John - I take your point about the videos but the pricing of demos etc is a whole other subject.
Please do not take this the wrong way, it is not meant as a criticism or put down but there are times when professional turners seem ( to me ) to be their own worst enemies.
The figures you quote for a demo are absurd. The hours involved are probably on the conservative side but even if realistic work out to about about £6.17 per hour, less than the minimum wage and they don't even take into account wear and tear on the car and all that sort of stuff.
Next...... Private tuition. Prices vary but on average seem to work out at about £110 - £125 for a whole days individual tuition. Many seem to do it for even less, do that 5 days a week and you are earning £25K a year. OK, some would be pleased to get that but as a self employed person..... Absurd.
Some turners ( not all ) get all up tight when they see amateurs selling stuff cheap at craft fairs etc. It undervalues our worth they moan...... With the prices you all charge you do that for yourselves. What other field would you get one on one tuition for those amounts.
You were recently at Yandles for 2 days, what did they pay you ? If they could afford to pay 10 turners for an open weekend I'll bet it wasn't much.
And before you all start on about pricing yourselves out of the market......I am getting on a bit now, I can remember the screams when bread hit 50p a loaf, 'Nobody will buy it' ..... and when the mini hit £500 the end of the financial world was predicted.
Up you prices to £240 for a demo, double the price of a days tuition. Sure people will moan, they might have to cough up as much to watch you as they would spend on beer. they will get over it and might even pay more attention if they are paying proper money for it.
I am now going to hide under the table, it is made of two inch thick oak