# How much to charge?



## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

I've been toying with the idea of selling my glass paintings, but I need to figure out if it's going to be worth my time or not.

Here are two variations of the same design:

















If I did this on a 12x12 framed mirror, my expenses (for the mirror and paint) would be around $7. Plus I'd have to wrap it pretty carefully for shipping to make sure it didn't break, so add in the cost of the shipping box and packing materials (another $3???). 

I would offer fully customized - color of the baby's clothing, color of the blanket, plus the baby's name written at the top like it is here. Each one would have to be made to order.

So if its costing me $10 just for materials, and its going to take me about 90 minutes of my time to complete each one, what would be a reasonable price to charge?

Thanks!!


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## TonyM (Dec 29, 2011)

I think $20 per hour for your work would be reasonable. That would make the sales price about $40, but you need to also check to see what your competition is selling for and then adjust the price from there.


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## sisterpine (May 9, 2004)

39.99


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

sisterpine said:


> 39.99


Would that be including shipping, or would you charge extra for that?


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## brody (Feb 19, 2009)

i thought 40 bucks too. Depends on where/how you ship in part i guess


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## Ifistav (Mar 26, 2010)

I'd say shipping is separate. Have you tried etsy.com? It costs 0.20 to put your item up for sale, so I think it's a cheap investment to see how much you could charge. If you charge $40, then you're paying yourself $20/hour, which I think it's a good rate to pay yourself 

Best of luck, the paintings are gorgeous!

Ifi


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## happychick (Sep 20, 2010)

I don't really know anything about stained glass to give you a price...But I would charge for shipping separately. I've just started on Etsy and am pleased with it. Give Etsy a try, all you can loose is a couple quarters! You never know, they could do really well. And instead of always wondering, seeing as it's a new year, give it a go!


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## Harry Chickpea (Dec 19, 2008)

The issue is that it is paint on glass, which is going to have less intrinsic value than stained glass. Paints fade. The colors in stained glass generally do not. Because of that, you are selling a novelty. (I'm not busting your chops, I looked at doing something similar.)

You can charge whatever you want. The market will determine the price that works. Then, if it becomes popular, it will get ripped off and sold for far less. Welcome to the capitalism marketplace.

You are likely paying retail for paints and mirror. Look for suppliers that will sell materials for around 60% (or less) of what you are currently paying, or look to find a glazier that will let you have broken remnants to cut and use for free, and then charge less for a standardized image, with a more expensive option of a custom work.


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## Nomad (Dec 19, 2002)

I agree with Harry about the paint on glass as opposed to stained glass. I read somewhere once that you can't really expect an hourly wage for crafts. Those aren't my words, just what I read. When I was making furniture, I would charge 2 1/2 times my material cost for wholesale and 4-5 times for retail. I had a customer who bought small hutches from me. They cost me $40 in materials and I sold them to her for $100. She would put them in her store for $199 which is about what I would have charged for retail. I did my best to use dimension lumber to save on cutting time and could make one and a half in a day. Doesn't sound like a lot, but this was 20 years ago so $90 in a day was okay for me. And while I was waiting for the stain or paint to dry, I was working other pieces as well. From what I see of your items, I might charge $29 plus shipping or $39 with free shipping. Have you done any research to see if anyone is selling something similar? Once you put them on a place like Etsy, I guarantee there will be people copying the idea. Good luck.

Nomad


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## bluemoonluck (Oct 28, 2008)

The paints I use are designed for use on glass.... I have some that I painted years ago (around 2004) when I first started dabbling in it, and the colors are just as vibrant now as they were then :shrug:. I'm sure they'll fade over time, and how they age is certainly going to depend on what conditions they're kept in (i.e. in direct sunlight, etc). 

I do realize that actual stained glass is worth WAY more $$, I just don't have the knack for it (yes, I've tried).

I'm not looking to make this a full-time business....I don't have the time/inclination to be painting all day, YKWIM? I just need something to help take the edge off me being unemployed for my family's budget. 

I give my glass paintings as gifts to friends/family and use them to decorate my own house, its more a hobby than anything else. If I can make some pocket $ selling them, that would be great.

I want to find a price that makes it worth my time to do the work, but that is fair and someone would be willing to pay for it. If I'm doing all that work and only making $5, its just not worth my time. If I'm doing the work and I have to charge so much that its overpriced, then they're not going to sell and that's not worth my time either.


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## Ifistav (Mar 26, 2010)

search in etsy for painted glass and you'll see some paintings and their prices. That'll give you a better idea. I thin between $30 and $40 is reasonable. Why not try $35?

Ifi


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