If any one wonders how wire wrappers or hand crafted jewlery gets priced, this is a very standard pricing guide. I've objectively many of these plans to figure a working guideline. My prices are lower than most any wrapper I've ever seen. (I see a lot at craft shows.) We talk.
Time is a big factor.
By the time you're experienced you don't give things away. I have over a thousand pieces. Some take hours to make. The least take 15 minutes.
I equal them out some because some things would be out of reach in my area if I didn't. For example:
I have a Petoskey stone necklace I'm charging 99.00 for. Expensive right? Let me explain.
I went on a trip around the shorelines of Michigan to find stones. (Time, money, gas). Maybe 1000 including hotels and food) for approximately 5000 stones. .20 per stone already.
Now polish. 3 hours or more per stone. 4 sheets of automotive sandpaper per stone (3.00 when you buy in small quantities as I do). Polishing grit. Maybe 1.00. we're at 4.20 plus labor.
Now we need wire. Depending on what we're using 1 foot base wire x 5 in a standard weave. 30ft to 75ft of weaving wire. In copper this might be $2 (plain round) to 5 dollars (square or half round wire) I'll average at 3.
7.20 plus labor. Some cabochons I purchase cost me over $20. Fine Cabs can even run as high as several hundred dollars. (I've never wrapped one of those). Someday....
3 hours polishing at 10 per hour.
6 hours weaving at 20 per hour (intermediate pricing) (this would have easily taken me 12+ hours several years ago.
7.20 x 3 is 21.60. I'll round this down to 20 for my area.
20+30+120 equals $170.00. most wrappers I've seen all over Michigan and the try state area ask over 250 for a similar piece.
On the Internet I see similar pieces priced anywhere from 25 (not sure how those are made) to 250. Average around 125.
I've dropped my pricing 25 more because of the area I live in being a little more working class.
$99.00 is a good deal for this piece. This is my absolutely highest priced piece. My average pieces are 20-35. I have a few between 35-75 and a few (a larger quantity of pieces than the highest priced pieces, but fewer than the average priced ones) at 10.00 or less.
No. It's not real gold. No it's not sterling or a faceted gemstone. It has time involved. That's why you want it. I know how to make it. I've put in the countless hours learning my art. Time-which isn't free. It's created individually. B you'll never find another just like it anywhere. Even if I make it! No pattern is followed. The creation is an art form. It's not just a 'costume' jewelry.
I guarantee my work. I Charge nothing for repairs. (Only shipping one way) I drop prices by 20-33% if you buy more than two pieces. (Depending what you want free. I offer buy 2 get one free -mixing and matching- on everything).
**I haven't even factored in the 30+ hours I sit in the shop nearly every week and up to 20 hours on weekends. (I don't count it in my formula as I'm working as hard as I can to get my and my partner's business off the ground.)
So... Consider what goes into hand made before you judge it something too costly. We have to make a living too. Would you give away a large majority of your time if you're trying to make a living? We aren't on the same pricing guideline as a jeweler who places an precious stone into a pronged setting of a precious metal. (They charge more for custom work too). Materials are more in their case, but on average the pieces don't take as many hours. It's all in what someone wants.
We'll (artisans) wait for the right buyers. :).
Thanks for understanding!
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