Originally Posted by
bobby milam
So many people have cncs and lasers and want them for a hobby they tend to sell things just to make a little cash. If they can buy the wood for $5 and can sell the finished piece for $15 they are happy. They don't consider the electricity, consumables used or their time. I've seen many that they have to actually be losing money and don't realize it. That makes it hard to sell things and make money. You have to come up with something different and targeting a specific crowd can help. Calculate machine time, finish time and all the consumables you use. Decide on how much you want to charge an hour for it and what it would have to be priced for those. Is it worth that or more to a buyer.
Personally, I shoot for $75 an hour plus expenses. Some simple things that are easy I might drop to $50 and some might jump to $100. Everything that I make is directed to a specific crowd and is something that they can't just find anywhere. Targeting a specific crowd, I don't charge for design time because if I bother with doing it, I know there will be multiple people who will buy. That is something you learn by trial and error. If you just make generic engravings for the flea market don't expect to make much profit. Personalization and customizing is where it is at for me.