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как оценить работу?

Уважаемые кузнецы как оценить сумму работы?

 

how to evaluate a job?

Dear blacksmiths how to estimate the amount of work?

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Materials + ($15 x hours worked). If they want me to make a blueprint, or a 3d render of what it might look like, or anything aside from a quick sketch they'll pay for it. And they pay for 50% up front, you'll be surprised how many people want to haggle after doing a job for them or how many want to do something different halfway through or just pretend they don't even know who you are when you start waving that bill around.

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A lot of it is experience and keeping records of how long each part of a previous job took---like how long to cut out and texture X leaves on a project then when the next one comes along you can get a good idea of how long Y leaves will take.

Note that where most people fail is calculating "shop time".  Paying bills, cleaning the shop, repairing tools, etc things that have to be done to run a business and so must be distributed across the projects done.  Oh yes *finishing* is a big item that many people do not properly allow for.

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Может скажете сколько цена?  Сколько  долларов? Если меч   длина  800мм.

Can you say how much the price? How much dollars? If the sword length 800mm.

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Hadara,

Each shop will have a unique level of efficiency that will have a huge impact on how cost effective they will be for any given task.

For example, a huge shop with a 3D printer suitable for this kind of thing might have just the run time and consumables of their equipment to consider.  At the furthest extent, we have mass-production shops which drive the prices of individual pieces down tremendously.

Conversely, a rookie with a ditch forge and a scrap pile might find this project to be all they can do in an entire year.  Even at a modest income, a years wage would make the piece very expensive.

On the completely opposite side of these considerations is the question of what the customer will pay.  In the US we use the term "starving artist" because "undiscovered" artists struggle to sell enough of their work to survive. 

I regularly see old art that's priced below the material cost because there simply aren't any secondary market buyers.

 

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To the question "What is the price of the sword" There is no simple answer.

The price of that in Russia may be very different than in Australia or the US or Switzerland. 

It's a large piece ... I would say that you would probably be able to sell it for around $400 in OZ. Probably more if in the right venue in Sydney or Melbourne.

Reproduction decorative swords are not worth much here and I see them on display in our local second hand shop for very little money, but they are also low quality and in poor taste.   I can see yours is not only a large display but also a nicely made sword for what I can see from here.  

With the internet, obviously you can overcome the tyranny of location if you can ship and expect delivery to work. 

If you can find a dealer that has a shop in europe and you can struck a deal with him, that may be your best bet. Selling direct is better but has it's own set of problems.

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On 1/15/2017 at 11:21 AM, bubba682 said:

15 BUCKS an hour is pretty cheap IP especially in Ont your givin it away man if your half decent go get it if you charge to little which to me 15 bucks is people kinda of wonder why so cheap. 

I live in a very rural part of New York and find it sufficient especially since people will balk at at anything more expensive, especially since I have very little upkeep. This might just be my foolish pride talking but I personally don't think my work is worth $30 an hour so I couldn't in good conscious charge that much, when I deem my work good enough I'll charge more. So I'm an idiot, but at least I'm a principled idiot.

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When you make something to sell it, you take a risk, you are not being commissioned to do something at an hourly rate, so there is no point in quoting an hourly rate ... much less invoque honesty for charging less. You are not a tradesman on call, you are a salesman with a product for sale. yes you also happen to have made it yourself. No one really cares.

You should keep a record of how much it costs you to make something, time, materials, tools, fuel, electricity and everything else. Sure. but if you invest $200 in a knife and then find you can only sell it at $150 you are not being honest, you are being foolish because you did not know your market. If on the other hand you are good enough to make a lamp in 2 hours and it sells at $200 you are not being dishonest and definitely shouldn't sell at $15x2=$30

The price of stuff we make is set by supply and demand, certainly not by you or your hopes.  Even individual unique pieces price, is set by the consumer, their education, idiosyncrasy, taste, fashion. You have to learn that and see what you can make to maximise profits and to have repeat sales. You think you set the price but what you are really doing is put up an asking price. Only when someone agrees you have a sale. And that is not necessarily the market price. You may have undersold it badly and the locals may be willing to pay $2000 for your lamp. Only experience in the market will tell.  

If you go to your local furniture place and they are selling steel lamps banged together cold with 5 hammer blows in the philippines for $200, it is not guaranteed that your hot forged lamp with lots of artistic value will sell for a lot more. But it's a good start. If your furniture store sells said lamp for $20 ... well you are in trouble. Make something else. :)

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