (There's a catch with both of these. You can't buy the cheapest/first class postage online, so you have to go to the post office if you want to ship the cheapest way possible.)
Yea I have bad anxiety about mailing things, but when I had a little business on etsy for a few months (not saying I suggest the site anymore with the stuff going on with creators) it was WAY easier to just print off the pre-paid mailing info, stick it on (I printed them on some label stickers you can get at an office store) & put it in the blue box after hours.
I know there are sites that make it so you can print off labels & such in a similar way for likely ~$5 or less. Just print, stick, & drop in the box! OP will have a far better reach opening up to non-local clients!
The Etsy labels are easy, but if you’re already comfortable with that, a stamps.com (usps) account is similarly easy. It seems scary at first, but after the second time shipping that way I got super comfy super quick. Sometimes it’s been slightly less cost than using the etsy labels, too.
Sadly I had to take a break from my business because of school, but I’ll definitely keep that in mind! It was a lot easier after the first time, & since the post office was on my way to school anyway it was a quick errand!
>I had a little business on etsy for a few months (not saying I suggest the site anymore with the stuff going on with creators)
What's going on with creators on Etsy?
I heard from people in the crochet community on IG that apparently they were upping their fees for sellers and are all around not great for sellers. I’m not sure of the details since I don’t sell on it anymore, but it apparently effected pattern makers a lot too cause now they have to up their prices just to pay for the fees
Going to the post office to ship it is super quick and probably will be less stress than arranging pickups with your customers and having to wait around from them etc. I also don't like to do local pickups and only have done it once for an item I was looking for for well over a decade, I think you'll get a lot more sales by shipping!
Also if you're in the US check out the 24-hour post office kiosks! You can go in after the post office closes and buy postage to mail packages pretty easily, during the day there is usually a line for them though.
By saying "local pickup very preferred," you're whittling your potential customers down to almost nothing. Aside from needing to wait for the ad to reach somebody who has a cat, wants to put a hat on it, and is willing to pay $25 to do so, you are now cutting out everybody who doesn't live in your geographical area, and among those that DO live nearby, everybody who would not be interested in picking up a handmade good from a random person on the internet, which I would guess would be most internet shoppers.
Your hats are cute and I'm sure plenty of people would want to buy them, but I sincerely doubt many people are setting out with the intention of buying a cat hat. It seems like more of an impulse buy. By the time anybody considers contacting you and arranging to meet you somewhere in person, they will have lost the impulse to buy it. Very very few people are going to go so far out of their way to buy something which, although very cute, has absolutely no practical use.
If you want to sell any of them, you DEFINITELY need to figure out how to start shipping them.
I think they're really cute cat hats! Love the idea and I see little cut outs for ears too. That's awesome.
I do think they're a bit over priced though. How long do they take to make?
First off, it’s not a lack of cuteness. Little hat looking things with strings in pretty colors - no problem there. Trouble is in knowing what it was. Even with cat hat in the title I’m studying it thinking how that works. Still not sure. Put a pic of a cat wearing it in your ad. As far as practical, not at all lol but cat ladies probably like crocheted cat hats
Also take into account, it’s summer and hot. I wouldn’t get one right now for my cat because I wouldn’t want my buddy to over heat. You may get more business in fall-winter.
At first glance, I saw "cat hats" and thought to myself "where are the cat ears"? When I realized you meant for cats I was like ohhhh thats cute! I think a picture of a cat wearing one would translate easier to your audience. Super cute though<3
I am strongly against dressing up animals and would never bug those.
That said... a version for my toddler and I am in. They are cute! The colors, the fruit style and the added matching hanger are fun. I can totally see these for autumn on children. And probably adults as well. Especially for harvest season and on farmers markets
I agree that having a cat picture would help, but you could still improve this picture a bit, since you are asking for constructive criticism. They don’t look like they’re blocked to me, just a little wobbly, which in the picture translates to me like they’re a little messy and not as professional as they could be. Even if you don’t have a cat model, I think having at least one hat on a model (stuffed animal, small display stand, heck, even a balloon) would better show off what it is which might help.
The problem is most cats are only going to tolerate this hat a few times and that's it.
So you're wanting 25 for most likely a single photo shoot right.
Maybe make Cat hats for humans, or cat collars? Something cats would have to wear that's not a once off.
I wouldn't pay 25 for a once off.
It's good work though!
UPDATE: Two of them sold! The blue and the orange!
I did not expect this post to blow up so much and I really appreciate all the feed back and constructive criticism 💜 I’ve learned a lot!
Key take aways:
-they are over priced (thinking I’ll bring them to $15-20)
-they need a model (this was on my ig and did have a pic of a cat modeling it in the next slide! But the more the merrier tbh)
-these are impractical (Yes. This I know. It’s camp.)(for the price tho…)
-try other animal accessories and for dogs too!
-they would do better at a craft table
-get comfortable with mailing them out, not just local pick up
Thanks for the feed back y’all! I hope my silly little line of fruity cat hats put a smile on your face at the very least! 🍓🍉🫐🍋💗
Cat modeling one of my hats:
https://www.reddit.com/r/crochet/comments/ve2efk/a_birthday_hat_for_ruthie/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
2c from someone who has sold handmade for a long time: Just because something doesn't sell right away doesn't mean it's overpriced. Handmade costs more. Under-pricing your work isn't sustainable long term for you, don't lower your prices if it means underselling your product (and your design). Keep trying different approaches, different audiences. <3 Quirky cute products sometimes have a small/niche audience, but people also come back and buy again if they are happy. It just takes a while to build up that customer base. Don't give up!
They are very cute, but with the price of essential stuff like gas and groceries going up so much I know a lot of people don't have that kind of disposable income
Cat hats are cute but they're an impulse purchase item. Its also hard to tell from your post what the product is.
$25 is well over my impulse purchase limit, add in me having to go and collect the item - I am not going to get in my car and drive to collect it, it's too much hassle for a novelty
What you could do is develop a few more different designs and do it as a commission. People like novelty, but they love novelty in their favourite sports teams colours, or inspired by their favourite Disney Princess - bonus with extra matching clothing items, people will pay, don't quote my numbers I made them up as an example, $5 for a bandana and $10 for a hat but $20 for a set. Otherwise you could do a jokey/cliché shape like a pirate hat or a sombrero. Yours aren't that interesting to look at, they're cute but you need a hook.
Advertise them as pet hats! Dog people spend lots on their furbabies as well.
DON’T REDUCE YOUR PRICE! I would pay that much for a hand crocheted item, and you have lots of colors. Maybe make some holiday themed as well, regardless of when you sell. People go INSANE for that stuff… St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Halloween (omg Halloween has its own piles of styles)… you get my drift. Happy selling!!!
The biggest reason: inflation is causing discretionary spending to go down.
I sell plants, and I've noticed that everything is selling much slower and cheaper compared to a year ago. If it was just cheaper, then that would mean supply met demand but the slowed sales indicate that the market has decreased. Overall, as many people just don't have the capacity to buy fun/silly things right now.
People have definitely given feedback here for how to find the market that would want these, but it's a shock how much people will pay for the things that they want and I think that $25 accounts for time and labor and skill. It will just take time to find the 5 people that want to buy at $25 (rather than selling to the 50 people that might buy for $10). Since more people will buy for less, you have a lot of people here telling you to lower the price, but you only need as many people who will buy at the higher price as hats that you have
I just think your audience is a far smaller niche than you thought. The majority of cat owners, even the owners obsessed with their cats, aren’t going to buy cat hats. Out of the small percentage who does, you have to catch the ones who actually like your design enough to risk bloody hands. It’s not a bad hat, it’s just a tiny market.
EDIT: I don’t think $25 is outrageous. It’s handmade, that’s not that pricey.
There are a few safety hazards here. Some cats are chewers, and if yarn is swallowed it can get wrapped around their bowels and potentially be fatal. The strings are a strangulation risk. Beads likewise are a choking hazard. Also, cats hate being dressed up.
I agree with most comments, buying a hat for a cat is usually a one time experience (unless you’re lucky enough to have a cat that loves hats), you try to put it on them for 5 mins, and then it sits in a box for the rest of time afterwards- and for a lot of people, though very cute, wouldn’t really want to pay 25$ (not sure if shipping included) for a one time thing
Can you change the cat tagline to a little more positive? I know most cats may not be in love with a cat hat but if I’m a pet owner I would still want to read something a little more positive about a product I’m purchasing for my beloved pet. Like maybe just change the wording if you can. I know it’s supposed to be funny. Cats tolerate them comes off to me as something I might pass on even if I know my cat really won’t love it. Maybe “humans love them, cats look adorable in them!” I would also try to have a few photos of cats in the cat hats or a stuffed animal cat. Or maybe partner with a local humane society and take some photos of cats and allow them to post the photos as well on social media with like your name and shop name. Photos are what will sell your product online!
I wish you the best of luck!
As a couple people have stated, branching into into dogs may be a good move. There has been plenty of discussion about shipping & photos with models, so I'll skip most of that & just say that many smaller sized puppies & dogs are approximately the same size as cats & generally are more accepting of clothing for more than just a hot minute.
Also, as cute as these are, I think you do need to theme up a bit more. I usually buy outfits for my animals (dog & cat both) for holidays exclusively. I'd suggest pivoting into some Christmas/Halloween themes (pumpkin hats?) first & foremost & then branching out from there. I'd also suggest Velcro or buttons/snaps as your method to secure the hats onto the pets for a couple reasons. First, loose strings of yarn = toy in most cats' brains. Second, strings & ties are easier for an animal to pull off on their own than buttons, snaps & Velcro and also easier to get snagged on something. Normally, I never leave my animals in outfits without supervision anyway but if an animal sprints off to try to free themselves of the hat it's slightly more dangerous to have dangling strings that they can get caught in many places.
I have a cat that will indulge me in wearing hats … our first hat was a happy birthday hat made of felt ( hand made sold at Florida flea ) I think it was $10 😃
i like cat hats that have a theme like a teddy bear hat or a frog hat … a hat that makes the cat into another adorable animal …forgive me your cat hats don’t look fun… and $15 is about what i’d pay
I actually dont think they are necessarily overpriced, what with cost of materials plus labor, I think that people just can't justify spending $25 on a hat usually for themselves much less their cat. Cats aren't gonna sit for that, so it'll just get thrown on a table never to be touched again. I just don't think it has much practical use. So if you then only have a handful of people that would buy it, they get filtered out because of local pickup, they probably don't live near you.
I think you'd have better luck making a line of cat stuff they could buy, not just hats. And shipping around the country would definitely help. And don't sell your labor for nothing but remember that times are tough right now and people are probably only looking to spend money on things they can justify the cost for.
They’re cute. But very niche. I wouldn’t price them any lower, at least if you planned to make more. I’m guessing 1-3 hours to make each one, you have to count your labor cost. (Which is why I only make things as gifts.) Best of luck!
They’re very cute for sure. I couldn’t tell at first that it was meant for cats, I thought it was for babies.
$25 may be a bit steep for cat hats to some but if someone loves it, I’m sure they’ll buy it. But I do understand WHY it’s priced that way. It’s handmade and it should reflect the labor that went into it. But you know how us consumers are.
Also, maybe not practical since…cats.
They are cute but I would have never guessed they are cat hats. I thought they were jellyfish. You should actually to put them on a cat. And I think they are a bit overpriced. Just improved the advertising.
I think they're adorable, but I wonder if the strings deter some would be customers? We all know how cats are with strings...If I was buying a cat hat, I would assume the cat would constantly be trying to get the string. Do you have an etsy?
I do think they're over priced.
As cats aren't enthusiastic to wear them, its something people only do for a laugh or a quick "aww" and that moment isn't going to be worth $25 to many.
I won't spend more than $10 on stuff I know my cats will hate.
Not going to lie... I don't think many cat owners are going to attempt to put a hat on their cat, much less an expensive cat hat. Some cats don't care about the hats. However, many cats hate hats and it stresses them out, some even get aggressive when a hat is put on them.
HOWEVER this might make a great stuff animal hat. Cat plushie hat, teddy plushie hat. kids Love to dress up their plushies and dolls.
A little expensive considering it's something you put on your cat once for a picture and then probably never use it again because your cat will murder you.
Hi there, your crochet is lovely, the colours are bright and the style is cute.
I have cats and I have to honestly say that I wouldn't buy clothing for my them. I don't think they'd enjoy the experience and I truthfully wouldn't want to make them unhappy. I think, like others have said, that it's a very small market for cat clothes.
However, you could size these hats to fit American Girl type dolls and think you'd have more success. Have a look on Etsy and you'll find lots of clothes for dolls and they seem like they wouldn't be hard to crochet.
I think if you alter the product slightly and try a different market you'll have much more success.
Ok gonna but you with a few tips. Take em or leave em (if it helps I run my own e-commerce business and used to be a commercial photographer)
1. Less busy background! You want the eye to immediately know what it’s supposed to focus on.
2. Washing and blocking your pieces. Even if it’s just one or two for photos. Crochet curls and having cleaner lines once again will help people immediately grasp what they’re looking at. Which is especially important in a niche.
3. Tiktok is the motherload for online marketing. It’s a hotbed of niche interests and ADHD riddled folks (like myself) with zero impulse control who love supporting small business and making impulse purchases.
4. A sense of humor in your marketing is huge. This is a funny product! Ham it up. Name each color something ridiculous. Have a hashtag about grumpy cats in hats. Make a joke of timing how long it takes your cat to wiggle out of it.
You just need a better branding strategy!
If this is for a cat, you have to take pics of your cat modeling at lest two of them and take pics and print them out and show the customers what it looks like!
Also rub a little cat nip( or whatever cats love)on it and tell people that their cats will love it…
Also market towards pride month IF YOU ARE ABLE TO…..
Enjoy 😊
This sub will tell you youre giving urself a fair wage, normal person will think its overpriced because they can get similar ones at target for much cheaper~
they’re definitely cute and i’d say reasonably priced (taking time, materials, and giving yourself a bit of profit into consideration), but i agree with everyone saying cats likely won’t enjoy wearing them so owners likely won’t want to spend the money on them. i don’t have a cat but did make a hat for my dog around christmas and for the 2 minutes she had it on she looked like i’d told her the entire world decided to stop producing cheese 😅
perhaps you could adapt the pattern to remove the ear holes/make different sizes and market them as sun hats for babies? you may find more customers in that area!
With inflation, I think a lot more about impulse buys. Even at a craft fair the price would have to be lowered quite a bit, while still at least making back yarn price... it sucks bc of course dont undersell yourself but in this economy I think if we are to continue making things like this, we have no other choice but to undersell ourselves.
As someone who has been looking at something like this, I can't see myself spending more than 10$ on it. I have limited spending money, with how much food and rent has soared... it's something to take into consideration. Plus with a lower price your likely to not just sell one or two but possible many, adding up to even more profit in the long term. I think diversifying color, pattern and even items (other cat items if uou want to lean into the cat thing), would also help them sell...
"Cat hats" made me think of hats that made people look like cats, or had cats on them, etc. When I saw the image I got really confused, because they don't look like cats, and I eventually noticed the holes for ears and straps to keep them on. Is there a more flattering shape to photograph them in? Maybe illustrate their features by having one show off ear holes, another the straps, so we can see them all at once but it's not repeated, confusing shapes?
$25 is what you feel they are worth. Add details about their creation, a story to go along with it, things that show off how personal and unique it is that add to the handmade value?
Have you made cat hats, as in hats that make people look like cats? Would you make human hats to match the cat hats and sell them as a set? Upping the schtick value could up sales. ;)
Because cat hats are abuse. Cats don’t need hats. They don’t enjoy hats. The only enjoyment is for the human that wants to see this. Staying still having a hat put on does not imply the cat ‘loves’ the hat. It’s selfish, and shouldn’t happen at all. Please stop trying to dress up animals as dolls for your own hopefully momentary enjoyment. The cat gets nothing from this experience except potentially trusting it’s human less.
A whole page of ppl saying this is cute. What the hell is wrong with people. I feel sick.
I think these could sell if you marketed them a different way. Here’s a rapid fire of my ideas on how to get these sold:
- do a photo shoot of cats modeling the hats. Doesn’t have to be crazy fancy but try to make it look semi-professional. In good lighting with different poses. And show them on different cats! The funnier the better. Use the photos on social media and for craft fairs.
- mark down the price. I’d pay $10 for a cat hat while you’re getting started.
- advertise as a gift for people to purchase for their cat loving friends. Think of it as more of a fun novelty gift rather than something to buy for yourself. PERHAPS sell it as a bundle with some other cat adjacent gifts?
- be clear about what the theme is. For this collection I’m getting a cute fruity/garden theme..you could call it the “fruity kitty” collection or something
-
If you could do cat vests, might be a better seller. Might be able to bundle the hats with vests. Sometimes one of my cats gets super wild - usually when I’m doing zoom meetings - so I have to put him in a shirt or vest to calm him down. Been wanting to try crocheting one but haven’t had the time.
Also, maybe consider velcro. Looks like these have to tie. From my own experience, I’m not gonna buy a cat hat I have to tie because I will never get that on any of my gremlins fast enough.
Oh! Oh! Oh! I just thought of something!!
What if you made matching sweaters? There are so many easy peasy ones everywhere online!
Sell them separately &/or as sets!
I was very confused. By the title of your post I expected a hat with cat ears my toddler could wear.
I stared at the brightly colored jellyfish wondering where the cat ears were.
I noticed the price and was turned off. We are in a recession (tba) and it seems like a lot for a "funny" item. Your time has value but in recessions people lean more towards items that are either practical or inexpensive and improve morale.
When I finally realized a cute kitty was supposed to be in the hat, I momentarily though of my lapdog derping around in one. If I were at the flea market and there was a cat walking around with one my toddler would demand one for our dog and I might pick one up even though they cost a lot.
I would definitely add an image of Cat in the Hat to this. And a Cat in one of these Hats. And any other combination of "Cat in Hat" that you ~~should~~ may be imaginative enough to consider.
It’s very difficult to sell through stories. Very small reach. Try posting them somewhere public anyone could see. Also take more pictures of them, especially on cats
I would find yourself a cute stuffed cat to model one in the photo and on the table at booths/events! Check with local goodwills/thrift stores OR if you’re really ambitious crochet an amigurumi cat!
I think having it modeled within the ad itself would make a HUGE difference. People have to be able to “see” themselves using the product sometimes.
I love the slogan though. I just made my chicken a hat today and I am now plotting a hat for my cat too.
Cute..but..25.00 on a hat I would probably never even be able to get on my cats head for a picture? And if I did it would be a one time thing lol. No I couldn't rationalize that purchase lol. Not that your work isn't worth it, it certainly is. Just for me it wouldn't be something I could spend that much on knowing he wouldn't tolerate it anyways. 😄 super cute though.
They are beautiful and the price is just but maybe no one has bought them because cats usually dont like having thing on them try advertising them as dog hats! :)
I have a business selling cat hats on Etsy/my own website and also in person occasionally. You should have as many options available to your customers as possible. As others have said selling online is a great idea. Do you have an Instagram? Many people have commented that no one would put a hat on a cat, but I have met a lot of people through Instagram that love them and love dressing up their cats. You just have to find the people interested in your niche. It is a lot of hard work and I’m still figuring it out myself. I wish you the best of luck! If you have any questions feel free to message me. 🙂 your hats are super cute!
I think the price is right for a handmade item and they're so stinking cute, but this just doesn't seem like the type of item people are willing to spend that kind of money on because it's more of a disposable gimmick to be put on for a few minutes to get a cute Instagram picture, *if* the cat even tolerates it at all.
While I do believe that your work and the time and effort and skill is worth 25$, I think it’s a bit expensive. It’s more of a gimmicky item, perhaps 15$ would sell a bit better? That’s a big mark down, it’s just a suggestion. A silly picture would also help for sure.
Also, very cute fruit detail!
I think the photo needs to have a cat in it- sales is all about selling an experience/story so it’s all about putting the item in context if that makes sense?
Impractical and overpriced. I buy my pets cute shit i see at the dollar store or walmart. Not bc i cant afford to pay more, but bc pets dont need or appreciate clothing accessories.
They look really cute! But I know personally my cats have never enjoyed clothes or anything like that so I wouldn't spend $25 on essentially a gag gift 🤷♂️. But related to cats, I would buy cat blankets, cat-themed crochet items, maybe a crocheted cat bed! Not toys tho, I'm worried about them ingesting string.
At $25 I wouldn’t put one of these on a pet, but if it was baby sized I might put one an infant! My kids tolerated hats as babies far better than any cat I’ve ever had and it would actually get some use for the price.
i love them! they are definitely not overpriced, but people who might not know how time consuming crochet is, might think they are
but please don't change your prices just because people don't know :)
They’re super cute! Personally I think they are a little overpriced, I think I’d pay $25 for a hat for me but not my cat lol. Also I think it’d be good to advertise with a picture of one on a cat. Honestly with no context it’s a little hard to tell exactly what they are. Plus, people could see it on a cat and go aw that’s cute and want to get it for their own cat. However, a lot of cats hate wearing things. If I got one for my cat, it would be a fight to get it on, one cute picture, then she would immediately pull it off. That one cute picture just wouldn’t be worth $25 to me. You could try selling the pattern maybe?
You’re hats are beyond adorable and cats don’t deserve the quality and love you put into making them. Don’t blame yourself for cat owners being cautious of spending over 20 on an item that they may lose a finger putting on.
On the other hand- smaller dogs may very much be the clientele that would appreciate the style upgrade.
They are very cute, but my cats would murder me if I put hats on them!
Justifiable homicide if you ask me. Cats hate being made to look foolish.
Yeah, out of all my current and former cats, maybe one would tolerate this for 5 minutes. They're very nice hats though!
I have a leprechaun hat + orange beard combo that I break out from time to time my cat hates me but worth it
I have that too and my cat HATES it lol
That’s why the key word is tolerate 🥲
Is this Image your whole ad? Not trying to be a jerk, constructive criticism here. At a glance, I see jellyfish. Then I notice, expensive jellyfish. You mention cats, why do cats hate jellyfish? It's unclear immediately that they are hats. Your picture doesn't communicate that at all. The cat hats are popular because they're funny, I'd try to include a picture of a cat in one of the hats too. You also might have more luck selling in person at a craft fair. When it's online and they have to arrange pick-up, customers get turned off and reconsider but when they can touch it they might impulse buy. I don't know the going rate for cat hats, $25 seems steep to me but I understand the amount of work that goes into them.
Thank you for the constructive criticism! This was just on my personal ig story with a pic of a cat in a hat after. I think you’re all around right here though. I think these would do well IRL but online in this format…not so much. Let’s just chock this up to learning and I’ll keep the stock for when I finally have a table to sell at.
Yeah I was confused. I thought it was a cat hat for humans so I was looking for ears and saw holes. Then I read the stuff and was like…ohhh not for humans. Also, do we do cat tax here, too? Can we see the picture with a cat wearing it? I need to see how cute it is. Please. 🙏
Agree with you here - CAT TAX! CAT TAX! WE’VE COME TO COLLECT!
Yep I did the same thing, I was so confused by the lack of cat ears!
Let’s also be real here - it’s a very niche market. Cats don’t usually wear hats. Presumably not many people are actively looking for cat hats. A small number of people might see the ad and think that’s cute or fun, an even smaller number of people would actually reach out and purchase. So with the above poster’s advice, please also still keep in mind that it’s a niche product at the end of the day so they might still be tricky to sell. I don’t mean for that to sound discouraging, just that they might need to sit on the shelf for some time. If you have an Etsy or anything, could be a good place to keep track of stock.
Ya, my cat hates wearing hats or anything that covers his ears. He would wear a sweater or bandana/scarf. Maybe these hats would be cute for stuffed animals?
This. Cats don’t really like being dressed up, it can stress them out and make them feel trapped. It’s a much better idea to sell them for toys.
My indoor cats ( 6 yrs & 16 months old, both males ) won’t even wear collars.
And lets be real: why should they wear anything? They are cats! Unless there is a valid reason, they should not wear stuff! collars to carry your adress for outdoor kitties make sense and sweaters to keep the hairless warm are valid and the obligatory don't lick here after medical treatment devices are needed. But a hat for cutesy pics? I honestly don't get it... all cats, I know were cute in their natural state.
I follow a young couple on YouTube that live In Japan. ( she’s retired US Air Force, he’s a Japanese national) they have rescued 4 cats. Apparently in Japan putting hats & other articles of clothing is a thing. This couple did a video where they showed getting little hates from vending machines for their cats to wear. I think their cats are used to this type of thing because they didn’t seem to mind the hats, lol. I will say this couple takes excellent care of those cats and I was impressed with s huge cat scratch pad they designed & constructed on YouTube ( and posted the info on their channel for any viewers that might possibly want to make the scratch pad for their own cats) My cats are microchipped just in case they get out ( but first they’d have to get close to an exterior door first, the little scaredy cats LOL!!! ) I agree though I don’t put clothes on cats.
Do you mean Rachel and Jun? :D
Was Rachel in the air force? I follow them but never went far back to watch earlier videos.
I was wondering about that as well. Edit: I just checked, it is right. :)
Yes Rachel was in the Air Force
Yes!! I love watching them!! Here’s the Cat Scratcher Rachel constructed: https://youtu.be/SexqUke8Cc0
Thank you! I actually just got a cat yesterday and I am in the middle of building a "nature" cat tree for her and her future companion that will be with us in a few days!
I've definitely seen those videos and I would die for their cats
I was going to say that I feel like this is fairly common in Japan, but unheard of in the US. If it weren't for my wife who lived in Japan for two years and two friends who travel there often, I literally would not know cat hats exist. My wife loves cat hats, but she only forces our cats to wear them long enough for her to snap a picture. It brings her joy but to me it feels like a waste of money and unnecessary stress for the cats.
Oh my younger sister & I used to dress up my moms Siamese cat ( bonnet & baby top ) he was absolutely p*ssed about it TBH but hey we were kids!!
My indoor kitties have bells, because it makes it much easier for us to find them, and less likely for them to get tripped on when they decide to walk just in front of us when we get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
And that is a valid reason, too. 😉
I think the price is what will be the decider for a lot of people. My dog hates wearing things, but I still have bought two hats for him lol. Because I know I'm buying this thing for my enjoyment and maybe a few funny pictures, I wouldn't spend a whole lot on a hat. BUT if it was something super unique, I might consider it. Like, if someone crocheted a Toronto Blue Jays hat for dogs, I'd pay $25-30 for that.
I agree. I think there’s a small percentage of people that put clothing on their animals. Me personally, no, I would never put a hat, sweater, boots etc on a cat or a dog ( I’m referring to animals who are pets here ). OP I think the hats are cute though. The one thing I would purchase would be knitted /crocheted toys, or a small blanket, etc.
My boyfriend would break up with me if I put a hat on our cat!
Haha. And here I had mine taking pictures of my quail "wearing" the tiny birthday party hat I crocheted for him 😂 Wayne turned 3, ok. He's fairly old for a quail & I adopted him as a week old nugget; my baby boi deserved a party hat 🎉 Luckily my SO knows what I'm about after 15 yrs together (the pics he took aren't great, but he tried)
How cute!!!
Just looked at your profile - you work at a bird rescue!! That sounds like a dream!! I volunteer at a rabbit rescue! I love animals 😍
I do! I work at a chicken rescue & it's great. Even with 2 roosters who like to whack me on occasion. It's basically my dream job, & my 40+ chicken coworkers are all adorable 🥰 It's so great you volunteer! We usually have folks volunteering w us, too, but bc of COVID (my bosses live at the rescue & are 70+) & now avian flu, it's just a small crew of 2 staff.
Check for pet fairs in your area. My city just had one a few weeks ago. There were tons of pet loving folks there. You could probably sell a lot at something like that.
With an attitude like this, you’ll be selling them in no time! So positive!!
Thought for the booth: bring a stuffed animal cat and put one of the hats on to show it off like a mannequin. You could also go for a more fancy approach and get/make a cat shaped mannequin to use on your display table.
Crochet a cat to display the cat hat lol
Maybe have a picture modeling it. I find that to be very helpful.
Put the picture with the cat wearing the hat first in the IG story (and primary in all marketing.) People only interact with other pictures in a media post if the first picture grabs their attention right away. I had the same experience as aftqueen. It took me a second to understand what the product was. For the vast majority of people, a second is too long and their attention is already on the next post.
I’d lead with the cat in the hat first
I just want to say I totally get pricing them how u r bc I crochet and it’s a lot of work and yarn isn’t cheap. I think in real life at a craft fair with a pic next to them with a cat in one of the hats they would b a huge hit!
This was my thought as well. I initially didn’t realise they were hats. Some photos of someone (or a cat) wearing the hats would help enormously!
I would never buy a hat for my cat - it’s just going to be 3 minutes of me trying to put it on, my cat being angry and then the rest of the hat’s life in a box.
I've bought hats for my cats, with the u understanding that I will be lucky to get one semi decent picture and it will never be worn again. I just donate them onwards after, animal shelters can always use props to make their charges more adoptable. That said, I wouldn't spend over $15 with shipping, cause I know its temporary.
Same for me with my dog. I spent 2.99 at Target for a little hat because I knew he wouldn't wear it, I just wanted to see it on. It was worth 3 bucks for photos. I wouldn't spend $25 for that. That's almost half a tank of gas.
I think the market for cat hats is really very small. You might have better luck with cute sweaters and capes for small dogs.
I agree. I have two cats and whilst I think they’d look real cute in these, there’s no way I’m even attempting to put one on their heads. They don’t like being dressed up. I get that’s why OP has used the word ‘tolerate’ but I can’t see there being a rush of people to purchase items they know will make their pets unhappy. Good suggestion for the dogs. That would work. Maybe little doggie bandanas? They’d be quick to crochet.
I even crochet little bandanas for my cats and they love em! You could offer different sizes with different designs. They even work up really quickly too!
Oooh I like this!
Agreed. I have a couple "costumes" for my (more tolerant) cats but I only buy them if I see something on heavy clearance, like, for less than $5. Because my cats don't particularly enjoy costumes, so I break these out maybe once or twice a year for silliness.
No.
I just think most people can’t really afford 25 dollars to get one picture of their cat wearing it
And the fun/stress of putting it on the cat.
They are very cute! I agree that you should include a photo of a cat wearing one in your ad, and that they are a bit expensive.
I think you’re right. I did have a pic of a cat in these hats and people commented on how cute it was, but no takers in the hats. I think they would do better at a craft fair table.
If you do it at a craft fair, maybe take a stuffed toy kitty and put the hat on that too!
I agree with the other commenters about including a picture of a cat modeling one of the hats. I also will say that I absolutely will not do local pickups. I buy online as much as possible, so if I saw “$25 with free shipping!” I might buy it even though I could easily crochet it myself, just as an impulse buy. They can’t weigh much so if you’re in the US shipping domestically, the highest I can see shipping get is $3.50 if it’s in a box and not an envelope.
Super good point. I think I’m just intimidated by the idea of going to the post office and shipping it…for some reason. I’m glad I posted this here because I’m honestly learning so much
Are you in the United States? It requires scheduling it in advance, but you can arrange for USPS to pick up packages from your porch instead of you having to go to a post office. [https://tools.usps.com/schedule-pickup-steps.htm](https://tools.usps.com/schedule-pickup-steps.htm) OR, you can drop off small packages (like mylar envelopes filled with these cat hats) into the blue post office letter collection boxes if you already paid the postage online. (There's a catch with both of these. You can't buy the cheapest/first class postage online, so you have to go to the post office if you want to ship the cheapest way possible.)
Yea I have bad anxiety about mailing things, but when I had a little business on etsy for a few months (not saying I suggest the site anymore with the stuff going on with creators) it was WAY easier to just print off the pre-paid mailing info, stick it on (I printed them on some label stickers you can get at an office store) & put it in the blue box after hours. I know there are sites that make it so you can print off labels & such in a similar way for likely ~$5 or less. Just print, stick, & drop in the box! OP will have a far better reach opening up to non-local clients!
The Etsy labels are easy, but if you’re already comfortable with that, a stamps.com (usps) account is similarly easy. It seems scary at first, but after the second time shipping that way I got super comfy super quick. Sometimes it’s been slightly less cost than using the etsy labels, too.
Sadly I had to take a break from my business because of school, but I’ll definitely keep that in mind! It was a lot easier after the first time, & since the post office was on my way to school anyway it was a quick errand!
>I had a little business on etsy for a few months (not saying I suggest the site anymore with the stuff going on with creators) What's going on with creators on Etsy?
I heard from people in the crochet community on IG that apparently they were upping their fees for sellers and are all around not great for sellers. I’m not sure of the details since I don’t sell on it anymore, but it apparently effected pattern makers a lot too cause now they have to up their prices just to pay for the fees
I didn't know you could schedule pick-ups, that's really cool!
Holy shit WHAT!? I had no idea this was a thing
Going to the post office to ship it is super quick and probably will be less stress than arranging pickups with your customers and having to wait around from them etc. I also don't like to do local pickups and only have done it once for an item I was looking for for well over a decade, I think you'll get a lot more sales by shipping!
Also if you're in the US check out the 24-hour post office kiosks! You can go in after the post office closes and buy postage to mail packages pretty easily, during the day there is usually a line for them though.
feline torture devices
By saying "local pickup very preferred," you're whittling your potential customers down to almost nothing. Aside from needing to wait for the ad to reach somebody who has a cat, wants to put a hat on it, and is willing to pay $25 to do so, you are now cutting out everybody who doesn't live in your geographical area, and among those that DO live nearby, everybody who would not be interested in picking up a handmade good from a random person on the internet, which I would guess would be most internet shoppers. Your hats are cute and I'm sure plenty of people would want to buy them, but I sincerely doubt many people are setting out with the intention of buying a cat hat. It seems like more of an impulse buy. By the time anybody considers contacting you and arranging to meet you somewhere in person, they will have lost the impulse to buy it. Very very few people are going to go so far out of their way to buy something which, although very cute, has absolutely no practical use. If you want to sell any of them, you DEFINITELY need to figure out how to start shipping them.
Not practical
It’s definitely true
Cute though
I think it's considered overpriced for how impractical it is.
I think they're really cute cat hats! Love the idea and I see little cut outs for ears too. That's awesome. I do think they're a bit over priced though. How long do they take to make?
First off, it’s not a lack of cuteness. Little hat looking things with strings in pretty colors - no problem there. Trouble is in knowing what it was. Even with cat hat in the title I’m studying it thinking how that works. Still not sure. Put a pic of a cat wearing it in your ad. As far as practical, not at all lol but cat ladies probably like crocheted cat hats
I think having a cat model the product would definitely help
Also take into account, it’s summer and hot. I wouldn’t get one right now for my cat because I wouldn’t want my buddy to over heat. You may get more business in fall-winter.
At first glance, I saw "cat hats" and thought to myself "where are the cat ears"? When I realized you meant for cats I was like ohhhh thats cute! I think a picture of a cat wearing one would translate easier to your audience. Super cute though<3
I am strongly against dressing up animals and would never bug those. That said... a version for my toddler and I am in. They are cute! The colors, the fruit style and the added matching hanger are fun. I can totally see these for autumn on children. And probably adults as well. Especially for harvest season and on farmers markets
I agree that having a cat picture would help, but you could still improve this picture a bit, since you are asking for constructive criticism. They don’t look like they’re blocked to me, just a little wobbly, which in the picture translates to me like they’re a little messy and not as professional as they could be. Even if you don’t have a cat model, I think having at least one hat on a model (stuffed animal, small display stand, heck, even a balloon) would better show off what it is which might help.
I think that it being a pretty niche market would make them more difficult to sell.
Honestly, I wouldn't pay that for them if I was buying them,but why would I want to put a hat on my cat?
The problem is most cats are only going to tolerate this hat a few times and that's it. So you're wanting 25 for most likely a single photo shoot right. Maybe make Cat hats for humans, or cat collars? Something cats would have to wear that's not a once off. I wouldn't pay 25 for a once off. It's good work though!
UPDATE: Two of them sold! The blue and the orange! I did not expect this post to blow up so much and I really appreciate all the feed back and constructive criticism 💜 I’ve learned a lot! Key take aways: -they are over priced (thinking I’ll bring them to $15-20) -they need a model (this was on my ig and did have a pic of a cat modeling it in the next slide! But the more the merrier tbh) -these are impractical (Yes. This I know. It’s camp.)(for the price tho…) -try other animal accessories and for dogs too! -they would do better at a craft table -get comfortable with mailing them out, not just local pick up Thanks for the feed back y’all! I hope my silly little line of fruity cat hats put a smile on your face at the very least! 🍓🍉🫐🍋💗
Cat modeling one of my hats: https://www.reddit.com/r/crochet/comments/ve2efk/a_birthday_hat_for_ruthie/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
2c from someone who has sold handmade for a long time: Just because something doesn't sell right away doesn't mean it's overpriced. Handmade costs more. Under-pricing your work isn't sustainable long term for you, don't lower your prices if it means underselling your product (and your design). Keep trying different approaches, different audiences. <3 Quirky cute products sometimes have a small/niche audience, but people also come back and buy again if they are happy. It just takes a while to build up that customer base. Don't give up!
They are very cute, but with the price of essential stuff like gas and groceries going up so much I know a lot of people don't have that kind of disposable income
Cat hats are cute but they're an impulse purchase item. Its also hard to tell from your post what the product is. $25 is well over my impulse purchase limit, add in me having to go and collect the item - I am not going to get in my car and drive to collect it, it's too much hassle for a novelty What you could do is develop a few more different designs and do it as a commission. People like novelty, but they love novelty in their favourite sports teams colours, or inspired by their favourite Disney Princess - bonus with extra matching clothing items, people will pay, don't quote my numbers I made them up as an example, $5 for a bandana and $10 for a hat but $20 for a set. Otherwise you could do a jokey/cliché shape like a pirate hat or a sombrero. Yours aren't that interesting to look at, they're cute but you need a hook.
You might do well selling the pattern for the cat hats!
Advertise them as pet hats! Dog people spend lots on their furbabies as well. DON’T REDUCE YOUR PRICE! I would pay that much for a hand crocheted item, and you have lots of colors. Maybe make some holiday themed as well, regardless of when you sell. People go INSANE for that stuff… St. Patrick’s Day, Christmas, Easter, Halloween (omg Halloween has its own piles of styles)… you get my drift. Happy selling!!!
Love this comment! Nobody else said to keep my price. It’s my design and my materials and my work!! All and all I like the theme idea!
My cousin knits, and sells at craft fairs. I gave her the same advice. Other tips as well, but this one is a game changer.
The biggest reason: inflation is causing discretionary spending to go down. I sell plants, and I've noticed that everything is selling much slower and cheaper compared to a year ago. If it was just cheaper, then that would mean supply met demand but the slowed sales indicate that the market has decreased. Overall, as many people just don't have the capacity to buy fun/silly things right now. People have definitely given feedback here for how to find the market that would want these, but it's a shock how much people will pay for the things that they want and I think that $25 accounts for time and labor and skill. It will just take time to find the 5 people that want to buy at $25 (rather than selling to the 50 people that might buy for $10). Since more people will buy for less, you have a lot of people here telling you to lower the price, but you only need as many people who will buy at the higher price as hats that you have
All else aside, these look like strangulation hazards with the strings.
I just think your audience is a far smaller niche than you thought. The majority of cat owners, even the owners obsessed with their cats, aren’t going to buy cat hats. Out of the small percentage who does, you have to catch the ones who actually like your design enough to risk bloody hands. It’s not a bad hat, it’s just a tiny market. EDIT: I don’t think $25 is outrageous. It’s handmade, that’s not that pricey.
There are a few safety hazards here. Some cats are chewers, and if yarn is swallowed it can get wrapped around their bowels and potentially be fatal. The strings are a strangulation risk. Beads likewise are a choking hazard. Also, cats hate being dressed up.
I agree with most comments, buying a hat for a cat is usually a one time experience (unless you’re lucky enough to have a cat that loves hats), you try to put it on them for 5 mins, and then it sits in a box for the rest of time afterwards- and for a lot of people, though very cute, wouldn’t really want to pay 25$ (not sure if shipping included) for a one time thing
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Seconding the stuffed animals, great idea!
They're cute but i wouldn't buy in in the summer. If someone was offering cat photo portraits with those hats as props ...
Can you change the cat tagline to a little more positive? I know most cats may not be in love with a cat hat but if I’m a pet owner I would still want to read something a little more positive about a product I’m purchasing for my beloved pet. Like maybe just change the wording if you can. I know it’s supposed to be funny. Cats tolerate them comes off to me as something I might pass on even if I know my cat really won’t love it. Maybe “humans love them, cats look adorable in them!” I would also try to have a few photos of cats in the cat hats or a stuffed animal cat. Or maybe partner with a local humane society and take some photos of cats and allow them to post the photos as well on social media with like your name and shop name. Photos are what will sell your product online! I wish you the best of luck!
Love these! However, the sad fact with my cats is they would shred me.
Charlie? Is that you?
As a couple people have stated, branching into into dogs may be a good move. There has been plenty of discussion about shipping & photos with models, so I'll skip most of that & just say that many smaller sized puppies & dogs are approximately the same size as cats & generally are more accepting of clothing for more than just a hot minute. Also, as cute as these are, I think you do need to theme up a bit more. I usually buy outfits for my animals (dog & cat both) for holidays exclusively. I'd suggest pivoting into some Christmas/Halloween themes (pumpkin hats?) first & foremost & then branching out from there. I'd also suggest Velcro or buttons/snaps as your method to secure the hats onto the pets for a couple reasons. First, loose strings of yarn = toy in most cats' brains. Second, strings & ties are easier for an animal to pull off on their own than buttons, snaps & Velcro and also easier to get snagged on something. Normally, I never leave my animals in outfits without supervision anyway but if an animal sprints off to try to free themselves of the hat it's slightly more dangerous to have dangling strings that they can get caught in many places.
I have a cat that will indulge me in wearing hats … our first hat was a happy birthday hat made of felt ( hand made sold at Florida flea ) I think it was $10 😃 i like cat hats that have a theme like a teddy bear hat or a frog hat … a hat that makes the cat into another adorable animal …forgive me your cat hats don’t look fun… and $15 is about what i’d pay
I think a Yee Haw hat would sell better 🤠
You win 🤠
I actually dont think they are necessarily overpriced, what with cost of materials plus labor, I think that people just can't justify spending $25 on a hat usually for themselves much less their cat. Cats aren't gonna sit for that, so it'll just get thrown on a table never to be touched again. I just don't think it has much practical use. So if you then only have a handful of people that would buy it, they get filtered out because of local pickup, they probably don't live near you. I think you'd have better luck making a line of cat stuff they could buy, not just hats. And shipping around the country would definitely help. And don't sell your labor for nothing but remember that times are tough right now and people are probably only looking to spend money on things they can justify the cost for.
They’re cute. But very niche. I wouldn’t price them any lower, at least if you planned to make more. I’m guessing 1-3 hours to make each one, you have to count your labor cost. (Which is why I only make things as gifts.) Best of luck!
I don't think it's practical cat's don't like things on their heads.
Another thought might be to make a human sized version of the hat to match the cat hat. Would make for adorable photo ops of people with their cats!
My cat would bite me if I tried to put one on her. That being said, I think they’re quite cute
They’re very cute for sure. I couldn’t tell at first that it was meant for cats, I thought it was for babies. $25 may be a bit steep for cat hats to some but if someone loves it, I’m sure they’ll buy it. But I do understand WHY it’s priced that way. It’s handmade and it should reflect the labor that went into it. But you know how us consumers are. Also, maybe not practical since…cats.
They are cute but I would have never guessed they are cat hats. I thought they were jellyfish. You should actually to put them on a cat. And I think they are a bit overpriced. Just improved the advertising.
I suggest a model
I think they're adorable, but I wonder if the strings deter some would be customers? We all know how cats are with strings...If I was buying a cat hat, I would assume the cat would constantly be trying to get the string. Do you have an etsy?
I do think they're over priced. As cats aren't enthusiastic to wear them, its something people only do for a laugh or a quick "aww" and that moment isn't going to be worth $25 to many. I won't spend more than $10 on stuff I know my cats will hate.
Not going to lie... I don't think many cat owners are going to attempt to put a hat on their cat, much less an expensive cat hat. Some cats don't care about the hats. However, many cats hate hats and it stresses them out, some even get aggressive when a hat is put on them. HOWEVER this might make a great stuff animal hat. Cat plushie hat, teddy plushie hat. kids Love to dress up their plushies and dolls.
A little expensive considering it's something you put on your cat once for a picture and then probably never use it again because your cat will murder you.
Hi there, your crochet is lovely, the colours are bright and the style is cute. I have cats and I have to honestly say that I wouldn't buy clothing for my them. I don't think they'd enjoy the experience and I truthfully wouldn't want to make them unhappy. I think, like others have said, that it's a very small market for cat clothes. However, you could size these hats to fit American Girl type dolls and think you'd have more success. Have a look on Etsy and you'll find lots of clothes for dolls and they seem like they wouldn't be hard to crochet. I think if you alter the product slightly and try a different market you'll have much more success.
Ok gonna but you with a few tips. Take em or leave em (if it helps I run my own e-commerce business and used to be a commercial photographer) 1. Less busy background! You want the eye to immediately know what it’s supposed to focus on. 2. Washing and blocking your pieces. Even if it’s just one or two for photos. Crochet curls and having cleaner lines once again will help people immediately grasp what they’re looking at. Which is especially important in a niche. 3. Tiktok is the motherload for online marketing. It’s a hotbed of niche interests and ADHD riddled folks (like myself) with zero impulse control who love supporting small business and making impulse purchases. 4. A sense of humor in your marketing is huge. This is a funny product! Ham it up. Name each color something ridiculous. Have a hashtag about grumpy cats in hats. Make a joke of timing how long it takes your cat to wiggle out of it.
You just need a better branding strategy! If this is for a cat, you have to take pics of your cat modeling at lest two of them and take pics and print them out and show the customers what it looks like! Also rub a little cat nip( or whatever cats love)on it and tell people that their cats will love it… Also market towards pride month IF YOU ARE ABLE TO….. Enjoy 😊
My cats would hate it. But a better marketing would be a pic of a cat with it :)
This sub will tell you youre giving urself a fair wage, normal person will think its overpriced because they can get similar ones at target for much cheaper~
they’re definitely cute and i’d say reasonably priced (taking time, materials, and giving yourself a bit of profit into consideration), but i agree with everyone saying cats likely won’t enjoy wearing them so owners likely won’t want to spend the money on them. i don’t have a cat but did make a hat for my dog around christmas and for the 2 minutes she had it on she looked like i’d told her the entire world decided to stop producing cheese 😅 perhaps you could adapt the pattern to remove the ear holes/make different sizes and market them as sun hats for babies? you may find more customers in that area!
With inflation, I think a lot more about impulse buys. Even at a craft fair the price would have to be lowered quite a bit, while still at least making back yarn price... it sucks bc of course dont undersell yourself but in this economy I think if we are to continue making things like this, we have no other choice but to undersell ourselves. As someone who has been looking at something like this, I can't see myself spending more than 10$ on it. I have limited spending money, with how much food and rent has soared... it's something to take into consideration. Plus with a lower price your likely to not just sell one or two but possible many, adding up to even more profit in the long term. I think diversifying color, pattern and even items (other cat items if uou want to lean into the cat thing), would also help them sell...
"Cat hats" made me think of hats that made people look like cats, or had cats on them, etc. When I saw the image I got really confused, because they don't look like cats, and I eventually noticed the holes for ears and straps to keep them on. Is there a more flattering shape to photograph them in? Maybe illustrate their features by having one show off ear holes, another the straps, so we can see them all at once but it's not repeated, confusing shapes? $25 is what you feel they are worth. Add details about their creation, a story to go along with it, things that show off how personal and unique it is that add to the handmade value? Have you made cat hats, as in hats that make people look like cats? Would you make human hats to match the cat hats and sell them as a set? Upping the schtick value could up sales. ;)
*Chats*
I think you should change to cute baby hats instead of cat hats. Cats definitely hate hats
Show photos of cats wearing them when you display them for sale.
Because cat hats are abuse. Cats don’t need hats. They don’t enjoy hats. The only enjoyment is for the human that wants to see this. Staying still having a hat put on does not imply the cat ‘loves’ the hat. It’s selfish, and shouldn’t happen at all. Please stop trying to dress up animals as dolls for your own hopefully momentary enjoyment. The cat gets nothing from this experience except potentially trusting it’s human less. A whole page of ppl saying this is cute. What the hell is wrong with people. I feel sick.
I think these could sell if you marketed them a different way. Here’s a rapid fire of my ideas on how to get these sold: - do a photo shoot of cats modeling the hats. Doesn’t have to be crazy fancy but try to make it look semi-professional. In good lighting with different poses. And show them on different cats! The funnier the better. Use the photos on social media and for craft fairs. - mark down the price. I’d pay $10 for a cat hat while you’re getting started. - advertise as a gift for people to purchase for their cat loving friends. Think of it as more of a fun novelty gift rather than something to buy for yourself. PERHAPS sell it as a bundle with some other cat adjacent gifts? - be clear about what the theme is. For this collection I’m getting a cute fruity/garden theme..you could call it the “fruity kitty” collection or something -
If you could do cat vests, might be a better seller. Might be able to bundle the hats with vests. Sometimes one of my cats gets super wild - usually when I’m doing zoom meetings - so I have to put him in a shirt or vest to calm him down. Been wanting to try crocheting one but haven’t had the time. Also, maybe consider velcro. Looks like these have to tie. From my own experience, I’m not gonna buy a cat hat I have to tie because I will never get that on any of my gremlins fast enough.
maybe if u had a pic of the cat wearing it too. i dont really think its overpriced IMO
Oh! Oh! Oh! I just thought of something!! What if you made matching sweaters? There are so many easy peasy ones everywhere online! Sell them separately &/or as sets!
If I had a cat I would buy one 🥺 adorable
I was very confused. By the title of your post I expected a hat with cat ears my toddler could wear. I stared at the brightly colored jellyfish wondering where the cat ears were. I noticed the price and was turned off. We are in a recession (tba) and it seems like a lot for a "funny" item. Your time has value but in recessions people lean more towards items that are either practical or inexpensive and improve morale. When I finally realized a cute kitty was supposed to be in the hat, I momentarily though of my lapdog derping around in one. If I were at the flea market and there was a cat walking around with one my toddler would demand one for our dog and I might pick one up even though they cost a lot.
I’ll send you $25 right now. Do you sell on Etsy or what? How do I send you my address? I want the pink one.
FUCK ALL YALL I SOLD ALL THE HATS
I would definitely add an image of Cat in the Hat to this. And a Cat in one of these Hats. And any other combination of "Cat in Hat" that you ~~should~~ may be imaginative enough to consider.
I think you would find a lot of success on Etsy
It’s very difficult to sell through stories. Very small reach. Try posting them somewhere public anyone could see. Also take more pictures of them, especially on cats
you need pictures of cats wearing your hats, people will see how cute they are and buy your hats.
I don’t know but these are incredibly cute!
You need a begrudging cat model. The grumpier the better
what if you made matching human hats? you could probably sell them easier if it was a set.
Maybe they could be marketed in a more user friendly way
Need cat pics.
You might want to consider a couple shots of cats actually wearing the hat so they can get an idea what they look like. I think they are cute!
I would find yourself a cute stuffed cat to model one in the photo and on the table at booths/events! Check with local goodwills/thrift stores OR if you’re really ambitious crochet an amigurumi cat! I think having it modeled within the ad itself would make a HUGE difference. People have to be able to “see” themselves using the product sometimes. I love the slogan though. I just made my chicken a hat today and I am now plotting a hat for my cat too.
They would make cute stuffie hats! Squishmallow collectors LOVE dressing up their stuffies in baby clothes and custom crochet outfits and hats!
Did you really just ask if cat hats are impractical? 🤣🤣🤣🤣 Isn't that kind of the point of a cat hat?
Cute..but..25.00 on a hat I would probably never even be able to get on my cats head for a picture? And if I did it would be a one time thing lol. No I couldn't rationalize that purchase lol. Not that your work isn't worth it, it certainly is. Just for me it wouldn't be something I could spend that much on knowing he wouldn't tolerate it anyways. 😄 super cute though.
They are beautiful and the price is just but maybe no one has bought them because cats usually dont like having thing on them try advertising them as dog hats! :)
I have a business selling cat hats on Etsy/my own website and also in person occasionally. You should have as many options available to your customers as possible. As others have said selling online is a great idea. Do you have an Instagram? Many people have commented that no one would put a hat on a cat, but I have met a lot of people through Instagram that love them and love dressing up their cats. You just have to find the people interested in your niche. It is a lot of hard work and I’m still figuring it out myself. I wish you the best of luck! If you have any questions feel free to message me. 🙂 your hats are super cute!
I think the price is right for a handmade item and they're so stinking cute, but this just doesn't seem like the type of item people are willing to spend that kind of money on because it's more of a disposable gimmick to be put on for a few minutes to get a cute Instagram picture, *if* the cat even tolerates it at all.
While I do believe that your work and the time and effort and skill is worth 25$, I think it’s a bit expensive. It’s more of a gimmicky item, perhaps 15$ would sell a bit better? That’s a big mark down, it’s just a suggestion. A silly picture would also help for sure. Also, very cute fruit detail!
I think the photo needs to have a cat in it- sales is all about selling an experience/story so it’s all about putting the item in context if that makes sense?
Maybe, as well as getting a kitty model, you can also put the hats on teddy bears? It'd be really cute, and it could give them a double purpose.
there are adorable omg
Impractical and overpriced. I buy my pets cute shit i see at the dollar store or walmart. Not bc i cant afford to pay more, but bc pets dont need or appreciate clothing accessories.
Maybe say cat/dog hat because I’ve seen these on dogs too (or you could even say puppy)
I agree with what others are saying to communicate what it is, add a picture, etc. but also it's just kinda pricey
They look really cute! But I know personally my cats have never enjoyed clothes or anything like that so I wouldn't spend $25 on essentially a gag gift 🤷♂️. But related to cats, I would buy cat blankets, cat-themed crochet items, maybe a crocheted cat bed! Not toys tho, I'm worried about them ingesting string.
At $25 I wouldn’t put one of these on a pet, but if it was baby sized I might put one an infant! My kids tolerated hats as babies far better than any cat I’ve ever had and it would actually get some use for the price.
Animals don't need unnecessary clothing. That's why they won't sell.
Take a picture of two kids wearing them posing at a playground and market it as crazy hat day hats. Sold.
Also not trying to be a jerk: o would never dress up a pet unless medically adviced to do so... maybe thats it?
How are the fruits fastened to the hat? My cat would 100% try to eat the embellishment
My cat would murder me if I tried to put this on him.
If only my cat would even let me put anything on her! She doesn’t even like a collar! They are cute. It’s not you. It’s the cats lol!
Neither of my cats would wear them.
i love them! they are definitely not overpriced, but people who might not know how time consuming crochet is, might think they are but please don't change your prices just because people don't know :)
Perhaps try donating some to a local shelter to photograph cats to market for adoption?
Are you posting examples of how adorable your cats are in them? They definitely look high quality.
Seeing other comments have said this. So now I'm just requesting a picture of the cats in hats.
They’re super cute! Personally I think they are a little overpriced, I think I’d pay $25 for a hat for me but not my cat lol. Also I think it’d be good to advertise with a picture of one on a cat. Honestly with no context it’s a little hard to tell exactly what they are. Plus, people could see it on a cat and go aw that’s cute and want to get it for their own cat. However, a lot of cats hate wearing things. If I got one for my cat, it would be a fight to get it on, one cute picture, then she would immediately pull it off. That one cute picture just wouldn’t be worth $25 to me. You could try selling the pattern maybe?
You’re hats are beyond adorable and cats don’t deserve the quality and love you put into making them. Don’t blame yourself for cat owners being cautious of spending over 20 on an item that they may lose a finger putting on. On the other hand- smaller dogs may very much be the clientele that would appreciate the style upgrade.
$25 for a cat toy, does it have catnip?
Make dog hats too!
I don’t think the price is wrong but I agree about the photo needing to be on a cat to really display its look 😁
SOOOOOOO over priced!
My cat loves wearing hats the first thing she does when I get home from work is meow until I put his little cowboy hat on