So how much should I charge?

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Myturn  I think putting the ball in their court and asking them to suggest how much they should pay is a sure fire way of becoming disillusioned with turning. If your work is good enough to sell put a value on your skill.
In reply to Bill21 one of the ways I price my segmented turnings is to charge a set amount per segment. This is not so far out as you might at first think. When I had my own joinery shop I would price up shop and garage counters by the foot run and just multiply it up, anything special was worked out individually but as a rule of thumb the cost per foot run worked out well. So a piece of segmented turning with say 50 pcs in could be charged at £2 each piece. I have charged as much as £17 per segment on some pieces depends on the work involved making each piece or each ring.

[bodrighywood]

One professional tur er I know frequently asks for a ridiculous price for work he really doesn't want to do and is often sur[rised top have the customer simply say 'OK'

Pete

[Twisted Trees]

One professional tur er I know frequently asks for a ridiculous price for work he really doesn't want to do and is often sur[rised top have the customer simply say 'OK'

Pete

I have done the same with the same result, I have also under priced things to get rid of them only to have then left on the shelf.

[bodrighywood]

We rarely drop the price and have found that eventually someone somewhere will like it. Having said that it is not unknown for us to feed pieces into the log basket as we see that they aren't up to scratch in hindsight.

Pete

[The Bowler Hatted Turner]

Many many (many) years ago I made an Ash platter and coloured it with green food dye. I then sanded it until all I was left with was green in the grain, I have to say it looked absolutely hideous!! I carted it around the shows for about 2 and a half years each time threatening to cut it in half and burn it but my OH kept saying some one would like it. Eventually I was accepted into a co-operative and the first piece out  of the box was this bit as I loaded up the shelves.Surprise surprise!! it was the first piece that sold which just goes to show that not all customers have good taste.

[Twisted Trees]

I know for a fact that I have terrible taste, everything I like is the last to sell, things that I feel are dull, uninteresting even ugly sell much better.

[bodrighywood]

I made a pair of candlesticks that were really out of proprtion. Sold at a fair we did and lo and behold the same person bvoubght another pair, nearly as bad the following year. Our basic ruke now is that design is a personal choice, quality is universal.

Pete