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The Price of These Wayuu Mochila Bags

  • Writer: Ángela
    Ángela
  • Aug 17, 2018
  • 3 min read

Writen by Ángela Hernández

Edited by Jewel


Recently I went to Bogota’s airport and saw some amazing Wayuu mochila bags being displayed. The ones they were selling were two threaded and cost USD 89. So I wanna talk about the price components of the ones we are selling:



The artisan’s price

The first component is the value the artisan gives to her pieces. It varies according to the amount of threads used (one or two threaded). I’m usually not big on asking for discounts, I feel that whatever the artisan values her work is their own, and I can take it or leave it. In this case even less, artisans are producers, just like farmers, making them the first link in the so called chain of value. They tend to earn less money, , and a big percentage of it is left with intermediaries and other services not involved in the making of the piece.


Satchel’s price

The next component is the cost of the satchel, which also includes the transportation fee to where the mochilas are stored.


The Profit

Next component is our profit, which is divided among the Bucharest person (Jay), the Colombian person (me), and the artisan. When the model was designed it was important for us that artisans made a profit from selling of the mochila bag in Romania. By doing this the artisan is getting the initial profit of the bag sold locally, plus the profit of it being sold overseas. We feel this part contributes to a fairer trade, and enables artisans to get a better price for the mochilas they make.


Cost of bringing the money to Colombia

These are the costs associated with the PayPal costs (fixed and variable), the transference cost from PayPal to a Colombian bank, having the option to receive the money at a Colombian bank through PayPal, the currency exchange costs and the Colombian bank costs. As I’ve talked to Jay many banks in Europe offer very inexpensive options to holding an account, which is not the case here: having the PayPal option in a local bank account costs 10€ a month without making any transaction.


Additional Costs

In addition to the mochila price, the buyer is also charged for delivery. This includes the shipping price, and taxes (Value Added Tax and Custom Taxes).


Shipping

This depends on the company the buyer selects to have their bag sent. It can range from 45€ to 210€ depending on how fast the person wants it..


Taxes

Taxes apply only for the buyer. Romania, and most countries, charges all buyers/importers a Value Added Tax, which is 19% for most products. There are some exceptions. Custom taxes apply only if the customs value, meaning the product price plus shipping plus insurance, is higher than 150€.


Optional Costs

We have made some costs optional, such as the prices for the satchel and the Carbon Dioxide certificate..


The Satchel Cost

The satchel is not mandatory when purchasing the mochila. It is more like an accessory (luxurious in many cases) to keep the mochila bag protected. It can also be seen as a second bag, that can be personalized, given that it is made of canvas, the fabric used for painting. We made it optional thinking of buyers who may not want to have it.


The Carbon Dioxide Certificate

This is also an optional cost the buyer may pay when getting their mochila. This cost will cover the plantation of trees that absorb the carbon dioxide emission produced by the sending of the mochila through airplane. This is an environmental action that we are very happy to offer to the ones who buy from us.

So these are the costs that make up the price of the mochilas we sell. A big percentage goes into shipping: depending on how fast a person wants it, , it can be even higher than the cost of the mochila itself. The other big components are the financial costs, and the intermediary costs. For a buyer, it means they can get a mochila from us for anything between 165€ to 400€.


So, whenever you come to Colombia and if you want a Wayuu mochila bag search for artisan markets and get your own mochila from them. You can have an amazing experience and ask about their making and their culture. Meanwhile, we offer you the possibility of having any of the ones we have with you and start rocking the Wayuu Art right now.




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