"Owen Lowe" wrote in message
news
In article ,
"M.J." wrote:

In the past I received an email from a complete
stranger accusing me of charging too little for some of my turnings and
thereby taking food from the mouths of his children. Obviously he wanted
me
to raise my prices to his level so that he could compete "fairly" in the
same market. Interesting that he wants to set the price of my turnings.
Interesting.....maybe a little arrogance here? I don't give a damn what
other turners charge for their turnings. I set what I consider to be a
fair
price for my turnings and if that undercuts other turners....... Well...
welcome to a free market world.

My question back to you is whether your prices fit into the ballpark of
other turners in your region producing items requiring similar skills
and time and for sale at similar venues? If you are low on the range,
then you might very well be undercutting others. If on the other hand
you are in the neighborhood then I'd respond that this annonymous
emailer has either unrealistic expectations or else he's not proficient
enough with his skills.

But Owen I don't just sell "in my region". I sell through my website AND
locally. It is notoriously hard to sell woodturnings locally so I have to
price items accordingly. Should I price items on my web site for the local
or international market? You see my quandry?

Snip


You mention above that $900.00 may not be reasonable but you KNOW
that
$100 is not. You fail however, to set for the turning world, an EXACT
price
that the turning should be in ALL areas of the globe.

Of course there is no exact price - but there is an acceptible range of
price depending on variables. Two of which are time and skills required.
I've hollowed a few pieces with smallish openings and have a rough idea
of the time and skills required. $100 translates to barely above minimum
wage - if that, if the completed piece is finely finished but that
doesn't even take into account materials, supplies, tools and equipment.
..

But again Owen, you mention an "acceptable range". Doesn't mean a damn
thing except to you in your area. My market is NOT the same as yours. I
remember quite some time ago reading where Steven Russell had sold a perfume
applicator for, as I recall, around $300.00. Hell I'd be lucky to get that
for my truck in my local market.....:-)

Are the time and skills on the level of Ellsworth (and his imitators)
only worth minimum wage? There are those who claim they are only selling
to augment their tool budget, they're also claiming, though silently,
that their skill and time is worthless

Not even going to try and convice you that minimum wage is fair.....but are
you trying to tell me that a simple hollow vessel that takes an hour or two
to complete is worth several thousand dollars? How much does that same
hollow vessel bring in Australia....the UK......Nigeria.......??