[stixman]

I make walking sticks and sell the on a web site http://www.kywalkingstick.com

I have recently started to carve snakes on some of the Twisted Sticks. I'm curious as to how much I should charge for a carved snake walking stick?

I've been selling them for $175. Is this to much or should I charge more??

What do you think??

[MelNM]

Hi Stixman
Its hard to gauge the price of your carvings. It all depends on the demand, I would think. If your selling well at $175.00 then keep it there.
But to me its awful hard to put a price on your work. I have seen plain walking sticks anywhere from $35.00 to $65.00. The time carving might be another way to gauge the price.

Your walking sticks are nice by the way.
Good Luck
Mel

[Schwingding]

"Too much" is the price where you can't sell enough walking sticks to make you happy (or money).

If you think its too much, start selling them for $1, adding $1 to the price of each successive stick until you find a price where you say to yourself "yeah, that feels about right". Somewhere in between your present price and the $1 price you'll find your mark.

Personally, I have found the only way to fetch more dollars for my work is to charge more. I have a little gallery here in my office. People often stop in and ask how much I get for a set of spoons (from $200-500). Most of them balk and recoil in shock. They're not my customers. I have to ask myself, would I be happier selling a lot of spoons at $35/set or 1 at $350). Thats a 10:1 ratio, why would I want to make 10 spoon sets for the same price I could make on one.

[AlArchie]

I guess my question would be.......Are you selling them at that price or pricing them there and not selling them?

A lot depends on your customers....I can't sell anything around here for much more than 30 bucks......and I WON"T! So that means I price my stuff and not sell it. If you are actually selling at that price, try upping the ante 5 or ten bucks and see if the traffic will bear the increase.

Al

[tucker1931]

I really have no idea what sticks should sell for but....if you were to sell a stick and include a CD with music from your web site I'd say ya got a winner for sure. Fantastic web site, and neat sticks as well.
Cliff

[Eddy Smiles]

Stixman.... Depending on the quality of your carvings $175 probably isn't that far off. I was up at SMWC's a year ago this past September and they were selling snake walking sticks on consignment for $150-$200. I remember the price because someone came in and was trying to beat the owner down.

Personally, I got two snake canes myself and am working on a thrid and because of the amount of work that I've put/putting into them I wouldn't let them go for any price. But then I've never tried to marry business and carving.

[leavyc]

I read a book on pricing crafts, carvings etc... It states that if you are not selling, to mark it up. Sometimes the price needs to be higher for someone to place a value on it. There are those who think that the higher the price, the better it must be. So I guess I would try that first. So hard to set prices, I think that a problem that all crafts people face.

[Mottles]

Take a look at this carver Joe Dillert and his suggestions for pricing your work.

http://carverscompanion.com/Ezine/Vo...odcarving.html

Kathy

[tnartist05]

Stixman, Quality of a item is a big part of selling anything and in the art world or carving the real question is, are you ready to sell some of your work and does the hard work and time in it worth what you would like to recv'd on your work. YOU will never get the amount of money for the time you put in for real quality work. Ive sold things Ive made for years,course to me its the creating part thats my thing and once Im through with it,sure I would have loved to gotten a good price for my hard work and time but most times you never will.

Just cutting a few sticks and refinishing them,you dont have much or any money tried up in them so a good price would be what someone is willing to pay for your sticks. Sounds like you are doing alright!!
Heres a few snake sticks, I carved the knots and Id done guessing about 75 snake walking sticks for one man that buys my work and still does. I will be going down to Memphis & Mississippi in Dec and always carry him alot of my work.
All Im saying,its up to you, I'v seen alot ot artist and carvers sit on their high prices and wouldnt sell anything but I would rather as they say,"bring home the bacon" and always have.
I'd cked out your site,I liked all of your work on your site! Really Nice. Tn~

[Merle Rice]

Hey Kathy, That is a good Web Site. He covers the subject rather well. Thanks for the Information. Merle