Wealth Gap Pricing

If you want to own one of my pieces, please know that I also want you to have one! I’m painfully aware of how systemic inequity perpetuates pay and wealth gaps, and can put something like buying handmade ceramics out of reach.

For example, when I talked with my colleagues about pay, the closest man at my level made $10k more than me in annual base pay. Not only that, but he also lived in a cheaper geo, where that money went much farther. For example, his two-bedroom house with a private yard in Seattle was $3k/month, while my two-bedroom apartment with a shared yard in San Francisco cost $5k/month. So given our actual costs of living, the effective difference in our pay was closer to $35k/year!

The more I think about it, the less sense it makes that I would ask for people with widely varying access to resources to pay the same prices. So I'm experimenting with sliding scale pricing. I invite you to use the guidelines here to reflect on your relative financial status, then choose the option below that's best for you.

Consider paying less if your financial situation is more fragile due to:

  • surviving financial abuse
  • racism, ablism, ageism, sexism, or other discrimination, violence, or oppression you've experienced directly, or had passed down through your family
  • expenses such as uninsured medical or mental health expenses, or legal services for requesting child support or immigration
  • difficulty finding work at all, work that pays enough, or work where you are safe

Consider paying more if your financial situation is more robust thanks to:

  • work that compensates you well through base pay, bonuses, and stock
  • investments and/or retirement accounts that are growing for future you
  • access to emergency funds or family resources to avoid crisis in the case of unexpected expenses
  • home ownership and home equity
  • inherited money or property (or the likelihood of this happening)

Here is a sliding scale of discounts you can use at checkout, no questions asked.

  • FULL PRICE—no code necessary
  • 10% off—use code SOLIDARITY10
  • 20% off—use code SOLIDARITY20
  • 30% off—use code SOLIDARITY30
  • 40% off—use code SOLIDARITY40
  • 50% off—use code SOLIDARITY50

I'm hopeful that these options will both help my work to be accessible and reach your hands if it speaks to you, and inspire you to acknowledge inequity and get creative about leveling the playing field in your own spheres of influence.

Since I'm also trying to survive capitalism, I'll offer these discounts as long as it is sustainable for my small business. 🌈

—Kate

Solidarity pricing adapted from Lucy Wingard; sliding scale adapted from Ritual Dyes.