Another one of those cost questions

[Tazmaniandevil]

I know this is a "how long is a bit of string" type questions but......

I have been asked to make a set of chinese style noodle bowls. Apart from the cost of the timber, I have no idea what I should charge for my time. As y'all know I do this turning malarkey for a hobby rather than for a living, but don't want to undervalue the work that goes into making these things.

I've seen them advertised for anything between a fiver and fifteen quid each, and sets of 6 being sold for a tenner. (WTF?)

The person doing the asking is a friend too, so I don't want to look like I'm extracting the urine so to speak.

And before anyone else mentions it, yes, I have considered buying the set of 6 for a tenner and marking them up...

 

[Phil Pascoe]

If your friend's a friend - tell your friend to look on E bay. You can't win.

 

[Woodmonkey]

Or if you're really friends.... You'll make them for him and he'll return the favour another time. As you said, you do it because you enjoy it, so it's win win!

 

[bellringer]

thing to charge for:

Time
Tool wear
Consumables (eg sand paper finishes )
electricity

I normal put £0.50 - £1.00 for most of them except time then i just make some thing up as it only a hobby that trys to pay for its self

 

[KimG]

Having a bespoke handmade set carries a greater value than factory produced (or whatever) items for people, which is often why they commission things, plus making things too cheap devalues both the item and your effort in the eyes of the purchaser, so charge what you think is a proper price, what you would expect to pay a craftsman to make them for you. BUT, make sure they are the very best you can turn out, no tool marks, or sanding scratches, best finish you can achieve. Then you will be making and selling quality that justifies the premium over the Ebay stuff.

Turner do themselves no favours by selling things too cheaply, if it's a cheap price, then it has little real value in the eyes of the purchaser.

 

[Dalboy]

Tell him £5 each explain why ie cost of materials finish time and extras, as they are just a plain bowl with no colouring but just a finish and if you feel benevolent then say a set of six for £25. Even this is probably still working out cheap. It will give you practice and should help with a little pocket money to buy something for the hobby

 

[J-G]

Turner do themselves no favours by selling things too cheaply, if it's a cheap price, then it has little real value in the eyes of the purchaser.

Best response yet.

I had a similar enquiry last week when I showed a piece to a group of friends at a choir rehearsal and simply plucked what I thought would be an exorbitant figure from the air. I was gob-smacked when two of the group immediately placed an order !!

JG

 

[Tazmaniandevil]

Thanks all. I had a figure in my head but wasn't sure whether it was in the ball park. It seems about right though (depending on what the timber costs. I've got a source of cheap bamboo wood for the chopsticks, and have a jig made for the router table so they're easy.
I should be able to finish them to a good standard between now and November when they're needed.

 

[Bodrighy]

Tell him £5 each explain why ie cost of materials finish time and extras, as they are just a plain bowl with no colouring but just a finish and if you feel benevolent then say a set of six for £25. Even this is probably still working out cheap. It will give you practice and should help with a little pocket money to buy something for the hobby

£5 each? Sorry but that is a silly price IMHO. The wood would cost that. Whether you buy the wood in or get it for free is irrelevant and ask yourself how long it will take you to make them and how much a sensible hourly rate is. I make these and charge £15 each or £25 a pair.

Pete

 

[woodfarmer]

Kim has a very valid point.

The stuff I have made so far is not of a saleable quality, But I have made things sometimes for people as presents. These have been appreciated because the recipient knows the item was either made for them or something I thought they would like, so the thing is personal.

Might be an idea to tell your friend if he buys the material you will do your best to produce what he wants for free. That way you are doing him a favour and getting practice on free wood. He learns the cost of materials and will remember that you made them for him when he uses them.

Unless it is your intention to make a profit from your hobby, be careful you don't turn your hobby pastime into unwanted work. (pun unintended).

A good example is the teether I made for my granddaughter, about a weeks work, £10 's worth of wood and the finished article wouldn't sell for £2.50. Its' value is not monetary.

 

[duncanh]

Maybe think of it like this - how much would you be willing to buy them for, knowing what you do about the cost of timber.

£5 each is a joke! I'd have expected around £15 each, less if multiples are being made

 

[Grahamshed]

Or if you're really friends.... You'll make them for him and he'll return the favour another time. As you said, you do it because you enjoy it, so it's win win!

+1

 

[finneyb]

Might be an idea to tell your friend if he buys the material you will do your best to produce what he wants for free. That way you are doing him a favour and getting practice on free wood. He learns the cost of materials and will remember that you made them for him when he uses them.

+1

 

[Grahamshed]

+2

 

[Dalboy]

Now that I have a couple of people disagreeing with my quote we now have a price of there worth. The price I put is not what I would charged it is just that so many people just put the answer "it is worth what it is worth" or "what people are willing to pay" which seems to be the standard answer(or something along those lines). Sorry to have upset anyone.
The other thing people put is along the lines of bellringers answer. to me none of these are really any help to someone starting out in selling their turnings or other work.

This natural edged vase which is about 6" tall I sell for £20 (I am sure someone would say that is cheap) and that was sold to a very good friend, so you can see that I would in fact not sell the bowls for £5 each

 

[Bodrighy]

Costing your work is always difficult and does depend on the market you are aiming at. Selling in a gallery will always be more than in say a craft fair. Having said that there is a definite minimum that should be charged in my opinion. Cost of materials, labour, peripherals, etc should ideally all be taken into account. Being a hobby turner is not really an excuse. Especially when even as a hobby turner you are classed as a sole trader and liable for tax (if you sell enough) so once you sell your work you become professional officially. I suspect that there are a lot of hobbyists in various crafts that don't stop and think of this. To be a true hobby turner you should only give your work away, not sell it.

Pete

 

[Dalboy]

Costing your work is always difficult and does depend on the market you are aiming at. Selling in a gallery will always be more than in say a craft fair. Having said that there is a definite minimum that should be charged in my opinion. Cost of materials, labour, peripherals, etc should ideally all be taken into account. Being a hobby turner is not really an excuse. Especially when even as a hobby turner you are classed as a sole trader and liable for tax (if you sell enough) so once you sell your work you become professional officially. I suspect that there are a lot of hobbyists in various crafts that don't stop and think of this. To be a true hobby turner you should only give your work away, not sell it.

Pete

I totally agree and another thing is where about in the country you are. I can go to one Rally and sell without a problem yet 20 miles down the road they complain that it is too dear(I will not lower my price)

 

[Soylent1]

Costing your work is always difficult and does depend on the market you are aiming at. Selling in a gallery will always be more than in say a craft fair. Having said that there is a definite minimum that should be charged in my opinion. Cost of materials, labour, peripherals, etc should ideally all be taken into account. Being a hobby turner is not really an excuse. Especially when even as a hobby turner you are classed as a sole trader and liable for tax (if you sell enough) so once you sell your work you become professional officially. I suspect that there are a lot of hobbyists in various crafts that don't stop and think of this. To be a true hobby turner you should only give your work away, not sell it.

Pete

I can't even give my work away !

 

[Richard Findley]

I did a WIP years ago on here.... Found it, here you go:

fruit-wip-t38385.html

My advice is to spend a bit of time at the supermarket or grocers and find what you consider a 'perfect' Apple and pear, then take them back to the workshop and study them. Look at where curves start and finish, how deep the dimples in the ends are etc etc. make notes and then try again. It's quite an interesting exercise to really study something you thought you already knew very well.

I look at some peoples apples and wonder if they've every actually seen one!!

Hope that helps

Richard

 

[Richard Findley]

Woops, managed to post this in the wrong thread!!

D'oh!! (homer)

Richard