[feralfreak]

im not trying to sell this here, just trying to figure out something, I was showing an uncle who does woodwork something I made, and when I said what ive been charging he jerked his head back like he was getting hit or something(no I wasn't being violent or anything like that) and acted like my price was nuts and told me what he would charge, I don't think anyone would pay what he said it would be worth but I figured id ask some folks that have done this a lot more often and longer than I have, what is this rocking horse worth? its about 42 in long, 27 tall and 15 wide.

 

[Tilaran]

Crap picture. The price depends on the detail and wood quality. If it was say.....walnut and hand carved features ? $$$$. If it's done out of crap pine and a bandsaw from Homeless Despot or Bloze it's no better than Chinese crap. $64.77 and give them a 10% off coupon for a battery powered potato peeler. :laughing:

 

[cabinetman]

We have an introduction section where you can say a few words about yourself. If you fill out your profile in your "User Control Panel", you can list any hobbies or other facts. You can also list your general geographical location which would be a help in answereing some questions.

I agree, the picture doesn't show much detail. What did you say you charged?

.

 

[feralfreak]

I took better pics, that first one was 16 or 17 years ago, its pine, its what was available and what I still work with, I use what I can afford to get, im kinda holding off on what I have been charging until there are more responses. obviously this horse was stained which I got away from doing but it held up with the only thing that broke on the original being the pin that holds the handle bar in place, somewhere I have pictures of both my niece and nephew riding it at the same time when they were babies and it held a 7 year old(hows that for "crap pine"?:laughing

the head on this one(my first one) has screws holding the head together but all the others that ive sold had the head glued, the shop teacher where I made this made me screw the head pieces together instead of letting me glue it, he wasn't as familiar with woodwork as he should have been, he watched me use a table saw to do cross cuts and dadoes like he never seen it before, but the heads on all others are glued together. the geographic location would be southern ky.

 

[Tennessee Tim]

Sounds like he was giving you a compliment and a nice way to say your not charging enough.
1)A hobbiest will under cut prices or just sell at material cost BUT have NO idea the cost to operate a true business. 2)A "wanna be" business person will make money above actual cost BUT aren't usually legal and have a job or spouse that actually pays the bills and health insurance.3) A TRUE business person has a legal business and charges accordingly that also include wages, taxes, GL, WC and at least their health ins.

As a true business man (I fully support my family) I CAN NOT compete price wise with ANY level less BUT my track record proves my work.

I've seen quality workmanship on all the levels....Your horse looks nice from the pics and a large improvement from the first pic. THERE'S nothing wrong as a parttimer but be legal and don't hurt other businesses by cut throat pricing, they're trying to support families.

Have a Blessed day.

 

[feralfreak]

Sounds like he was giving you a compliment and a nice way to say your not charging enough.
1)A hobbiest will under cut prices or just sell at material cost BUT have NO idea the cost to operate a true business. 2)A "wanna be" business person will make money above actual cost BUT aren't usually legal and have a job or spouse that actually pays the bills and health insurance.3) A TRUE business person has a legal business and charges accordingly that also include wages, taxes, GL, WC and at least their health ins.

As a true business man (I fully support my family) I CAN NOT compete price wise with ANY level less BUT my track record proves my work.

I've seen quality workmanship on all the levels....Your horse looks nice from the pics and a large improvement from the first pic. THERE'S nothing wrong as a parttimer but be legal and don't hurt other businesses by cut throat pricing, they're trying to support families.

Have a Blessed day.

ive never tried to hurt other businesses, I just never knew what a reasonable price is for this, and I tend to think im nowhere near good enough to charge much(I see faults in everything I make)

 

[Dopalgangr]

How many hours does it take for you to make one? I would base my price on that and give myself an hourly wage then add materials for a final price. I would say that in my area (Maryland) this would go for around $150.

 

[Tennessee Tim]

WE can see ALL our faults.....WE built it!!! LOL

Do you improve the faults or keep making the same??? I can see your a craftsman by the improvements from your beginning and you ARE concerned and that's where the craftsmanship will keep going up.DON'T SELL yourself short. What each one of us charge can be effected by: 1) our location 2) our skills 3) our speed 4) are we parttime or full time.

Not intending to hurt other businesses shows your heart is in your woodworking. You'll do good...your uncle is seeing something your not...the value of your work. Ask him his honest opinion of your work, it's value level and how you could improve. Be prepared for some hurt, BUT it'll build you up higher to be better and make MONEY at what you love!!

 

[Lola Ranch]

It has a "folksy" sort of clunky look to it. I'd give it a range of $85 - $150. IMHO if you were to try to to soften the boxy look that is has (make it look more like a real horse). Eventually, with practice, you could add some personality to the horse maybe do some carving or painting. Sky is the limit if you can make it real art.

Bret

 

[feralfreak]

How many hours does it take for you to make one? I would base my price on that and give myself an hourly wage then add materials for a final price. I would say that in my area (Maryland) this would go for around $150.

I think it takes me about a week to make it

WE can see ALL our faults.....WE built it!!! LOL

Do you improve the faults or keep making the same??? I can see your a craftsman by the improvements from your beginning and you ARE concerned and that's where the craftsmanship will keep going up.DON'T SELL yourself short. What each one of us charge can be effected by: 1) our location 2) our skills 3) our speed 4) are we parttime or full time.

Not intending to hurt other businesses shows your heart is in your woodworking. You'll do good...your uncle is seeing something your not...the value of your work. Ask him his honest opinion of your work, it's value level and how you could improve. Be prepared for some hurt, BUT it'll build you up higher to be better and make MONEY at what you love!!

I try to improve on faults when I can, im a perfectionist and never satisfied so it always looks like junk to me. that heart and woodwork part reminded me of when I made a rocking horse as a gift for my step sister and her baby, he was about 1 I think, and they just had a 2nd house fire, they got the horse after that fire, she told me later that was the best gift they got that year, kinda sucks that a gift got that status because they lost everything else, and to me its more fun to make a gift than a piece of merchandise. my uncle thought that horse I showed would go for 200, I have a hard time believing that, especially in this economy and with a certain law taking affect. ive been charging 60 for them before

 

[cabinetman]

The work is very good, and I think you have undercharged by quite a bit. If you look at some of the rocking horses here, you can see how good yours looks against others. A toy like that is supposed to be representative, and the details don't have to be an exact replica of a horse. But, you could add some simple trim items, like a mane, tail, and some reins, and it would have an entirely different look. I would think that at least $200 or more would be appropriate.

.

 

[Lola Ranch]

A week to make? Really? You would have to sell it for &1500 or so. I don't think that is going to happen.

I would just enjoy the hobby or drastically increase your productivity. Maybe not what you wanted to hear.

Bret

 

[amckenzie4]

I think it takes me about a week to make it

A week to make? Really? You would have to sell it for &1500 or so. I don't think that is going to happen.

I would just enjoy the hobby or drastically increase your productivity. Maybe not what you wanted to hear.

Bret

A week of 8 hour days, or a week of "a couple hours in the evening"? It makes a big difference....

 

[Julie Mor]

MSRP for this one in pine is $190 for the small version and $230 for the large. If you want it in maple or oak, add $170. Walnut +$200 and cherry +$210.

This Victorian rocking horse costs between $2,500 and $3,000.

I don't think the amount of time you put into making the piece means as much as the amount of time a buyer THINKS you put into a piece. The type of wood makes a big difference and the finish and detail can really help or hurt the value. Things like curves, as opposed to square edges, will help increase the value.

Many professional woodworkers simply won't make certain pieces because with the time investment, they can't make any money. Those who do a lot of handwork on their pieces and are making money usually have high-end clients willing to pay for the extra time involved.

 

[TimPa]

ive been charging 60 for them before


i believe that the materials would approach 1/2 to 2/3 that number. I think you could ask 150-200.

 

[TylerJones]

I'm in agreement with several of the other posters, namely TT and LolaRanch. But in addition to what others have mentioned I think you are asking the wrong question. What you are currently making is an item that it's simply not possible to charge buyers enough to pay yourself a fair wage. Is this a hobby? If the horses are what you want to make then you will have to find a way to increase their VALUE as well as their cost. Otherwise you are offering no service that a CNC cannot do, and 100 times faster than you. Not always what you want to hear I know, but that's what we are up against.

In an attempt to give an answer to the original question I would say if you are just making a couple every now and again for friends and family then I would charge 150-200. Probably depending on who it was for. If you want to begin to support yourself from woodworking I would embrace the experience you have gotten from making them and find a better product to make and sell.

 

[ryan50hrl]

I'd charge 150 easily for that. A few weeks ago I made a bunch of rustic cedar stars for my in laws. They took me less than 20 minutes to make and 5 bucks in materials each, and the made in China crap wood version at a local discount retailer were selling for 30 each.

 

[FrankC]

Charge $150 selling out of your "shop"

Charge $300 selling out of your "studio"

 

[feralfreak]

I got another item to run across y'all, its made of cedar wood, green cedar wood(I should have let it season more, the crack in it got a bit bigger)

what would be a reasonable charge for this? its a tea light candle holder

 

[SteveEl]

Real business people charge based on market analysis of what their target market is willing to pay, not on their own sunk costs or labor.

You can use material, labor, and overhead to work into your salespitch as you defend your price, but at the end of the day hard numbers on those things are your cost. For a 1-man shop, with a couple exceptions they are the pretty much the same whether you live in my town and or the shee-shee town a couple hours away.

But then you look at the target market in those two towns.

In the shee-shee town, the Salvation Army has some really nice stuff. In my town, I don't bother going to the SA any more because folks are strapped for cash and most SA stuff looks like garage sale leftover wornout junk.

A better question is does anyone in the two towns want to buy that, and what would they pay?

Once you know that, you ask yourself "Can I make more of these for less than that?"

And then you are doing business. Maybe not legal, but business.

The other approach is to not care about the money all that much and have fun.