Price hikes insight

**Dave Umbs** · 03-06-2014, 08:28 PM

So over the last 6 months to a year I've noticed a massive price increase in peoples work in general while a decrease in what seems to be the amount of time and effort put into pieces. It seems good for our industry in general since it gives us all the opportunity to make more money and im not complaining, but it just seems crazy to me when a 6 inch mini tube rig is selling for 2-3k retail. When it probably took 6-8 hours to make and a few years ago when i got into this you would never have been able to sell something like that for those prices.

Its making me reconsider the pricing of all my work in general since it seems like I'm under charging now, but on the same hand I just find it hard to believe people have the money to buy these pieces at those prices.

Are you raising your prices? Whats your opinion on this? I'm looking for some insight into this. Could there be a collapse in prices a year from now when people realize that their 3k piece isnt really worth that or that they cant resell it for that. Or do you see glass prices continue to rise even higher as this moves into fine art movement.

Pricing is the one thing with glass that I have struggled with the most and I know there is info on here about pricing. But in a years time it just seem like things have doubled price wise and in the almost 5 years I've been doing this it seems they have quadrupled in the headies market.

**skip** · 03-07-2014, 03:47 AM

suppy and demand.... It all depends on where you're selling it and to whom. Try selling some of that stuff to a store in Oregon and you're going to have a hell of a time. Sell it to a kid with a grip of cash from slinging and he knows your work and your going to get a lot more.

**LooseSeal Baller** · 03-07-2014, 06:13 AM

i think the price for "quality" made glass is up, because the market is flooded with lots of crap, badly made and over priced...

so when you do see a piece thats made well its gonna cost ya.

just my opinion theres alot of shitty glass out there.

**JBob** · 03-07-2014, 07:50 AM

sell stuff for what you want and think its worth. if its too expensive lower the price, if your making more of that particular type of piece then you want to raise the price. id like to offer you more insight, but i do think there will be a collapse for a good portion of these blowers with inflated prices and no discernable name in the industry, so i try to keep my prices humble. but for all intents and purposes, i try to always increase my prices as my work is always progressing. no, i never woke up and said, things are worth more then they were before, im going to add X% dollars to all of my work because thats what i think the markets doing.

i never look at others work to see what mine is worth, only look in your neighbors bowl to make sure they have enough.

i think a good way to learn the market and the value of your work is to work with a distributor. seeing detailed lists regularly of what sells and what doesnt sell and for how much, and all the details from someone managing your work to that degree can greatly help your awareness in this situation in addition to making consistent loot.

god speed and party on

**ericoid** · 03-07-2014, 07:59 AM

what exactly do you mean by distributer? how does one get into contact with a distributer? do you mean like a shop?

**Dave Umbs** · 03-07-2014, 08:48 AM

A few more thoughts, I was thinking a lot about this last night. I am just shocked as to what I have been charging in comparison to others work that is comparable. I suppose im disillusioned as to my own work anymore. I personalty just dont see my work holding its value in some sense, I think alot of what I make is great I just dont see it being an investment and that I could charge what others are charging.

Ill admit that I dont have the same re known as many of these artists and that is not really why i do this so that plays into pricing I suppose. I just enjoy blowing glass and if I can make money on top of that its great.

I'm not saying that their work isnt worth what they are charging and more power to them I'm happy for them. I suppose I should be striving to do the same thing though, but im not. Which lead me to my post last night. I dont want to be under selling myself that is all.

I just tend to price my work based off what i think I would fairly pay if I walked into a shop and not whats the most I think that I could be selling it for, but the later seems to be the market trend atm.

Thank you for your replies I'm going to think about this some more.

**JBob** · 03-07-2014, 10:28 AM

Eric I mean a person who takes your glass to many different shops and sells it for me as long with many other blowers, offering more variety to the shop for a cut of the profit (usually around 25%).

Umbs your work is fantastic and you should be getting top dollar, if you feel you should be paid better then up your prices because your work speaks for itself.

**Maijah** · 03-07-2014, 10:35 AM

Its all about your name nowadays, its kinda crazy. If you have a popular/big name people will pay top dollar for your shit (literally). There are people that have built a name for themselves with 100's of teenagers riding there nuts when really there work is kinda janky and sloppy. I guess its how you market yourself these days, its seems like spending more time on the internet instead of in front of your torch is the way to get big and be able to charge top dollar. I also can't believe how uneducated a lot of consumers are, there happy paying for there new half clear janky rigs.

**JBob** · 03-07-2014, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by Maijah

Its all about your name nowadays, its kinda crazy. If you have a popular/big name people will pay top dollar for your shit (literally). There are people that have built a name for themselves with 100's of teenagers riding there nuts when really there work is kinda janky and sloppy. I guess its how you market yourself these days, its seems like spending more time on the internet instead of in front of your torch is the way to get big and be able to charge top dollar. I also can't believe how uneducated a lot of consumers are, there happy paying for there new half clear janky rigs.

I started off not agreeing but your correct. It is easy to give away a pendent or pipe every week on instagram and u can gain hundreds or thousands of followers at a time doing this depending on how its shared. Some people specifically get others to auction of give away there products so they know so many eyes are on it.

This being said, I still believe good work speaks for itself and always will have a market if showing to the right people.

**hashmasta-kut** · 03-07-2014, 11:15 AM

there is just one thing going on, and its always been the same, when the opportunity to gouge people comes up, many gougers step up to the plate to take advantage of it. Not everyone likes to gouge though, such as yourself, and it seems unfair, which it is.

Originally Posted by Dave Umbs

A few more thoughts, I was thinking a lot about this last night. I am just shocked as to what I have been charging in comparison to others work that is comparable. I suppose im disillusioned as to my own work anymore. I personalty just dont see my work holding its value in some sense, I think alot of what I make is great I just dont see it being an investment and that I could charge what others are charging.

Ill admit that I dont have the same re known as many of these artists and that is not really why i do this so that plays into pricing I suppose. I just enjoy blowing glass and if I can make money on top of that its great.

I'm not saying that their work isnt worth what they are charging and more power to them I'm happy for them. I suppose I should be striving to do the same thing though, but im not. Which lead me to my post last night. I dont want to be under selling myself that is all.

I just tend to price my work based off what i think I would fairly pay if I walked into a shop and not whats the most I think that I could be selling it for, but the later seems to be the market trend atm.

Thank you for your replies I'm going to think about this some more.

**mer** · 03-07-2014, 11:30 AM

the increase in the low end of the market is largely going to the reseller and that's frustrating. the top dollar pieces i'm seeing are taking giant leaps forward and deserve to be credited for taking the risk. i've seen $30k pieces that blow my mind. this is not in line with my budget as a consumer but with the influx of dispensary money and the steady flow of trustafarians and ballers i can see how the pieces are moving. take the instance of the 30k piece, that artist suffered, like us, through years of making pieces at market rates. averaged over a 5-10 year span dude is really just making a fair wage for a skilled craft. it's not too much to ask that we market ourselves so that we can own homes someday.

**Maijah** · 03-07-2014, 11:40 AM

I agree that good quality work speaks for itself and will always have its place in the market. It just seems like the best way to make a name for yourself nowadays is to sell yourself online and build a following. Instead of just working your ass off and hoping to get noticed.

**mer** · 03-07-2014, 11:41 AM

why not do both?

**LarryC** · 03-07-2014, 02:17 PM

Originally Posted by Maijah

I agree that good quality work speaks for itself and will always have its place in the market. It just seems like the best way to make a name for yourself nowadays is to sell yourself online and build a following. Instead of just working your ass off and hoping to get noticed.

I agree with Mer. You really MUST do both. Good work does not sell itself. Poor work also wont get you there regardless of how hard you sell it. The most successful artists also tend to have a good sense for business.

**Dave Umbs** · 03-09-2014, 09:05 AM

Well I agree with most of everything that has been said. The business end of marketing my glass is what I need to work on. For the most part I plan to keep doing what I have been doing though, if i think something is particularity nicer or i am happier with it then ill raise the price slightly. I just cant justify raising prices to match what others are selling their work for just for the sake of money.If demand increases the story might change though.

I dont really see it as being unfair or frustrating its basic free market economy ethics. I'm just surprised and think it is crazy in a good way. There is still lots of overpriced glass and under priced glass atm after looking around. I feel I am in the middle of both and I am content with that after thinking about it. I just need to be concerned with my own pricing and if im happy with what I am selling something for. Verses trying to match or compare my prices to others.

I am personally just not a big fan of self promoting of my work. Like already mentioned I tend to go by the logic of it speaks for itself, but i suppose its something I'll have to work on and find a balance for.

Thanks everyone who has replied I appreciate it.

**Zed** · 04-08-2014, 04:01 PM

Tee shirts and stickers > good work. The new(new) school seems to be taking a page out of EDM DJ's playbook and I guess i can't fault them for that in a capitalist society. Its depressing that work is no longer judged by its merits but by how big of a hype train you can generate but its a proven marketing technique, just ask Apple.

**LowTideGlass** · 04-08-2014, 04:29 PM

Well said zed.

**Amorphous** · 04-08-2014, 05:02 PM

I've noticed people putting their stuff on FB recently for bidding. Maybe that is one way for some you established artists who are wondering if a price hike could work to find out. It's basically advertising your wares in a public forum, no fees and maybe getting more for your work than you might have priced it yourself.

**TacosGlass** · 04-08-2014, 08:13 PM

^ I was on my friends Facebook earlier, browsing the different glasss for sale groups and it honestly seemed pretty dead to me, lots of people posting things, all range of prices, but not much actual selling going on

**RyanBaker** · 04-09-2014, 03:54 AM

The Mass scene at least,is bangin. Shops are adding more and more shelves trying to stock up on more and more glass.The impending opening of the dispensaries around the end of summer is sure to give a nice boost, as people with deeper pockets who otherwise wouldnt have access to marijuana will suddenly have an outlet for cheap product.