Arch - as you know I have been living from the proceeds of my own
personal hands on efforts for many years. I set all my own prices for
all my own work.

For the most part, no one seems to think that anyone that works with
their hands (unless they reach "artistic" status) should be paid much
for their efforts.

"Their" work is difficult, time consuming and requires a lot of
effort. "Their" effort is valuable, their time is valuable and they
want you to know hat because they are self important or ignorant.

Here is my work around. I TELL people what I will take for my work,
in my business and in my hobbies.

In my hobby stuff, I am more likely to give it away than I am to sell
it short.

I have been involved in a couple of church fund raisers that needed
money for their organization, and have been involved in other
different fund raisers with our turning club.

In one instance, the idiots at the church fund raiser took the club
stuff and sold it for less than the sandpaper cost to finish it. A
lot of guys in the club had hurt feelings. Not me... I reacted as
normal, I got ****ed off. I was ****ed at the club organizer and the
church guys as well.

I took the church guys to task. How could you guys let this
opportunity slide through your fingers? You BEG for money, but sell
items for less than .10 on the dollar without batting an eye? How you
could you be so careless and stupid? I opined that if we were good
enough to donate our time, material and effort, they could at least
get an auctioneer that knew that the wood we worked with wasn't
spelled "would".

As far as our end went, I asked the club president how he helped them
establish pricing. An easy question, I said. How did you help them
establish a baseline? Did you take the various bowls, oil lamps,
rolling pins, etc. to them and tell them what kinds of wood they were,
how long they took to make and about how much the going market rate
was for the items?

It was "no" all the way around. It was nitwits helping pinheads.

The next year they didn't want any club help with their fundraiser
because 1) we didn't raise enough money for them the previous year and
2) they thought the wood craft items should be cheap enough to sell
outright (like an birdhouse made out of rotted fence boards) without
an auction, and 3) they didn't want to take any time to learn about
"turned wood" projects. They were simply too busy with other things.

Sooo.....

When I donate something, I either kiss it good bye and hope for the
best, or I tell them what the base price should be (say .50 on the
dollar) and get a promise from the charity to start there if it is an
auction. Otherwise, no soap.

Hang tough there, Arch. Just because they are trying to sell you
short, don't let 'em.

Robert