I sell 1# jars for $8. I also sell 2-oz. honey bears for $2. Most folks don't mind paying $8 for a good local product. Consider how much you invest in keeping bees and bottling honey. For the hobbyist, or smaller scale sideliner, selling at less than $8 per pound is probably barely going to get even. Especially if you suffer big losses next year and have to build your stock again. On a smaller scale, you can offer the costomer a closer "relationship" with the product. You can tell them where the honey probably came from, and when. You can inform them of your processing, or the lack of over-processing. You can assure them that they are not getting sugar syrup "honey." The smaller scale beek should be able to sell their premium product at a premium price. If you are under-selling, in the end you may be hurting yourself and other local beeks. When big losses come, you have less money to reinvest in the business. When that happens, where will people get local honey? It won't bee there.
I'll share what I've been told along the way. I'm up to about 30 hives this year. My goal should be to run out of honey next year just as I'm getting ready to extract. If I hit next spring's extraction, and I still have a lot of honey in stock, my prices are too high. If I run out well before next extraction, then prices are too low.
I understand this rule doesn't apply to smaller operations, because you don't have the stock. But still, how long does it take to sell what you do have? What are other local beeks selling for? Are they giving it away? Last year I spoke with a local beek who has been keeping bees for many years. They had not raised their prices in several years, and were selling too cheaply. They were spending a lot of money on the bees, and needed to raise prices to keep up. I encouraged them to raise prices a bit, and they did. It has worked out well for them.
