# Question Of The Week... ( 2015 Week 9)



## ripjack13

Howdy,
This is a weekly series of questions topic for everyone to join in on the discussion. Some of the later questions may have a poll, and some will not.

_Don't be shy now, go ahead and post an answer...._


*How do you price your work?*
(What are the factors that you consider in making your decision)



**Rules**
There is no minimum post requirement,
primates, woodticks and sylvan gelid septentrional antediluvian morons are welcome to post an answer.
And of course thems grammer police's too, whereever them be at..


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## Brink

Materials +10%
Labor hours x my rate

Reactions: Like 2


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## Tclem

Who give me $1 who give me $2 do j bear $2.50. Going once goince twice sold to my mom in the only row and only chair.

Reactions: Funny 8


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## Schroedc

For pens I figure materials (Kit + Blank + finishing supplies) x either 3 or 4 as a rule of thumb as that has worked out to an acceptable hourly rate for my time. For bowls I use a starting point of 8-10.00 per inch and then add on for exceptional materials or wild shapes. But I do from time to time knock out some simple bowls that go faster so I can price them lower. I'm still learning on how to price my flat work without losing my shirt.

Reactions: Like 1


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## manbuckwal

For pens, I usually go 3 x price of the kit + the blank used .

Reactions: Like 1 | Agree 1


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## Karl_99

I use 3-4 times the kit and blank and make adjustments up or down depending on the Wow factor. My pricing is probably in the middle to upper-middle range. This works for me.

Reactions: Like 1


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## woodtickgreg

My price is usually way to low, I seem to just give everything away, I can't remember if I have really ever sold anything made of wood. I keep it this way on purpose, just for the joy of working with wood. My wood working is the one thing I don't do for profit. The look I get from my friends when they ask me how much for something and I just tell them it's yours, just take it. To watch their face light up is just priceless. I remember a friends wife asked me how much for a large walnut bowl? I said it's yours, merry Christmas. She held that bowl in her arms and held it to her chest as if hugging a child. I couldn't have asked for a better payment.

Reactions: Agree 2 | Great Post 3


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## Kevin

I don't usually go in the hole more than the cost of the materials, my time in labor, and travel time and gas (or shipping) when I give it away. Charge? What does that mean are we discussing electricity?

Back when I was a fulltime part-time woodworker early through mid 90's I did make some nice coin selling humidors but I like giving my stuff away much better now.

Reactions: Like 3


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## Tony

I price my stuff pretty low, enough to cover material cost plus a tiny bit more to buy new toys. I would rather have 100 happy customers than 15 customers who will probably never buy anything from me again. That might change if I am ever able to do this full time, but now I do it mostly because I like building things. Tony

Reactions: Like 2 | Agree 1


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## David Hill

After going to a few shows, I paid attention to what others were asking for their works. Honestly, I'd started at lower prices, but what I saw wasn't up to my standards-- so my prices went up-- no complaints yet. I'm always prepared to haggle-- kind of fun--plus it's always easier to come down than go up.
Now I base my prices on how difficult it was, style, whether I used inlay, and how it looks..
Besides--- the $$ go to my tool/vacay fund---AND I have a new lathe to pay for.
I don't have to figure in cost of the wood, all it costs me is time, some sweat, and sometimes sore muscles.
**edit** closest I've seen posted to how I price is the $10/inch-- that's pretty close'ish.

Reactions: Like 1


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## DKMD

I sell very little, but I've used roughly $10 per inch of diameter for bowls and per inch of height for peppermills... That includes the 20% cut the local shop takes. 

I don't recall ever selling a hollowform, and I couldn't begin to tell you how I'd price one. I've had a couple available at the local shop for almost a year, but nobody has purchased one... I let the shop set the prices on those, and they're obviously priced too high.

I give away more than I sell, and I probably burn more than I give away. I turn for fun...

Reactions: Like 2 | Great Post 1 | Way Cool 1


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## kweinert

I guess - and then think that I price too high as I don't sell as much as I think I should.

I really think my problem is that I'm not trying to see in the right places - my prices are fine but I have the wrong audience. I just haven't convinced myself to pony up the bigger bucks for a better show.

Sometimes you go to these shows and look at what folks have done and either a) what they're selling I wouldn't consider finished, or b) they have a nice product but aren't selling it for near what I think it's worth. Clearly this means I'm doing something wrong, just not yet sure what it is for sure.

Reactions: Like 2


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## Wilson's Woodworking

I sell a few and trade a few off to get more wood and tools but most of it I give to friends and family. Although my wife thinks I should make a bunch of stuff up and take it to the European Market in Indiana.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sprung

I haven't sold much as I like giving pens, etc away to family and friends or trading them for wood or other things - sold maybe a dozen and a half pens so far - but the ones I've sold I've priced in the 2 to 3 times cost of materials range. Since I'm nearing a collection of 2 or 3 dozen finished pens that I don't plan on adding to my personal collection, my wife has been encouraging me to sell (or trade) some more - especially since I've started putting a portion of each pen sale into our son's education fund. She, and some of my family, also want me to start selling on Etsy too, which I might, just as a place to direct people who are curious about my pens or ask what pens I have available for sale at the time. My Facebook page has generated a few sales for me so far.




Wilson's Woodworking said:


> I sell a few and trade a few off to get more wood and tools but most of it I give to friends and family. Although my wife thinks I should make a bunch of stuff up and take it to the European Market in Indiana.



I've been to the European Market in Chesterton, Indiana - my wife's got family that lives just blocks away from it. The one time we went we had to leave early because it started raining. There was a gentleman there selling pens he had turned, but I didn't get the chance to spend more than a minute at his table when my wife grabbed my arm and pulled me to the next booth to show me something she was interested in... A neat market. We'll be arriving in that area on a Saturday in June and hope to stop in there if it's early enough in the day.

Reactions: Like 1 | Way Cool 1


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## Wilson's Woodworking

Sprung said:


> I've been to the European Market in Chesterton, Indiana - my wife's got family that lives just blocks away from it.


That is funny my In-laws live just across the line in Portage. And my wife has more cousins in Chesterton than I can count.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Sprung

Wilson's Woodworking said:


> That is funny my In-laws live just across the line in Portage. And my wife has more cousins in Chesterton than I can count.



Nice! I saw your posts about the cherry trees at your sister's in that area and hoping to find someone to mill them. I can't help you with finding a mill in the area - but I do love me some cherry wood! Have you been able to find someone to mill them for you?


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## Wilson's Woodworking

There is one in Valparaiso but they have not contacted me through wood miser yet. I put in a request thru their web site about 3 weeks ago. I think we are going out in June so when that gets closer I will push a little more.

Reactions: Like 1


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## Lighthouse

It's really hard for me to price items that I make. I wish I had the guts to actually charge what I think it's worth but since I'm still a newbie woodworker I don't have the confidence to ask that price. I generally say "What do you think it's worth?" and then get super crushed when they tell me less than what the wood alone costs. I guess it's my fault but that's also what you get for asking your cheap friends how much they think something is worth.

Reactions: Like 1 | Informative 1


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## MikeMD

$50 per hour for my time on the lathe/finishing, plus the value of the wood (as if it were purchased). So, a 12-14" bowl would be about 3 hours = $150 plus anywhere from $25-75 (depending on the wood). Now, if there is something super unusual or unique to a piece, the price may go up...

Reactions: Like 1


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## Lighthouse

MikeMD said:


> $50 per hour for my time on the lathe/finishing, plus the value of the wood (as if it were purchased). So, a 12-14" bowl would be about 3 hours = $150 plus anywhere from $25-75 (depending on the wood). Now, if there is something super unusual or unique to a piece, the price may go up...


All the turners say 12-14" bowls, but what depth do you do? Do you charge the same for a 10" bowl with 3" depth as you would 6" depth?

Reactions: Like 1


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## MikeMD

Lighthouse said:


> All the turners say 12-14" bowls, but what depth do you do? Do you charge the same for a 10" bowl with 3" depth as you would 6" depth?



Generally speaking, a 12-14" bowl will be about 4-5" deep. But, not, I would not charge the same for a 3" deep bowl as I would for a 10" deep bowl. The 10" deep bowl would take longer...longer to rough out, longer to finish turner, and MUCH longer to sand. So, there would be more time in, and consequently more per hour money and more 'value of the wood' money. 

Now, that said, a 3" deep 12" bowl might be priced the same as a 10" deep 12" bowl if the wood of the 3" bowl was super fantastic special wood, and the 10" deep bowl was plain wood.

Reactions: Like 1


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