"Steve Wolfe" wrote in message

Maybe I'm just greedy and lazy, but to me, $20 wouldn't make it worth
my
while to sharpen my chisel and rough out a piece of wood, let alone
complete
a nice piece like those. Plus, I hate the idea of turning my enjoyable
hobby into an economically-binding chore.

That's pretty much been my take on the concept of turning for cash. I
mostly hope to be able someday to turn nice enough pieces to give as gifts
to those who appreciate such items.

The one area where it seems profitable (although I could be wrong) is in
the "high-class" turnings, for lack of a better word. You know, the nice
ones that you invest a lot of time in, but sell for four figures. But
that
market is a niche of a niche, and unless you want to devote a lifetime to
it, it's probably not realistic for most people to expect to make it.

Recently my wife and I toured an exhibit of turnings, such as you describe
above, in a prestigious art gallery in Chicago. Many objects were in the
four figure category. I asked the gentleman if the turnings were selling
well. He said, "We've not sold any yet, but are very optimistic." The
exhibit was 2 weeks old, and the objects were superb, if pricey. Oh well.

Max