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I've sold my piggy banks for $40 and am wondering if that is a fair price, over priced or too low. How do you know? People aren't complaining to pay that much, but I just wonder. Maybe the people who are buying them don't mind paying for something that is unique and handmade, KWIM?
You can find those commercially made ceramic piggy banks where people paint designs on them and they sell them anywhere from 15 to 30 bucks. Am I way off with $40 for something that is 100% handmade?
How do you know what to sell your pieces for?
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There is no rule for any of this. For some, the pleasure of knowing that someone likes their work well enough to pay for it, is enough. Others want to make the price realistic to account for the cost of materials (negligible normally in our case) and the hours of work (usually considerable).
Some use the kudos of being (or wanting to be) recognised artists and charge well over the odds for what they produce. After all it is unique and, as you say, hand made, each one entirely individual. Recently I made a giraffe for a friend (see on my gallery David Osborne); she has telephoned to say that she saw some in a furniture shop which were not a patch on mine but cost £350 (about $700) so felt that she had had a worthwhile present!!
If you are wanting to make a living with such work, charge what you think the customers will pay. When they stop buying, bring the price down a bit.
The art world is full of people who have made a 'name' and they take full advantage of it, charging grotesque prices, which disgusts me.
DavidO
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Thanks David. I will have to check out your gallery. I would love to make a living doing this, but realistically, I don't see how that is possible considering the time involved. For now it is more of a hobbie. When I have time I make stuff, when I don't, I don't. For now the $40 seems to be okay
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Hi
What David said is quite right. Its one of the hardest things for me to workout. I love doing what I do so the time factor for me doesn't come into it, If I charged for time on some pieces I would never sell them. But if you enjoy what your doing and your happy selling them at that price and people are happy to buy then don't worry.
Sue.
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I found that if I make my mask bases in bulk a certain I actually managed to cut down the amount of time it takes to make them. Maybe making your piggy banks in bulk would free up some time for you? As while you are waiting for one piggy bank to dry you could be working on another.
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