Stone Carving Prices

[John Graham <john@zzzzzzzzz>]

There have been some wise and perceptive talk about setting prices for
stone carving. Would some of the full time stonecarvers, in addition to
those artists producing less architectural or figurative works, tell how
they arrive at prices?

Careful accounting of time and materials and overhead is one way. If
that came to, say US$2000 and a month of time, then a charge of 1/12 of
one year's wage plus the $2000 + something for amortization,
advertising, and expansion might be right.

What other methods are there to arrive at the cost of a work?

I don't sell anything, but recently someone wanted to buy a figurative
in Texas creme+fossils (aka"Devil Stone"). It took me 110 hours to carve
it by hand chisels and hammers alone, and some sanding with stones &
papers. The stone cost about $100 and I expended or amortized my tools
by about the same $100. The studio & utilities cost about $500 for the
month.

That gives $8000 in labor and taxes and insurances to net about $4000
for the month, and a final offered price of $8700. If I sell it through
a good gallery, they want 30% to 50% so the selling price would have to
be up to US$17,400.

It takes a very good gallery to do the selling. This would just allow
the stonecarver a take-home of $48K/yr if fully booked.

What are the methods used to set prices???

--John

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GRAHAM, John