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  1. #1
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    Default Priced Out.

    I have posted this separately, so as not to hijack Clareys thread http://www.cooksongold.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4142. Below is my project ring, made last term, at the college I attend part time: to make a tube set ring against the clock. It took me four hours.

    So, pricing it along the lines suggested by George:
    Time at say £10 an hour £40.00
    Materials, silver and peridot £20.00
    Hallmarking, postage , and profit £10.00. Wholesale price £70.


    Gallery price £140 plus VAT @20% £168.00
    Price of a comparable item in a seaside gift shop, maybe £ 20.00 Dennis.
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Project ring Mar.'12.jpg  

  2. #2
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    Nice ring, Dennis. I like the gemstone, is it chrome diopside or tsavorite garnet? beautiful colour. I agree about the pricing, however I would still put it up for sale to whatever it came to (I have silver rings for £300 and they sell :-) ), as I found there are people who would rather pay your price and know it is hand-made and well made, rather than pay £20 and know it is mass produced.

    I had a similar situation last week, where I made a silver ring with an iolite, it took me all day (I started at 10am and finished at about 4.30pm); so I kept it for myself, as there wouldn't be any people paying £450 for a silver ring (it is made with a 1.5mm shank and fancy setting - that's the setting, on which I spent hours) . I was thinking of casting some of the components to shorten the manufacturing time, but as I only cast once, I wasn't sure I would be able to do that

  3. #3
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    It's peridot Lilia,but I was over enthusiastic in brightening the coluor. Regards, Dennis.

  4. #4
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    Dennis, you hit the nail on the head.

    "Price of a comparable item in a seaside gift shop, maybe £ 20.00 "

    Seaside gift shop. CR*P stuff compared to what you produce.

    We are artisans and have no wish to compete with 'seaside gift shops' That is not our market!

    Make a stand for your creations and judging by the pic your work is fab. There is a market out there for your work. A seaside giftshop is def not your market Dennis.

    Andrew
    Its finally here. The answer to your Online Jewellery Training

    Just Click Below

    AtTheBench Jewellery Training for Jewellers

  5. #5
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    Hi, I would like to know where you sell your stuff for that sort of money. We exhibit ours at local craft fairs and as a rule people look at the prices first and say its lovely but I cant afford that price, and we are talking about £60 or less for a ring similar to Dennis's. Perhaps we just live in a poor part of the country, but I have had people jib at paying £50 for a chainmaille bracelet.


    Quote Originally Posted by lilia View Post
    Nice ring, Dennis. I like the gemstone, is it chrome diopside or tsavorite garnet? beautiful colour. I agree about the pricing, however I would still put it up for sale to whatever it came to (I have silver rings for £300 and they sell :-) ), as I found there are people who would rather pay your price and know it is hand-made and well made, rather than pay £20 and know it is mass produced.

    I had a similar situation last week, where I made a silver ring with an iolite, it took me all day (I started at 10am and finished at about 4.30pm); so I kept it for myself, as there wouldn't be any people paying £450 for a silver ring (it is made with a 1.5mm shank and fancy setting - that's the setting, on which I spent hours) . I was thinking of casting some of the components to shorten the manufacturing time, but as I only cast once, I wasn't sure I would be able to do that

  6. #6
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    Once on a course we were all made to stand up and introduce ourselves. Some followed on with boring statements of what they were inspired by, but one old lady got up and said:

    'When I got married we didn't have much money and I soon realised that if I wanted jewellery, I'd have to make it myself.'

    As Pat says, there are people out there with a taste for a bit of luxury, who simply don't have the income. Dennis.
    Last edited by Dennis; 12-04-2012 at 01:53 AM.

  7. #7
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    Nice to see someone with their feet on the ground, well done Dennis. One question I would like to ask out of curiosity, how many people are making enough money to live on soley from making jewellery, not teaching or publishing videos etc, just making jewellery and selling it, also what is the common consensus of buying jewellery online, cos I was moaning to hubby the other day, and he said would you buy jewellery online if you didnt know the seller, and my immediate answer was "no".
    I would be interested to know what other peoples reaction is to the same questions.



    Quote Originally Posted by Dennis View Post
    Once on a course we were all made to stand up and introduce ourselves. Some followed on with boring statements of what they were inspired by, but one old lady got up and said:

    'When I got married we didn't have much money and I soon realised that if I wanted jewellery, I'd have to make it myself.'

    As Pat says, there are people out there with a taste for a bit of luxury, who simply don't have the income. Dennis.
    Last edited by Patstone; 12-04-2012 at 08:26 AM. Reason: adding info

  8. #8
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    I *might*, but it'd have to be something quite unusual to do it.
    There have been things I've seen in person that I've then gone on to buy online - Karina Gill's bowls, for example.

    As for making a living at it - not at the moment, no. I don't sell enough pieces for it to be anything more than self-supporting, I'm not currently offering anything online and I'm not interested in craft fairs - while they're easier to get into than some shows, I feel that people don't go along to them expecting to spend much on pieces; possibly too many of the fairs are too bombarded with cheap imported tat that brings the tone of things down. IME

    To do a show *properly* (IMO again) you've got to have the target audience expecting to spend money, you've got to be able to handle payments by credit card and you have to have a stand that looks professional. If I pitch up with a paste table and scatter some work on it, I'm not creating an impression or environment that is going to help sell things. If I'm the only one selling properly made work amongst import tat, I'm on a hiding to nothing.

    That said, there's a village fete coming up where I've been asked to demo something, so I think it's going to be anticlasts in copper - something large enough for people to see (as opposed to stone setting, for example) and active enough to attract attention. I'll have a few pieces in silver there, but as I'm doing it to support the fete rather than a sales opportunity, it's more about the publicity - it's not an environment where I'd expect people to spring for the expensive stuff.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Patstone View Post
    Hi, I would like to know where you sell your stuff for that sort of money. We exhibit ours at local craft fairs and as a rule people look at the prices first and say its lovely but I cant afford that price, and we are talking about £60 or less for a ring similar to Dennis's. Perhaps we just live in a poor part of the country, but I have had people jib at paying £50 for a chainmaille bracelet.
    Hi Patstone :-) ,


    I sell on my website, Etsy and a local gallery in the Cotswolds. I don't do craft fairs as they weren't successful for me at all.


    Of course, Dennis, you said in the first post that it's peridot. just shows that the ring would look equally beautiful with a dark green gem ;-)

  10. #10
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    But do you make a living at it? could you survive without having another income.

    Quote Originally Posted by lilia View Post
    Hi Patstone :-) ,


    I sell on my website, Etsy and a local gallery in the Cotswolds. I don't do craft fairs as they weren't successful for me at all.


    Of course, Dennis, you said in the first post that it's peridot. just shows that the ring would look equally beautiful with a dark green gem ;-)

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