Bowls. Value?

[Ron Rutter]

I d284616284616284617284618I sell a few bowls, usually to wifes friends & give some away. Mostly just do it for the pleasure but having recently spent more than a few bucks on " stuff" figure I should try sell a few. But what is a reasonable price?? The examples are butternut. The NE is 4" x 7" the other is 3" x8 3/4". I do have a collection of close to 150 bowls - some good some bad & some indifferent!!
Since I started 3 years ago I have collected butternut, BL maple, cherry, oak,holly & misc material & have over 500 blanks up to 12" dia. Doubt that I will finish them as I am 79 years young!!! Thanks. Ron.

[steven carter]

Worth is very subjective, depends on your location and many other variables. The same bowl may sell for more the twice the amount or more depending where it is being sold. In Indiana, mine probably average $5.00 per inch in diameter for regular bowls, $7.00 for NE, highly figured/burled or unusual can go from $10.00 to $15.00 or more per inch diameter. Sounds like it is time to quit roughing and start finishing!:)

[Dennis Ford]

I was taught that any item is worth whatever you can sell it for; but find that many of my pieces have more value to me than most buyers. Some pieces that did not have much value to me have received ribbons and/or sold for good prices, so I have difficulty setting prices. I have figured out that buyers tend to like natural edge bowls and many like substantial wall thickness, very few like pieces that look fragile. That may seem contradictory since the bark on natural edge pieces is fragile but I suppose that it does not LOOK fragile.

[Brian Kent]

I think your personal story is important. They can find a bowl made of wood by a machine at a discount store for $11, but it has no story. Look at the Walmart page on "wooden bowls" to se the difference between "a wooden bowl" and a hand-turned artisan bowl. http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?ic=16_0&Find=Find&search_query=wooden+bowl&Find=Find&search_constraint=0

[John Grace]

Ron...I've started selling some of my bowls on-line at a web site called Etsy. Not trying to make a fortune, just fund my woodturning. Anyways...if you go there you'll find many other pieces for sale and you can at least get a sampling of what others try to get for their pieces. Good luck...John

[Ron Rutter]

Thanks guys. Some interesting comment. In this community crafty stuff does not command high prices. I will just play it by ear, but don't want to give it away either!
I do 90% of my turning from late Oct. to late March - to busy with other stuff the rest of the year, but this season have only done about a dozen bowls.Too much other stuff going on!
Dennis, I agree re wall thickness yet there is so much stress by some on "thin". It also adds to my stress level, which I don't need!!!
John. I couldn't find any bowls on Etsy. Can you be more specific.
Thanks again. Ron.

[Duane Meadows]

Search for "wood bowls"...

https://www.etsy.com/search/handmade?q=wood%20bowls&ship_to=US&ref=auto2&explicit_scope=1

[Pat Scott]

I've sold quite a few bowls of that size (8" to 9"), and my prices go from roughly $40 to $60, but I probably had some $35 and some $65 in there as well. It would be nice to have set prices, such as all 8"-9" bowls are this price, all 9" to 10" bowls are another price, but it's tough to do that unless they are identical in size, shape, etc. We've all made bowls that are OK, but ho-hum, and you just can't expect someone to pay the same price for a ho-hum bowl as they would for the same size bowl with nice figure so that's why I have a price range. Sometimes I'll show a bowl to my wife and ask her what she would pay for it. Women are pretty good about pricing like that.

[Duane Meadows]

Sometimes I'll show a bowl to my wife and ask her what she would pay for it. Women are pretty good about pricing like that.

If I did that, my wife would probably say.. I can find one for 50 cents at a garage sale! She is good at finding bargains.