[Tizmonky]

Hello, I had a few questions regarding people selling pyrography. Let me give you a quick story about this. I'm deployed to Afghanistan, and I ended up meeting a local who showed me his work. He works on the camp selling wood burnings of portraits. He also teaches a school on wood burning when he isn't at the camp. This individuals talent blew me away. I paid him to make a picture of my wife and I. Over here he charges soldiers about $60-$70 per person in the picture, which I completely understand since they make good gifts to send home to a waiting girlfriend or spouse, mother or father.

Anyway, I continued talking to him just about his work and what he does when he's not on the camp (every other friday pretty much.) We become friends and I visit him everytime he comes even if I don't buy anything, and he is a great guy. Then this past friday he mentions to me how he would like to come to America and if I could sponsor him. He tells me he'd like to open a shop there and sell his work.

My first reaction was "wow, that is a huge responsibility." So, I told him I'd look into it a bit. I'm no business major or anything, but I really am curious if I could help him. I ordered him a new wood burner with some tips from Amazon, as he told me it would really help him.

So, finally my question is, how feasible is it, assuming I set up a shop for him and everything, for him to make a living off selling his burnings? He told me he would be able to get $500-$700 per portrait in the states, and that other people have told him they would pay that much if they were back in the states for it. Would he be able to make enough to rent a building, and pay for normal human necessities?

[Kenny_S]

It isn't aquestion on him getting that much per portrait but how many people will be willing to pay that much for one. Realisticlly, in htis day and age, money is tight with rising cost everywhere and then to pay $500 to $700 per protrait. Personally, I don't see that many willing to pay that much.
JMHO

[Pyrographer]

I have to agree with Kenny. I think getting that much for a pyrography portrait over here is wishful thinking let alone opening up a shop and making a living from it.

There are a lot of very talented pyrographers here, many of whom do fantastic portraits but to sell them on a regular basis is not something that happens very often. And certainly not for that amount of money...especially not with the economy the way it is here.

I hate to burst his bubble but I honestly don't think it's a very realistic expectation. While pyrography is unique, it's hard to sell especially high end stuff. I sell some high end pieces, but certainly not enough to make a living off of it. People don't seem to be willing to spend more than perhaps at most $200-300 for a pyrography portrait. Perhaps more for a painting but it's considered fine art and pyrography isn't.

Nedra