Pricing Question w/pics

[Frank Howell]

As many of you may know, I've been drawn into the vortex and have done some turnings. It started with some spendles and as I finished them, I'd bring them into work to show my friends. Well, the other day, I did a bottle stopper, just for practice, from a blank of poplar, and as well as posting the pics here, I also showed it to my friends at work.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/Ice-Pirate/Woodworking/Shop%20pics/IMG_0052.jpg
That day, I had 4 friends put in dibs for bottle stoppers, most wanting 2 and one wanting 6.

Last night I turned another one from Mahogany, and today I have 2 more multiple orders.
http://i64.photobucket.com/albums/h187/Ice-Pirate/Woodworking/Shop%20pics/IMG_0061.jpg

I'm getting these turned and finished within 2 hours, and I'm not good enough to really plan and control a given shape, nor to copy exactly one that I've already done. In other words, I'm still a real rookie at this.

My cost is about $5 for the kit, another 2 to 3 for the wood, and I figure another buck for finish materials, but how much over cost would you consider to be reasonable?

I'm thinking about just making up a dozen or so and letting them take their pick. I'll do some really ornate and keep some small and simple, and try for an array of timbers.

[Mike Vickery]

In the past I have charged $25 to $35 dollars for stoppers.

It may not seems like much based on the time you put in, but you will get faster.

[Nancy Laird]

Frank, In our shop, the standard is cost of materials x 3, which would make your stoppers be about $30. That covers overhead and profit and taxes.

Nancy

[Patrick Taylor]

Frank, In our shop, the standard is cost of materials x 3, which would make your stoppers be about $30. That covers overhead and profit and taxes.

Nancy

So for bowls from harvested wood, you give them away? 0x3 is still 0! ;)

[Stan Cook]

I sell them for $30 and up.

[Nancy Laird]

So for bowls from harvested wood, you give them away? 0x3 is still 0! ;)

Since I haven't turned any bowls yet, I haven't sold any bowls yet, so I don't know how much I'd be selling bowls for. I'm talking about the things that I do make and sell---at this point, bowls are hypothetical, although if Chris Hartley, Ken Fitzgerald, and Dennis Peacock have anything to do with it, I'll be turning out bowls next week:D :D :D (really, I love you guys).

Nancy

[Dennis Peacock]

Since I haven't turned any bowls yet, I haven't sold any bowls yet, so I don't know how much I'd be selling bowls for. I'm talking about the things that I do make and sell---at this point, bowls are hypothetical, although if Chris Hartley, Ken Fitzgerald, and Dennis Peacock have anything to do with it, I'll be turning out bowls next week:D :D :D (really, I love you guys).

Nancy


Oh my goodness Nancy!!!! You ain't started turning bowls yet? Whazzup with that?!!! It's not like you don't have any turning stock. ;) :p :D

[Dennis Peacock]

So for bowls from harvested wood, you give them away? 0x3 is still 0! ;)

Uh....No. :D

I price bowls based on species, if the wood is a prized piece or not and the overall size of the bowl. A lot of it has to do with.....you guessed it....Location and exactly where your potential market is. Some price them at $10 per inch in width...10" bowl would be $100. Of course, when you start turning "art", then the limit will be how much some collector is willing to pay for your work. :)

[Frank Howell]

WOW you guys are great! I not only get help with pricing stoppers but bowls as well. When the time comes anyway.

I'm thinking now I'll be setting the price at $20 for common woods with simple designs, and $25 for more ornate or exotic woods. I may also make a few with the dowel/cork kits to sell for less. I think those kits go for about $3 or so. I'll try to make a good variety for the office.

Thanks again folks,

[Bill Wyko]

Segmenting, 1 buck per segment for domestic wood. 2 bucks a segment for exotics and 5 bucks per segment for turquoise. Haven't sold a thing yet but I haven't tried to sell anything yet either. I just do it for fun and if someone is willing to pay the price I'm willing to sell.:D Thats my formula.:p :D

[Nancy Laird]

Oh my goodness Nancy!!!! You ain't started turning bowls yet? Whazzup with that?!!! It's not like you don't have any turning stock. ;) :p :D

Troublemaker!!!! Yep, I have turning stock--50 pounds from John Hart, some from Ed Breen, some from my dad's black walnut tree---plus probably 400 pen blanks and a bunch of stopper blanks. David has put a moratorium on ANY more wood until I use up what I have!!:confused: I can't figure out why he'd do that, can you? :confused: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Nancy

[Ernie Nyvall]

WOW you guys are great! I not only get help with pricing stoppers but bowls as well. When the time comes anyway.

I'm thinking now I'll be setting the price at $20 for common woods with simple designs, and $25 for more ornate or exotic woods. I may also make a few with the dowel/cork kits to sell for less. I think those kits go for about $3 or so. I'll try to make a good variety for the office.

Thanks again folks,

Frank, if you do the dowel/cork thing, make sure you get good hardwood dowels... not the ones you get at a big box or hardware store. Those things will twist right off. doa

[Bernie Weishapl]

Since I haven't turned any bowls yet, I haven't sold any bowls yet, so I don't know how much I'd be selling bowls for. I'm talking about the things that I do make and sell---at this point, bowls are hypothetical, although if Chris Hartley, Ken Fitzgerald, and Dennis Peacock have anything to do with it, I'll be turning out bowls next week:D :D :D (really, I love you guys).

Nancy

Nancy you had better get on the stick. 50 lbs you should have that turned in a couple of days.:eek::cool::rolleyes: Shheeesssshhhh all those bowl blanks and no bowls. :rolleyes:;)

[Nancy Laird]

Nancy you had better get on the stick. 50 lbs you should have that turned in a couple of days.:eek::cool::rolleyes: Shheeesssshhhh all those bowl blanks and no bowls. :rolleyes:;)

Not you too, Bernie.:( I'm getting enough grief from Dennis, Keith, Ken, and Chris. You guys are ganging up on me.:eek: :eek:

Nancy

[Nancy Laird]

Frank, your thread seems to have been somewhat hijacked. I just want to tell you that I think your stoppers are really nice, nice forms and designs. I'm still not there....and these guys are on my back about bowls??:rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Nancy

[Frank Kobilsek]

Frank

Welcome, Google Central Illinois Woodturners, I have a tutorial posted there on Stoppers. It adresses Ernie's important note and many others.

Cork stoppers made from domestic wood I sell for $15 and exotic or stabilized wood on Ruth Niles Stainless steel stopper hardware I sell for $30. Corporate deals or repeat customers get them for $25 and I wholesale a few places even less. One wine shop I have a relationship with sells the SS units for $36.

I started out selling when I had a shoe box full. Be talking to people about my hobby and they ask if I sell them I'd run out to the truck and get the shoe box.

It won't be long before you can make 2 or 3 per hour. I've seen Nick Cook make a stopper in 2 minutes flat.
Enjoy
Frank

[Jason Roehl]

I've not turned or sold and bottle stoppers, but I would think it would be good if the potential customer could see some progressive pricing. In other words, if you have 5 laid out in front of them, and the cheapest is basically an oak knob, stick and cork, it might be $10. Then they get progressively more ornate, with more exotic woods, so they would understand why you're charging $35-40 or more for an ornate bocote stopper with stainless hardware. This opposed to just laying out the bocote stopper and trying to justify in words why "it's so much!"

I think Craftsmanship speaks for itself. Unfortunately, many people aren't listening these days--cheaper wins.

[Frank Kobilsek]

Jason

I agree with you but it hasn't worked out that way for me. It's more dependent on venue. At craft shows/low budget Chirstmas events/Town Festival shows the cork units sell 10 to 1 the fancy ones. At a juried art show, zero cork will sell but the fancy sells well. I have displayed both but at an upcoming art show I plan to leave the cork at home to save space. This is a first time for me show in a ecomonically wealthier suburb than my ussual venues so I think the cheap stuff can stay home.

Frank

[Jim Stoppleworth]

Jason

I have displayed both but at an upcoming art show I plan to leave the cork at home to save space. This is a first time for me show in a ecomonically wealthier suburb than my ussual venues so I think the cheap stuff can stay home.

Frank

Frank,

Many of my bottle stoppers go to gardening types who use them to stopper their herbal vinegars. I learned early on that cork works here and the chrome ones don't(they pit from the acid in the vinegar.) (Never tried a Niles stopper on vinegar, will have to give one to LOML to see whether or not they pit.) A lot of the herbal types live in more affluent places so you might be tempted to relabel your cork ones as vinegar stoppers and take a few with you.

In our store we sell chrome bottle stoppers for $19.95, titanium and stainless for $24.95 and cork for $14.95.

Jim

[Bob Hallowell]

Frank I sell all my stoppers for $28 and have sold quite a few!

Bob

[Dennis Peacock]

Frank I sell all my stoppers for $28 and have sold quite a few!

Bob

Wow Bob....you must use one HUGE spindle gouge on your stoppers. Just look at the size of those lathe curls!!!! :rolleyes: :D

[Frank Kobilsek]

Jim,

The Niles SS will not pit. I believe the Niles stopper to be far superior to any chrome unit. Size, shape, fit to the turned part profil when in the bottle are just perfect in my eye. I wish Ruth could sell them for about a buck cheaper but I understand her position. I just order a stainless steel part here at work (real job) that since my last order in February has increased 42%.

Your re-labeling idea is excellent. I'll try that. Thanks

Frank

[Frank Howell]

Thanks for the tip on the SS Niles stoppers Frank. I just checked out their site, and I really like them. I think I'll put in an order for some.

Ernie, Thanks for the heads up on the HW dowels. I know just where to get them too. We have a Frank Paxton's Lumber in town that carries those.

Nancy, you are too kind. Girl, I'm about to blush, thanks so much. I've turned a couple more over the holiday weekend and working more on the finishing. Each one is getting better.

Thanks again to all, I'm going to be turing more over the next few weeks and will post some of the best. They really are kind of addicting, I think because of how fast you can see the results of your labor.:D