# how much should I charge for my honey?



## Docking (Mar 13, 2008)

I just extracted my first batch of honey.. what would be a fair price to charge for the 1 lb. and 1 qrt. jar of honey?


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## Brent Bean (Jun 30, 2005)

American Bee Journal or Bee Culture magazine have prevailing honey prices for your area. If you don’t currently subscribe I would recommend both.


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## Dr.Wax (Apr 30, 2008)

I just happen to have the May issue of ABJ right here. 

According to them the retail price for 1 lb. of honey retail in the Southeast ranges from $2.40-$4.75 while a quart goes from $5.79-$10.00.


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## Benton2569 (Feb 26, 2007)

Just yesterday we had a guy selling honey at a local event for $6.50 a pound.

My guess is that with the price of gas and bees, honey will be at an all time high this year.


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## drobbins (Jun 1, 2005)

the "retail price for 1 lb. of honey retail" that they quote includes the stuff in grocery stores which comes from mass produces and importers from China/Argentina etc.
you're selling a locally produced product and should charge more
I get $6-$7 per pint and $12 for a quart
if people don't want to pay it tell them to go to Walmart where quality matters
don't sell yourself short

Dave


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## WJensen (Apr 11, 2008)

*+1 to Dave on this*

Even as a "hobbiest," or as I like to say, a "volunteer pollinator" you have costs. You may not be able to recover all of those costs, and some you can chalk up to educating yourself, but you should strive to at least break even. Also remember that you don't want to undercut the sideliners and small commercial guys in your area. We are all in this together. Make an attractive product, and sell it dearly.

Regards,

Wade


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## BigDaddyDS (Aug 28, 2007)

I agree with DRobbins.

I sell my product with pride. I try to keep a sample of honey purchased from a "Big Box" store with me to do side-by-side comparisions with my honey. And, when people sample my honey first, they relate it to "butterscotch", "hint of caramel", or simply "flavorful". When they sample the "other" stuff, the most common response is "burnt rubber and bitterness", and a general disbelief that they eat that stuff. (Then they ask for another taste of my honey!)

I also keep smaller 2 ounce bottles on hand for a dollar, as a sampler for them to buy and take home. I can honestly say that nearly everyone who has bought a sampler bottle has come back and bought a larger bottle.

But, even then, you'll occasionally get someone with a bug up their butt who's looking to pick a fight, and they'll say, "The honey I buy tastes just as good or better!" To them, I say they're lucky to have found a great supplier and to stick with them. To the people that say, "How can you justify charging so much?" That, to me, is just an opportunity to let them sample a quality product; mine!

Take pride in your product! You've worked hard for it and you should be proud of it! Price it accordingly!

DS


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## Docking (Mar 13, 2008)

I sold mine $8/qrt. and $4/lb. that is what a friend of mine has been selling his to the local feed stores. My price to the public might have been too cheap.


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## Budster (Mar 24, 2006)

If they wont pay $10 - $12 per quart, just offer them a taste. If they have never had the "Real McCoy", they'll be sold! Fresh honey is like crack!


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## dragonfly (Jun 18, 2002)

A friend of mine who lives in far North Texas pays $11 per quart.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

A friend of mine sells his honey for the same price as his maple syrup. $40.00/ gallon.


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## Hillside (Jul 12, 2004)

A fairly small percentage of the population appreciates quality honey. The larger your market, the more you can sell at a premium price.

I find that I can move all my honey (minus the 50 or so pounds I keep for my own use) at 3.50 per pound. If I raise my price much above that, I have trouble moving it all. At 3.50 a lot of people think it's too expensive, some think it's fair for a good product, and a few think it's a steal and are extremely happy to keep coming back. I really like that third group of people.


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## HVH (Feb 20, 2008)

You guys might think I am crazy, but my wife and I plan on raising our price from $6.00/lb to $7.00/lb. We started selling at $5.00/lb a few years ago at the Farmer's Market and were worried that when I raised my price to $6.00/lb that we would scare our customers off. If anything, we saw an increase in sales and hardly anyone says our price is high. These people are looking for local honey for allergies and such and are willing to pay for it. This year I plan on going to $7.00/lb. I sold over a ton of honey last year and just ran out recently of liquid honey. I cannot keep up with demand. We get $5.00 for a Bee-O-Pac, $8.00 for a Ross Round,$11.00 for a two pounder and $16.00 for a quart. We will probably raise the prices across the board. 
I am still a little confused about honey pricing. Why will someone pay $10.00 to $30.00 for a decent bottle of wine which is good for an evening, but will not pay a fair price for a viarietal honey that will last much longer. I think the answer might be 'perception'. A lot of people will sip a wine and say it has great balance, just the right amount of acid, a good french oak flavor with a good complement of tannins and a really good finish. I personally think honey varieties are more distinct than wines. So why don't we have honey snobs?


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