pricing help

[djsugarpapasmooth]

Well it's a new year and I'm already jobless. Laid off due to the economy so I think it time to try to make this full time work. Here are pics of what I made last night. I sell them to freinds for years but pricing is way different when going to shops so if anyone does work like mine what kind of money do you charge?how much for the prodo and how much for the hammer? If there is anything i can do to make the work look better will also be appreciated?
Thanx
Sugar Glass Productions

[The Cheese]

I see one wrap/rake - the only one I could help you out with. Usually get $10 each for those.

The other stuff - nice... I like the bubbler. Pretty clean stuff.

[djsugarpapasmooth]

It's a dry hammer. I can do bubs but I want to build stock on dry stuff first.

[The Cheese]

Are those spoons done with tube pulls or individual i/o lines?

[djsugarpapasmooth]

They are outside work. Individual lines drawn on.

[Shatner]

$10-$12 for the spoons. Maybe $25 for the hammer.

[Slow]

If you're willing to take 10-12 for the spoons and 25 for the hammer, ask for 15 and 30. That way, you have some room to come down if they say no. Also, if you're trying to set up a long term business relationship, keep in mind that most shop owners won't suddenly pay you more for the same style as you get better, smoother, tighter, etc.
Take it with a grain, as I never know what to charge for my work. I suck at this business thing.

[Big Jay]

Well it's a new year and I'm already jobless. Laid off due to the economy so I think it time to try to make this full time work. Sugar Glass Productions

I am not going to tell you pricing because honestly its varies so extremely that its really impossible to be precise. My approach is that of a few of my close glass friends. Analyze the amount of time it takes you to produce the glass. Mind you that doesn't mean the amount you can produce on your best day it has to be an average of what you usually produce. Say you average 2 of those spoons an hour. Now the second must you must have is the cost of your shop operations and to never forget to count sale days as a work day. So I don't get you too lost in what I am saying let me break it down.

2 pipes an hour average of 40 hours per week = 80 pipes per week
80 x 4 weeks per month - 2 sale days(32 pipes not made) = 288
Electricity/gas/glass for 288 pipes = example $400
Traveling cost per sales trip $30 per day x's 2 = $60

Total operations cost is $460
If you sell the pipes for $12 = $3456

$3456 - $460 = $2996
$2996/160 = $18 per hour average

There are lots more factors to include in this calculation which are absolutely essential (like sales calls and equipment failures and maintnence). But it should help you in determining your bottom line in selling glass. One other major factor it does not include is you maybe able to produce $10,000 a month in glass but that does not mean you can find a buyer for it. It also does not factor in that some months are truely boom or bust. But you can use similar calculations in determining price for any glass you make.
In order for these to work though you must be absolutely honest with yourself on your capabilities. Some people make 30 pipes in one day but they cannot do that 5 days a week or at least not 52 weeks a year. Your holidays are no longer paid nor or sick days or days off. So you must realize that $18 an hour figure only works if you work 5 days a week without fail and never underproduce.
For me its been a horribly difficult transition from my original career path to glass. Allthough it does remind me of what it was like when I first got into real estate and having to learn to stash this months income because I may not have any the next 1 or 2 months. I wish you the best of luck. There are some really nice upsides to being a professional glass artist but there are some huge dissapointments that if you can't learn to deal with can end your career before it got started. If it wasn't for my shop mate I would have given up already. Best of luck!

[Meta Glass]

it took me a while to learn this one

but you really just need to sit down and figuire out expenses and how much you need to not only pay for supplies but buy important shit

like food

if you are legitimately going to make glass your buisness
take time to prepare
get ready to work too hard for not enough dough
especially at this stage

i usually keep a paper next to the bench where i mark down how much glass i used for the piece
if i use a rod at all i charge for the whole rod and same for tube figuire out on average how much you use for cleaning ends and use tweezers more for that stuff

if there are any more experienced artists in your area i highly recommend working something out with them

its way easier to deal with costs with another person

best of luck and always leave time for new techs

[djsugarpapasmooth]

meta and big jay you guys have this thing figured out thank you so much. 2 an hour is about right for me. I could do alot more if I sacrifice look over all which I'm not really wanting to do.I think over-all the wow factor is better for sales then qauntity. Am I right? Is numbers more important????????? I hope not cause I get such a rush when I make a piece that says damb your finally there after a couple of years of trying and failing. Anyway thanx guys.

[p.j.]

you should always make the best looking pieces you can because a store that you walk in to gets to touch the glass and fully examine it. they look for perfect mouth pieces, holes that are not too big, carbs that aren't too big or too small. try to see what all of your "clients" need (bats, spoons, ashcatchers,bubs) have a full array of stuff.

it also helps to have thick skin cause some shop owners suck and some are great.

your work looks clean to me and the holes look like a good size also. the shops seem to like deep pack pieces too.

good luck dude

[djsugarpapasmooth]

Did these last night. First try at doing oneies. I just never tried them for some reason.

[p.j.]

those look good. that stuff can become your bread and butter( spoons and one) nice jar too. jars are tough to sell sometimes, that doesn't mean don't make them, though. you will find it is way easier to sell glass when you have a variety of styles in the case rather than a case of 100 of the exact same thing.

[The Cheese]

There's a guy on ebay who seems to sell quite a few jars.

Like your spoons. Shaping is pretty nice too.

[Meta Glass]

go lighter on the fume

that heavy fume stuff is for imports and shop owners will compare them if they stock imports

not trying to knock at all
because we all made these exact same pieces

just check out prodo from american artists to help inspire little things that will make your spoons stand out from the rest

the first sale you make to a store will be a tester

so make a good appearance
shave
wear clean clothes
come with at least one business card (make one on the comp and print it on heavy photo paper if you arent ready to invest in a fat stock)

most importantly
dont take a safety break right before

yes many glassblowers i know are very safe and remain that way throughout the day and have thus sold pieces during the height of being safe

but when dealing with shop owners who are dicks you need to leave no room for them to try and push down the price

after the sale go back in 2-4 weeks depending on how many pieces you sold and check out their stock of your stuff

if you stuff is mostly sold and many pieces you saw earlier are still in there
negotiate a better deal for stuff


its all give and take man

in no time youll have a distinct style that you can hustle much more easily

the biggest rule is shop owners dont need you
you need them
be freinds
hook them up with a piece everyonce in a while

[KahunaGlassArt]

nice advice Meta.
good stuff to know