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prices for your time

updated wed 10 dec 97

 

Janet H Walker on sun 7 dec 97

I was recently reading a book called something like "Pricing your
Craft Work" that went through the pricing issues for a lot of
different craft media. The shop rate for potters' time was higher
than what you are paying yourself fyi. It varied for different
kinds of work, interestingly. The painted frog ceramics people
get about what you are paying yourself, then production work, then
handbuilt. Oh yes, slip casting is in there too, below production
throwing I think. ANyhow, I don't think you are "yuppie" to pay
yourself less than a plumber or mechanic makes. I think that
potters in general don't value their time very sensibly.

Jan Walker
Cambridge MA USA
who doesn't know yet what she is paying herself but it is a durn
sight less than she used to make in software design.

Kathi LeSueur on tue 9 dec 97

One simple rule to apply when paying yourself is... what would I have to pay
someone else to do this? If you look at every step along the way to
completion and try to figure what you would have to pay someone else, you'll
have a good idea what the minimum is you should be paying yourself.

Of course this has nothing to do with the price of pots. Customers don't
care. Especially if you are a functional potter. They have an idea in their
head of what it costs at their local kitchen store and they won't pay much
more for "handmade".

If you can't sell it at a price that is fair for you and your customer is
willing to pay...... stop making it. Unless, of course, you love making it.

Kathi