You hear this sentence or something similar in almost every market. Sometimes more or less whispered, in passing or, more rarely, face to face. The basketry sold by Katja was exclusively made by her personally. You can’t buy cheap imported goods from her. And by cheap I don’t just mean the price, but also the quality.
Let’s count them down and then decide for yourself whether you would even go to work for this hourly wage.
For an average shopping basket (of approx. €45), the following work steps and cost factors must be taken into account:
- Buy willow from the material dealer
- Selecting (sorting) pastures
- Soak willows
- Working time for braiding including reading approx. 4 hours
- Storage of materials and products
- Electricity, water, light, tools (repair)
- Standing fee at a market
- Market tent and equipment
- Arrival and departure to and from a market
- Internet presence
- Business cards and flyers
Even if some of the items listed here are only in the euro cent range, it should be noted that this applies to every piece made by Katja. And certainly one or two cost factors are still missing.
And that puts you well below a minimum wage of €8.50.
And if you’re now wondering why she works as a basket maker at all, then my answer is: Because she enjoys it and sees this job as a calling. In addition, the old crafts are kept alive to a certain extent.