Pricing Intarsia Help

[workin for wood]

Originally Posted by StevensonDesigns

Working for wood, I'm pretty sure that I know how to cut out my intarsia pieces, but thanks for 500 words on how to do it. I don't remember asking for help cutting, but thanks anyways. The time that it took me to do this was in the shaping, as it takes awhile to do it with a dremel. And you are the first person to tell me that it isn't that detailed, but I appreciate your opinion. Your $150 to $200 price range is a bit off. The piece sold 3 days ago as I was taking it into a gallery in Royal Oak for $950.

And on a philosophical note, I keep telling my daughters to find something they love and make that their career. Jobs can be fun! I get to kick the crap out of child molesters for a career, that's FUN!

I can't wait to visit you in Charlotte and critique YOUR work and YOUR pricing and tell you how to cut YOUR stuff.

Terry

I don't know why I bother responding to any post. The details are great as I said. I prefer the individual feathers as you have done. I was trying to offer a tip to help speed up the cutting so you could increase your hourly worth. I'm very happy for you selling for $950. Have a great day! You ask for opinions on pricing and then don't like the results. You should have asked for $3000. Sorry for trying to help..I'll go back to watching.

[Jediscroller]

Originally Posted by workin for wood

I didn't know we where discussing how much a professionally built Cathedral clock would cost. You are getting carried away by making this a personal issue Kevin. There's exceptions to every rule and you are one of them.

Oh..and you say I devalue the market..but do you know any of my prices? $2600 won't buy you much at my art fair booth, but I had to work my way up to where I am now with years of hard work and attention to details. Everything I sell is original, one of a kind, and nobody thinks crafts when they enter my world.

I was referring to something taking 100 hours and what it would sell for in "my world." As I do a lot more fretwork than intarsia I have a better idea of what I could do in a 100 hours, hence my example. I'm guessing that the Last Supper Intarsia piece that I have started will probably be in the same time-frame so maybe I should've used that as an example.

Not sure what you mean that no one thinks "crafts." I'm not sure if you intended it to sound that way but it sounds like you think you're better than others or we're somehow lesser artisans by your last sentence. I'm sure the error is mine as the written word can be a tricky thing. As far as I'm concerned, intarsia is a craft, as is painting, woodworking, sculpting, fiber arts, etc. You can call it an art fair, craft fair, whatever. In my mind it's the same thing. I sell at craft fairs, art fairs, art and craft fairs. The venues change but my prices and pricing formula doesn't.
You said that you would sell a 110 piece intarsia piece for $150-$200 and this is what I was referring to. Sorry, I can only respond to what you said and this price is quite undervalued based on what other intarsia artisans are getting. Good luck at your upcoming craft fair too.

Terry,
Congrats on the sale! That works out to nearly $9 a piece which seems to be quite good based on what respected intarsia artisans get for their work.

[StevensonDesigns]

Exactly, just sit back and watch. I asked for opinions on PRICING, and I thanked you for your opinion. Did I say that I didn't like the results of your opinion? What I didn't ask for was your dissertation on cutting techniques. That's why I put this post in the BUSINESS SIDE section, not the "Can you please help me cut my wings" section.

To quote you, "I don't know why I bother responding to any post. ... I'll go back to watching." Are you 4 years old? Someone gives THEIR opinion back to you and you want to take your ball and go home"

And do you really have to copy everyone's entire post and put it into your own?

[workin for wood]

Actually Kev, I said If his piece was mine that was what it would go for. My 110 I'd charge probably around $300, but I would have it done in 15 hrs start to finish. Now that he has almost $1000, he can buy some better faster shaping tools which will not only be more efficient, but allow for more contour as well. For only having a dremel, it's impressive, but lets say you have two mechanics to work on your car. One guy has 500 wrenches of all kinds, one guy has just an adjustable wrench. The 1st guy is done in an hour, the second guy takes two days. They both did the same job, so will you pay them both $35 an hour?
And I'm sorry Steve. I was really shocked at the 100 hrs, that's an hour a piece basically. You didn't say you use a dremel at first so it takes so long. You asked for a price, not a how too. I was trying to throw in an extra tip that might help reduce time. There was no way to know that the time was dremel time not cut time. I'm sorry you don't care for my pricing regiment.

[StevensonDesigns]

Add more contour?????? As you well know Jeff, pictures do not do our work justice. So now you are judging my piece's contour based on a cell phone picture. Once again, and hopefully for the last time, I only asked for some help in pricing and I thanked you for your opinion.

I am looking forward to seeing YOUR work. Your art must make the Sistine Chapel look like something my dog threw up, by the way you ever so slightly throw barbs about how your stuff is superior.

Oh yeah.... I thought you took your ball and went home.

[handibunny]

It's really none of my business, (which means please don't attack me for butting in) but I happened to read through this thread, and I'm not comfortable with all the mud slinging. Why here and now? It sort of stands out from the general tone of this forum, and not in a good way.

Just my two cents worth . . .

[wood-n-things]

I agree with Carole.

Lets give it a rest. Nothing is getting accomplished now.
How about cooler heads prevail.....I think we all agree the original post is a very well done piece of craftsmanship and sold for a very reasonable price...

[Jediscroller]

I think everyone has had their say and as I said previously, the written word can be a tricky thing. I'm locking the thread before it degrades any further.