pricing of carvings

macktruck · #1 09-24-2004, 10:22 PM

Okay I know this has been covered before. but.. Richmond Hill,Ga is having it's seafood feastival in Oct. Booth rental is $125 for three days. So what is better price your carvings low in hopes of selling more of them or price them realisticly by the time spent and sell fewer?
We went last year as tourists and had a great time they had Greg Allman and his band as the closers sat night. I forget who they have this year.
macktruck

#2 09-25-2004, 02:19 AM

I feel most carvers undersell their work. I love these old sayings, but a friend used this saying and I agree 'IT IS BETTER TO BE AN IDOL FOOL THAN A BUSY ONE' Put a fair price on your work, value it according to quality, and time spent. People dont want to be cheated, but willingly pay for good quality. I don't go to competetions, but when people will take their hard earned money and buy my carvings, that is a greater boost to my moral than all the blue ribbons in the world.

#3 09-25-2004, 06:59 AM

When I lived in CA I used to sell tools and electronic equipment at swap meets on weekends. If I priced it too low my sales actually went down (go figure?). Whether this applies to carvings or not, can't say; but suspect human nature being what it is, that it does.

Nancy_G · #4 09-25-2004, 07:07 AM

I don't know if this applies - 'Way back 40 years ago when I first started trying to sell flat paintings priced at $25, I sat through every show without selling a thing. I decided I might as well sit there RICH, so I moved all the prices UP by $100 or $200. Wouldn't you know it ?? I sold out in the first 20 minutes !! Never looked back.

Colin_Partridge · #5 09-25-2004, 08:11 AM

This is a really good question and one that I have struggled with and still do. I think the key is clientel what people are you dealing with. If it is a craft show you are dealing with craft show mentality. Everyone wants something for nothing BTW I dont do craft shows any more. Also if its a weekday for one of the days you probably wont get very many sales either way. Usually the first day is a Friday I always call that Seniors day because its somewhere for them to go but usually they dont buy interesting to talk to them all they all love your work but it is too expensive for them and if they are on a fixed income rightly so. I try to do the upbeat shows where it costs a little more for your space but usually sales are very good. I used to be the same as Nancy I used to price a two foot high carving for $50.00 and also sat there all day and didnt sell a thing. A fellow carver told me to do another show more up scale and quadrupel my prices. I laughed at her but took her advice and at that show sold over $1000 in carvings I was estatic. I now price my carvings fairly and do very well although most are sold from my home or by word of mouth. Well I have rambled enough but thought I advise you of my findings.
Good luck on the up coming show and let us know how you did.
Colin

Nancy_G · #6 09-25-2004, 08:50 AM

I should have added - I haven't been to a show of any sort for at least 12 years. I let a gallery do all my 'work'. I stay home and do the fun stuff

Even with their 50% commission on the selling price I'm making more than I ever dreamed possible. One of these days I'm going to hit minimum wage !!!!

macktruck · #7 09-25-2004, 09:19 AM

Thanks everyone for your input. what I'm selling are christmas ornaments , spoons and staffs. The ornaments are a quick carve probably 30-40 min. to carve maybe an hour to paint. so I'm thinking around $15 each. the spoons vary on type probably 10-15 hrs each so I'm thinking $50-60 each.
again thanks
macktruck

owlhause · #8 09-25-2004, 09:41 AM

I love to see this topic come up!

There are so many different points of view and opinions on this and none of them are wrong.

I think there are several things you have to factor into your decision.

I think a good first step is to realisticly evaluate where you are in terms of your level of carving skill and then search for other carvers at a similar level and see where their prices are.

Using that as a guide it then gets to be more of a personal decision.....what are your goals, at what price are you willing to part with your creations that you won't regret afterwards (be honest!) and of course the amont of time involved.

Some of my deciding factors are: I carve very quickly in mostly softer materials (bark & bass wood), I carve for a living so I don't want my inventory sitting around for long and I have a good art background so ideas usualy come to me easily.

I often hear that my prices are 'very reasonable' or 'too low' but over all I'm happy with where they are at for now.

I think you also have to re-evaluate this at least twice a year.

I could go on but lucky for everyone I'll stop here

I look forward to seeing everyones take on this.

greg

Colin_Partridge · #9 09-25-2004, 11:51 AM

Mack that is 50 cents an hour for your spoons in labour and then the costs of your material

. Dont undersell your product but then again dont oversell it.
Colin

macktruck · #10 09-25-2004, 01:18 PM

Colin, I get most of my wood as 'found' wood,I cut down a black cherry two years ago and am still using it.Also I haul lumber quite often and get the extras the fork drivers let me have.( I'll have an oak 4x4 and they'll let me swap the oak for the mahogony one that came on the ship for dunnage all they see is a 4x4 piece of wood.)But I hear you on the 50cent an hour. I might go up a bit at the show we'll see.
Quite a bit of the mahogany sold in the US comes through the port in savannah. You'd probably cry to see all of it just sitting there out in the weather like it's pine. I could take you there and show you about 1million board feet of it just sitting there. no kidding on the million either.one ship holds alot of lumber.
macktruck