What Would You Pay for.... This?

[LAPat]

I think this is a fun idea for a poll or even a topic but I don't want anyone to get their feelings hurt so if you do this, be ready to be surprised -- maybe pleasantly!

I am posting a picture of something I made to ask you all what you think it would be worth if you saw it in a shop. Eventually I will tell you what i charge, and if you have convinced me that I need to change the price. It should be interesting to see how area, local culture, and true knowledge of what went into a piece affect what we think it's worth. I think it might help to do a ballpark of where such items are usually placed for a retail sale. For instance, leashes, including fabric ones, in L.A. are usually under a hundred dollars and no less than about twenty. Average cost is probably twenty eight bucks. collars have a broader price range.

If anyone has any ideas how to tweak this, tweak away. ALso, I don't know how to write this as a poll, so I hope this is okay.

This leash is about four feet long and 3/4 wide.

Pat

[Suze]

Middle of Ohio here and out in the tiny town area ---- rural, big time

you would be lucky to get $20 for that leash --- after all they can go to Wal-Mart and buy one for half that price >sigh<

nobody appiecates hand crafted - in tiny town area

get to the cities though and all bets are off.

[Jordan]

Human nature is to want something for nuthing, I would venture to say $49.99. But it would be extremely unlikely to get that behind the zion curtain,( no offense intended that's just what I call my little corner of the world after I saw that cult classic The day the mexicans disappeared.) LOL. Seriously though you probably get alot more than that if your clientel is used to paying 5-6 grand for a purse or some such frivolous accessory. But a good leash is not something to skimp on especially if you happen to have a huge dog.

[skipj]

If it were marked as coach or LV it would go for a couple of hundred .

SkipJ

[McJeep]

huge dog.

Thanks fer that ;0)

[rawhide1]

LAPat

I'll play!! I would say in this area $25.00-$35.00 range.

Mike

[Spence]

I'd have to say less than $20.

[wildrose]

What would I pay for it? 50.00 easily. My family has had Airedales for a while, and they can really pull you! A nice sturdy leash like that would be great. I might even go to 75.00. Like others have said though, depends on the clientele.

I like this post idea. Here's something I finished recently. It was a gift for my youngest nephew - I'd made boxes for my niece and other nephew, so was continuing the tradition. The box is oak (from Grandpa's Pastime, Dale Grabowski), so it's not my usual "cheapo" Michael's craft store box. What would you pay for something like this?

[LAPat]

Thank you all for your input, I found it really helpful for a lot of reasons. My store is in a middle class neighborhood but we do get drop ins from the ritzy areas -- Tanya Tucker was in the other day and I see my share of stars and titanium Amex cards. The leash is $69.00 in the shop and if I sell it at a dog show I will come down to about $48.00. I just sold one with a fur handle for $95.00. It takes about thirty minutes to make if I am not rushing things, I like to do them while I watch tv. My buyers don't seem all that at the top of the food chain, but they all fall in love with the leashes and some of them come back three and four times and then buy.

What fascinates me is that I sell more of these now that I charge more and I upped the price after a lecture from a friend about undervaluing my work. But those first leashes I sold for $40.00 got them out and about on dogs, and they are still leashes that have people calling me to see if I want to sell in their stores. In fact, my problem now is production work. Which is another story all together.

Now I have another friend who does incredibly nice porcelain pendants of dogs. She is new to selling and wants to get $90.00 a piece. I think that a better course of action would be to start selling them under $50.00 , get them on some necks out in the world, and then bring the price up. That's what's worked for me.

As for those areas where I would be selling for under forty dollars, I think I'd find something else to sell...

Thanks again,

Pat

Holly,

Can you say how big this box is and show it open? Did you line the inside? I think what I would pay would depend on the finish inside the box, although I very much like the outside.

Thanks

Pat

[wildrose]

That one is plain inside - you never know what a young boy would put in it! But I have one I'd made for myself, and it is lined with fabric.

These boxes measure about 10"x5", and about 4" deep. He also makes some lovely square ones. I appreciate the quality of his workmanship. This box cost me 35.00+shipping.

Here are others I've done with his boxes. Some of the pics were with my old camera and are not really clear. The last set was a custom box Dale and I worked out for a customer's flutes. It was lined with velvet and padded. One other is also velvet lined, and has a commemorative "plaque" inside (it was to be an anniversary gift)