FBE Bowls

[Salt4wa]

I came upon several box elder trees this spring. Some of them had flame in them, so I harvested about 15 blanks in various sizes up to 10 inch dia. (sealed with anchor seal and all). I just turned two bowls (only turning bowls since last spring). This week end I'm going to a craft show to sell some of the ink pens I make. I thought I'd include these bowls in my booth, but have no idea what to set the price at. Are these $5 bowls, $7 bowls, or other? They are about 4 1/2 inch dia. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Woodman]

I think you're selling yourself short. I'm no expert on bowl pricing but I would think they should be at least $15, possibly more. Hopefully the bowlheads will chime in.

 

[Kevin]

I don't know how yopu make money at $15 a piece, if making money is part of the plan. Those are nice bowls made from nice wood. I'd think a nice price would be justified. But I have no clue what your local market (or even mine) dictates.

 

[RBcarving]

When you sell them, wrap a tissue paper around them and put in a clean bag(not walmart) or box and I would say $18/$20 range at a minimum....and that would be here in "Podunk"

Brad

 

[Salt4wa]

Thanks for responses. If I were in this to make $ I'd have to charge a lot more. I figure that if I include the time to get the logs, cut them into blanks, seal them, turn them, sand them, and finish them - I have about 3 hours each in the bowls. Now that I know what I'm doing a little more, I could probably cut that down to about 1.5 to 2 hours per bowl. So, $15 wouldn't even be minimum wage, say nothing to account for shop supplies and equipment investment. But then, we all know that story.

I like Brad's idea about tissue paper and a nice bag - maybe I need to make a trip to the dollar store tomorrow. I'm not in Podunk, but there is a very large Dutch heritage here and they don't like to spend $. So, I'll try $18 for the first couple hours and then mark them down if they don't move.
=LJ

 

[rdnkmedic]

I sold several bowls at a festival several weeks ago. I too live in Podunk except its in Georgia. I found that I underpriced my bowls. I thought I was padding the price to give me some dicker room but only one person questioned the price and I still was happy with what the bowl sold for. My average price was probably $20. Sold about 20 bowls in a one day 6 hour festival. Try the cost of the wood times 4 and dicker with them from there. The people that bought my bowls appreciated the craftsmanship and didn't mind paying. Nobody chose to question a price except for one lady and she bought a $100 bowl. My prices will adjust up accordingly next time. You can always come down but can never go up. Good luck. Let us know how you did.

 

[RBcarving]

Kevin's statement of 4x the cost is a basic "crafters" formula.(one of many)
We usually start at 3x material $$ for very basic work, 4x $ for more detailed work and 4x + $10/Hr for higher end/time consuming or projects which are incredibly unique.

**Also keep in mind, at shows or online, when a "hobbyist" craftsman charges just enough to pay their expenses, it hurts those in the business, as our work gets undervalued because "Joe" has a bowl just like that for $10....why is yours $50 ??

And just an experience I had a few years back.... I was helping at an estate sale in Wisconsin. The first three days, 4 large paintings sat untouched, they were marked $10. The last day we marked them to $100 and SOLD all 4 to different buyers. People only value your things as much as you do !!

Brad

 

[woodtickgreg]

I was thinking $20.00, but I like what the others have said. That's the beauty of the collective we call wood barter.

 

[SDB777]

Price them for whatever you would like to get. Don't worry that you'll 'hurt' the other guy trying to make a living at it. Don't worry if they don't sell at the price you assign. You could always find someone in your family that would love it as a great gift!
Most of us do this as a 'hobby', I get enough from my stuff to get something else to make(or gas to cut some more to make some more...never ending cycle).




Scott (BTW, nice turning!!!) B

 

[Salt4wa]

Thanks for everybody's input. I'm obviously thinking I was very under priced with the idea of $5 to $7. I will probably go $22. I'm scurrying around trying to get every thing done so I can head out at 7 am tomorrow morning. I'll let you know what happens with bowl sales.

 

[DKMD]

I wouldn't think if pricing them below $20, and I've seen $10 per inch used as a very rough formula for pricing.

I used to make and sell pens for a little more than cost(because I had too many damn pens). One day, a nurse at work ordered 30 pens for her Mary Kay sales force made from some awful plastic material... Those were practically the last pens I ever made! The plastic smelled awful, and I had to sand through micromesh and buff them all in order to get a decent finish. What started as a hobby became a miserable task, and I had established a price point that made it even less enjoyable.

Since I turn for fun, I would price things in such a way as to discourage someone ordering multiples on commission. In other words, sell one bowl for what you'd consider a fair unit price for making a dozen or more.

 

[duncsuss]

Since I turn for fun, I would price things in such a way as to discourage someone ordering multiples on commission. In other words, sell one bowl for what you'd consider a fair unit price for making a dozen or more.

Excellent advice, Doc, I'll try to remember ... "don't price it lower than you'd be prepared to take if you had to make dozens."

 

[Salt4wa]

Got back from craft show. It was scheduled for 9 to 3 but closed at 1 because of low turn out (maybe 25 people). But .. . . I sold one bowl and 2 ink pens. The bowl was about a 4" spalted hard maple. Buyer was impressed with it and didn't hesitate at the $20 tag I had on it. FBE generated slight interest - red oak was more interesting to most lookers. Perhaps I should use all the FBE blocks I have for firewood (just kidding). I may spend more time refining my bowl turning skills and start listing them on my etsy site.
Thanks to all for the comments and advice!
(Woodman, Kevin, RBcarving, rdnkmedic, woodtickgreg, DKMD, SDB777, DKMD, duncsuss . . .)
- Loren
www.crookedtreewoods.etsy.com

 

[woodtickgreg]

You did good considering the low turnout. A bigger show and you will do much better, and the right person will eat those fbe bowls up. Watch your lookers, when they have to touch something they are interested in it. That's kinda how I judge my own work, when people have to touch it that means they are drawn to it.

 

[Kevin]

I think you did well also. Don't give up on the FBE. For shows, items you are selling, use FBE with tons of red. Use the stuff with just a little red like that for gifts. The bowls look great, but the really red stuff catches the eyes of buyers more.