I’m still having trouble figuring out what to charge customers. I’m trying to convince my business partner/girl friend that we “Need” V-Carve but in order to do so, I need to come up with pricing. So, how do you charge?
It really depends on the project. I was going to set a machine rate and then based my pricing from there. But you also have to account for a design fee for the software side of the project and then add materials, shop overhead, and your head starts to spin. I try and figure what I would need to make a profit but also take into an account what the market is for a certain item. Etsy and sites like that are a good way to do a market research. I look forward to seeing what others use.
Etsy pricing can make you crazy, When I add material cost, and labor at $5/hr I get close to $50 for an item, forget about the other business expenses. Then I look on Etsy and find similar items selling for $8.50.
There is just no way to compete with a Chinese factory on price. And the Chinese are making tons of CNC wood products now.
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You have to sort through all of the Chinese crap and then compare prices with other makers. Even then you should base your whole market research to one site.
Etsy is useless since they started letting big manufacturers in there. It built itself by being a small time makers site, then threw that out the window. I find it pointless to even look at now.
Oddly enough, I sell a LOT of stuff on Etsy! It’s a great venue, just can’t be your only one. I use it largely as a storefront, and spread word by talking on Facebook, etc.
Is this a typo?
Yes, obviously it is a typo. Andrew asked for some input from the community on pricing your work and instead of giving some insightful thoughts about what they do to price their work it was an Etsy bash. I don’t agree with what they did to their site but if you want to be part of a free market you should at least know whats out there. So please for the group… let’s answer the question with what you do not what you don’t like about things out of your control that makes you grumpy in the morning. Oh and Happy New Year!!!
With your signs, do you use V-Carve?
I do, anyway. All text is V-carved (or lasered now, I’m using both) with a milled profile. If all I’m doing is a sign, V-Carve just utterly wins. All signs tend to be are 2.5d projects, so solid models aren’t really needed anyway, meaning that V-Carve is my go-to. It’s just the king of signs. For all other stuff? Kinda Meh. For signs? EPIC.
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