# Question Of The Week... ( 2015 End of the Year )



## ripjack13 (Dec 20, 2015)

*How much of your creations do you give away as opposed to selling them?*
_*

*_






**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
South East Carolinans, Kanooks, woodticks and Bluedots are welcome to post an answer.
And of course the  and the leprechaun too...
_*



I wish you all a Happy and Prosperous New Year and may the new one be better than the last,
Here's to a bright New Year and a good swift kick in the ass to the past, 
Here's to the good things that are yet to come and to the fond memories that we hold fast,
And may this New Year be the best year yet,
I wish your joy in woodworking will always last!*_

Reactions: Great Post 1 | Way Cool 2


----------



## ripjack13 (Dec 26, 2015)

_*I would like to thank each and everyone who has participated on this lil series of mine for indulging me every week. I really enjoyed making this happen every week and I've loved reading everyone's answers, no matter how short, silly, off topic or how in depth they were, they were all good.
If you would like to submit a Question for a future QotW just send me a message and I'll add it to my list.*_

Reactions: Like 1 | Thank You! 2


----------



## Mike1950 (Dec 26, 2015)

Thank you for you hard work- it is not easy to keep up and maintain such a post. PS it is Saturday- what the hell is wrong with ya...........

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 3 | Informative 1


----------



## Mike1950 (Dec 26, 2015)

I give a way 80%- I have a bunch of kids and family.....

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Tony (Dec 26, 2015)

I give away probably 25%. I'm not including things that family /friends come to me and say, "Can you build....." Tony

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Schroedc (Dec 26, 2015)

I probably give away 5-10% but with how much I make trying to make a living as a woodworker that gets to be a decent amount....

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Tclem (Dec 26, 2015)

Mike1950 said:


> I give a way 80%- I have a bunch of kids and family.....


I'm your son and I'm waiting

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Funny 5


----------



## Tclem (Dec 26, 2015)

I use to sell 100% but mom and dad got tired of buying my junk.

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 10


----------



## Schroedc (Dec 26, 2015)

Schroedc said:


> I probably give away 5-10% but with how much I make trying to make a living as a woodworker that gets to be a decent amount....



And stuff I make to keep Momma happy counts right?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## ripjack13 (Dec 26, 2015)

Mike1950 said:


> Thank you for you hard work- it is not easy to keep up and maintain such a post. PS it is Saturday- what the hell is wrong with ya...........



I'm going out to breakfast in the morning with the family so i wanted to get a headstart on it. Didn't want to keep @woodtickgreg or @Brink waiting while having their coffee....(and bananas.) ;)

Reactions: Funny 1


----------



## Sprung (Dec 26, 2015)

Well over 50%. We like giving things I've made as gifts. For every pen that I've either sold or traded to someone, I've probably given away 2 as gifts or as surprises for people. Same goes for other things I've made.

Then there's the things I make for my wife/our home... Or the things that I make and hope to try and sell, that my wife proceeds to lay claim to... Earlier this year I made 5 tealight candle holders and planned to try and sell 2 or 3 of them, after she got first choice of which one she wanted to keep for herself. She kept 3 for herself and gave 1 to her mother... Now I need to make a few more so I have more than 1 to try and sell...

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## Sprung (Dec 26, 2015)

And, yes, thank you, Marc, for running these weekly questions! It's been a great way to learn more about others here, get other perspectives, new ideas, learn some new things, etc.

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


----------



## Kevin (Dec 26, 2015)

As far as woodworking I give away 100% of what I make and wish I had more time in the day so I could make more to give away, but I have to pay the light bill and stuff. I also donate/give away as much as I can in the course of doing what I must to pay bills. No one has ever accused me of being a shrewd businessman. 

And y'all trust me to run this place?

Reactions: Like 4 | +Karma 1


----------



## Tclem (Dec 26, 2015)

Kevin said:


> As far as woodworking I give away 100% of what I make and wish I had more time in the day so I could make more to give away, but I have to pay the light bill and stuff. I also donate/give away as much as I can in the course of doing what I must to pay bills. No one has ever accused me of being a shrewd businessman.
> 
> And y'all trust me to run this place?


So you are giving away some red from the forest this week ?

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Kevin (Dec 26, 2015)

Tclem said:


> So you are giving away some red from the forest this week ?



I never said anything about my 401K . . . . . .

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 3


----------



## kweinert (Dec 26, 2015)

I'm probably in the 5 to 10% range.

Maybe more, I don't really keep track but i do know I try to sell more than I give away.

And, by the way, this post completes a New Years resolution. Last year I made a resolution that as long as the question applied to me or what I do I'd provide some input. I think there might have been 3 or 4 that didn't apply to me, but I've added something to every discussion other than those few.

And true confession time: I almost posted that last note last week but I realized in time that this year had 53 weeks in it :)

Reactions: Great Post 1


----------



## Fsyxxx (Dec 26, 2015)

I giveaway almost everything but I'm hoping to actually start selling a few things this year. Need to pay for my habit a little.

Reactions: Like 3


----------



## Brink (Dec 27, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> I'm going out to breakfast in the morning with the family so i wanted to get a headstart on it. Didn't want to keep @woodtickgreg or @Brink waiting while having their coffee....(and bananas.) ;)



That's always appreciated.

Reactions: Like 2 | Funny 3


----------



## SENC (Dec 27, 2015)

In prior years, when I had time to make wood creations, I was entirely a hobbyist so pretty much everything was a giveaway or trade. I'm hoping to get back in that mode soon.

Reactions: Like 2 | Thank You! 1


----------



## NYWoodturner (Dec 27, 2015)

I give away more than I sell by far. Right now I'm only trying to keep the hobby cost neutral.

Reactions: Like 4


----------



## Nature Man (Dec 27, 2015)

Keep or give away 100%. Purely a hobby for me, so far. Chuck

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## sprucegum (Dec 27, 2015)

I am sort of retired but still do some carpentry and woodworking for hire, things like kitchen cabinets and such are all for profit or for my own use and constitutes 99% of the dollar value that I produce. Of the small projects like pepper mills, boxes, stoppers, & cutting boards most of it is given away.

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## ripjack13 (Dec 27, 2015)

kweinert said:


> I'm probably in the 5 to 10% range.
> 
> Maybe more, I don't really keep track but i do know I try to sell more than I give away.
> 
> ...



I try to come up questions for everyone, but sometimes, some of em need to be specifically applied to certain areas of wood working...
Thanks for joining in Ken!!!


----------



## Tony (Dec 27, 2015)

ripjack13 said:


> I try to come up questions for everyone, but sometimes, some of em need to be specifically applied to certain areas of wood working...
> Thanks for joining in Ken!!!



I also try to respond every week. There were very few questions I had nothing to say about, mostly ones that concerned Turners. Great job Marc, Thank You for running this entertaining thread all year! Tony

Reactions: Thank You! 1 | Agree 1


----------



## woodtickgreg (Dec 27, 2015)

First off, thank you so very much Marc for doing this thread! I look forward to it every week, it is fun and informative. I have learned things from others answers and been given a lot of food for thought. It is an honor and a privilege to participate with everyone here.
Now as far as selling my wood works? I give almost all of it away that I don't keep for myself. I might someday sell a few things just to see if people would buy my works and to maybe fund the shop a little. But I do not ever want it to become a job and a burden so that I loose my love of the craft. I have always said that I would never do it for money for that very reason. I can do other things to make money. Wood working is my passion and my favorite thing, my joy. And to see the look on peoples faces when I give them something is absolutely priceless.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## David Hill (Dec 27, 2015)

I'd say around 50%. When I started this hobby(_aka addiction_), someone in power told me that it would be nice to keep it budget neutral--that was easier to do than I thought. It's nice to have folks actually want to pay for my stress relievers. An additional plus is that I _always _have stuff for donations, wedding presents, and etc.
Hope this activity keeps going--- have enjoyed reading all the

Reactions: Like 2


----------



## bobhasen (Dec 27, 2015)

Addicted hobbyist, give almost all of it away, maybe will try to sell some once I retire

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## duncsuss (Dec 27, 2015)

Thanks for all the thread-starters over the year, Marc -- I don't stop by nearly as often as I intended to, so my participation has been inconsistent (to put it gently!)

I don't keep track very well, but I think I sell more pens than I give away; nearly all of the custom pens I make are because somebody ordered one (although I often make a prototype which goes in my collection), and the kit pens are about 50-50.

Bowls & lidded boxes are the opposite -- this year I sold a couple at the Topsfield Fair, and gifted several.

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## Sidecar (Dec 28, 2015)

Ummmm I just get into gift swaps......

Reactions: Like 1 | Funny 1


----------



## Sidecar (Dec 28, 2015)

yep just as ol duncsuss says .......thanks for put'n up the questions ! ........all you guys make it a good place !

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## manbuckwal (Dec 28, 2015)

I'm guessing around 40-50 % for things I make and probably add another 10% for the things I make that my wife gives away

Reactions: Like 1


----------



## CWS (Dec 28, 2015)

I give away 99% of what I make but I think I might have flooded my gift pool because I noticed lately some of my gifts showing up at the Salvation Army Thrift store.

Reactions: Funny 4 | Sincere 1


----------



## Kevin (Dec 28, 2015)

CWS said:


> I give away 99% of what I make but I think I might have flooded my gift pool because I noticed lately some of my gifts showing up at the Salvation Army Thrift store.



That just ain't right. 

Curt start sending them to me I won't do that. I will sell them on ebay and get some use out of the money so you fell like you have accomplished something worthwhile.

Reactions: Funny 2


----------



## Schroedc (Dec 28, 2015)

CWS said:


> I give away 99% of what I make but I think I might have flooded my gift pool because I noticed lately some of my gifts showing up at the Salvation Army Thrift store.



Ouch. A while back at an estate sale I paid very little for a turned wood vase in cherry burl that had been done by another turner in the area who is a good friend of mine. Showed it to him and he pulled up his book and advised it had been a 450.00 vase back when he'd sold it.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


----------

