Sold!!! Your Number, Sir, Thank you!

[RufflyRustic]

Had the Craft show at work today.

What a buzz!:)

1. A black, pine box with silver handle - simple lift-off lid, butt joints, nailed, about 150 x 120 x 120 - Sold for $10

2. I sold my DarkTime box (remember the jury service episode in March?), it went to a person with a much darker personality than mine so they will be ok with it. - $35 I didn't think I'd sell it, so was very surprised. ( sorry, I mean - I didn't think I'd find the right person for it but they turned up) - I think I posted this one before, but it didn't have the handle then.)

3. Just for fun - I bashed together a Bead Box using the wire WoodButcher gave me - Thanks Rowan!!! some pine dar and that corner pine dar, um, thingee - had fun cutting the corners on the corner stuff, so needed lots of glue - call this one a fun prototype. :)

4. Huon & SheOak clock Cupboard - great idea, failed in building - lesson learned - don't add a clock after it's all put together or you must be prepared to fix up the shattered sheoak and the hole in the cupboard shelf :rolleyes:

5. Red & White box - Pine similar to the black box, but with meranti and Western RedCedar scrap for trim and a kwila lid. - Sold $10

[RufflyRustic]

Part Two

Leather Notebooks - not as good as the carved one but still ok. The larger one sold and smaller ones didn't. Still have a particular & special carved cover to do :o

Miniature Chessboard - not for sale, I want to admire it a bit longer :o It's 120 x 120 - wow I got something 99% square ;) and the squares are less than 10 square - how? patience, the thicknesser, careful cutting and lottsa glue :D

Little Silky Oak box with rustic lift off lid - business card size - sold $10

and last but not least the Kwila Ottoman with fitted foam, fitted maroon cover (hmm, very fitting for tonight) and gold tassell wrapping. very nice but didn't sell - oh well. Box joints a bit loose in places so added some screws. the legs are solid squares with the edge rebated to house the box.

All in all a very good day.

Cheers
Wendy

[RufflyRustic]

Sigh - have been at work since waay too early so I'm forgetting everything.

Finishes:

Nearly all finished with UBeaut's shellac, eee and T.wax; Organoil on the silky oak and whatever black paint I had in the solar kiln for the black box and edges finished with spray varnish and waxed.

cheers
Wendy

[Zed]

you're selling things too cheaply ruff. you should charge heaps more.... just coz its small dont make it cheap.

[Carry Pine]

Well done, you've almost paid off the thicknesser. Agree with Zed. Too cheap. You're too busy listening to the wood. Start listening to your wish list.
I admire the fact that you can let things go. Must admit a lot of my stuff is stored gathering dust.

Carry Pine (past GMC thicknesser owner)

[jow104]

Oh Zed, you look really cuddly!!!!!!!!!

[AlexS]

Well done Ruffly. It's always good when someone reckons your stuff is good enough to buy. Still remember the first piece I sold. Really like the little box with the rustic lid in the last pic.

[echnidna]

Y'Know, its all very well to say to Wendy that her items are too cheap.

What about being constructive and suggesting prices to her.

[Lignum]

:D well done:D dont worry about the prices, they will sort them selvs out in time. Good feeling isnt it.... Keep it up:D :D

[ss_11000]

well done wendy...i agree with the others, you got to charge more, no way is that 1st box just worth $10.

[Lignum]

The 3rd box is a terrific idea, very unique. You should look at having a go at a bigger and more serious version. Definetly a one off:D :D :D

[Slow6]

agreed.. great work.. knock up the price a bit.

its hard to suggest a price but I always find that some people will assume that a cheap object is not worth owning.

a good example would be when a pal of mine who does leadlight windows recieved direct competition at the southbank market. similar workmanship, similar design, similar price.

the advice my friend recieved was to double the price of the competitor.. and it worked, people would look at windows at both stall and buy the more expensive of the two.. because it MUST be better.

people are odd.. I'd say double your prices next time ruff. see how you feel. I'd say they're still getting a bargain :)

[TTIT]

I agree with Slow - what have you got to lose. I reckon that most people tend to believe that the more they pay for "craft", the greater the chance it will one day be called "art". Go for broke Wendy - make them masterpieces! :D

[ddeen]

Wendy, great job. I am impressed that your selling what you make. Hopefully once your customers see the quality of your work they will come back and have to pay more next time.

[Zed]

wendy, richard gifkins told me he would sell a similar sized dovetalied box for anout $80. given his rep if you sell for $40 thats still well on the way to some new tools.

[Wood Borer]

I admire you work and energy Ruffly. I do think the prices are on the cheap side - some people think if they don't pay much, it's not worth much.

[RufflyRustic]

:) Thank you all. Good advice and stories, just what I needed.

DDeen - you've got it in one. Start them off low-priced items and then increase the price for the next show in November as the designs, timber, building and finish improve.

Yes, the prices are low, but I still made a profit on every single one of them if you exclude my time.:) My idea was to calculate the cost of the materials then double it. In other words, the timber was either free or about $1 a metre, or scraps :D

I did, however, have trouble charging too much for what I consider slightly shoddy work ie joinery methods and cheap timber ie pine, but I think that's just my determination to improve. I think too, that having the confidence in my work and the price will show and the customers will pick up on it and buy it - eg "I think it's good, well-made and well-priced. Good Luck finding something like this elsewhere for the price."

Lignum - the bead box - yep, totally agree, the idea has worked out and now to design something bigger and just as interesting - that will be fun :)

Energy? I officially ran out of energy yesterday afternoon at 3:48 pm. Am going to take a break now, but only until Saturday ;) :D

Cheers
Wendy

[Lignum]

Yes it will be fun and im looking foward to seeing progress shots soon (this weekend:D ) And i cant stop thinking about the idea. Very god one. Im thinking of it for panels in doors with 10 or 12mm dia polished stone or aluminim. It would look sensational. If i do ill call em the rufflyrustic panels. Credit where credits due:D :D

[RufflyRustic]

Wow - A design named after me - Wow!!!

Look out Lignum, now you've said it, I'll want to see photos too :D

cheers
Wendy

[echnidna]

:) My idea was to calculate the cost of the materials then double it. In other words, the timber was either free or about $1 a metre, or scraps :D

Cheers
Wendy

The old rule of thumb to estimate a price was materials cost x 3. But this goes back to the days when retailers marked up an average 50% on their purchase cost of your products.

However over the years indirect business costs have spiralled and 3 times cost is generally a shortcut to bankruptcy. A decade ago I spent some time researching and found by studying liquidators documents that woodies generally need to mark up 5 times materials cost to survive.

Now there are exceptions to such a simplistic price setting formula, but all I have tried to do here is show a very simple way of guesstimating a minimum reasonable price.

[RufflyRustic]

food for thought - Thanks Echidna

Wendy

[Lignum]

When i first started and i still do similar
X 2 for Family,
X2.5 for Close friends,
X3 for friends of family,
X4 for public off the street and/or Selling to other outlets,
and X5.5 to 6 for the quality work that takes more time and skill

[urban-wombat]

as already said .. put your price up.... I can talk.....

spent over half a year making an Hurdy Gurdy in tine and materials must have cost several hundred dollars... then number one son who had just graduated from uni.. wanted a present.. I made the mistake of asking what.. now he's the owner of My HG

[Harry72]

Nice work Ruffy, allready givin you a greeny today!
Those customers may come back next time too buy more... and maybe a few friends with them.
Doesnt take long for word to get around about what you do(especially if you got STS), with the gear I've been making Im starting to knock them back now... cant keep up!
























"STS" small town syndrome!http://www.ubeaut.biz/sleep1.gif