This is sort of what I meant:

 

http://offermanwoodshop.com/

 

Brouse that page & look especially at the things under  the headings kindling    and bigsticks

 

There's a reason he is in LA.  It is the ability to get almost $ Five-Gees for a lousy little table.

The market there has a taste for that kind of what I'd call  overpayment.  But in fact it is not overpayment for the people who pay it.

 

Here's a video that sort of shows the work environment in that shop

http://youtu.be/6rWP_9-k0VA?list=PL47F7B78E8C0D1DA7

 

Somewhere else I'd seen a lousy organic joinery  ( maloof-esq) music stand ( yes a tripod)  sell for six figures.

 

One approach I've seen work well is to go burn some shoe leather and spend a few bucks taking people to lunch or coffee.  The people in question being high end interior designers in expensive markets like  LA Boston NYC etc. any big city really  - the point being to get in their  catalogs  to provide them with large 8 x 11 glossy pictures of your best work and info on how long it takes to produce and deliver etc..

This way the craftsman/artist only needs to make one sale  in order to sell several pieces and, happily, the market into which he is selling is usually a "cost is no barrier" kind of market  so you do make insane amounts per piece.

Most of the woodworking on Offermans site is priced well, would I buy it? No, because I can make my own. But if you think about the time it takes to make what Offermans is making, his pricing makes sense.

I would pose the question, why is the rest of the woodworkers in fly over country charging so little?

When I make anything in my shop I charge $45.00 per hour labor, plus materials and I add whatever I feel the market will bear. Right now slab tables are all the rave with designers. So you could build a slab table like Offerman does, lets say he has 16 hours racked up in labor for his smaller slab table http://offermanwoodshop.com/shop/slab-end-table/using my formula labor alone would run 720 dollars. Believe it or not to bring that slab to the condition it is at that link, takes a lot of time.

Just chiming in with an idea of what folks are charging around the nation.

Cliff, if you are talking about this table at almost 5 grand http://offermanwoodshop.com/shop/desk-in-walnut/you betcha! There is a ton of fine craftsmanship in that desk, that is a beautiful piece. If I designed it, and if I knew exactly how I was going to execute that build, I'd give it about 80 hours labor, using my hourly rate in my shop labor alone would cost $3600.00. Now if a customer brought me an image and wanted me to do a takeoff and design from scratch, I'd have to add another 20 hours to the labor bill. Fine craftsmanship costs money. I do not see anyother way that desk could be priced any less by just figuring the numbers roughly here.

Hey, I just realized this is Nick Offerman you are linking too Cliff, we love that sitcom Parks and Recreation, funny as heck!

Parks and Recreation Home Page

That may explain why some of his smaller items are a bit pricey like his tool rolls and other knick knacks carrying the Offerman name, but I stand by his pricing of his furniture related items.

I would pose the question, why is the rest of the woodworkers in fly over country charging so little?

 

marketing?  

This is sort of what I meant:

 

http://offermanwoodshop.com/

 

Brouse that page & look especially at the things under  the headings kindling    and bigsticks

 

I definitely want to occupy that higher end market. Focusing on high quality, attention to details, product uniqueness and personalization. Tourism is a huge seasonal industry here so I've been brainstorming product ideas that may appeal to high end tourists who are likely to 'overpay' as you say for an Alaskan product. That's probably a better market for me here in Anchorage rather than interior designers. I have an idea for lamps that can be table, floor or swag styles that I may test market.

Anything you can make eskimo is cool, small alaskan pendants, necklaces, signs. Also old big hand carved signs look cool and maybe smaller versions of those.

just a thought

I don't sit at shows. That way I am ready to meet my customer on "their" level. I offer a short but to the point of my crafts and how they were made. Don't over load your display ith too many items. It confuses people and turns them off. I am never aggressive and try to take the can I help you approach. I also explain to them if you see something that interests you and is not the "exact" thing I can design and make it. What you display I use higher shelving type displays. People get tired of looking down to see your offerings. As far as equipment, outfit yourself with what you need to produce the most common items you are selling. I maintain a complete shop. But I do not display everything I can do. I do keep a binder of "special" items I have made. " Custom orders" to show them. Maintain a positive but not aggressive attitude. Your selling yourself, not the product you make. As for pricing. People will pay for quality, I always explain my products are "handmade" and that helps. I have found when your talking to a customer, the better you can explain your craft, the better it id received. I never try to compete with the crud made in China or mass produced on machines. Takes time, but like the monetary invest you made, it works out in the end. Hope this helps.

I don't sit at shows. That way I am ready to meet my customer on "their" level. I offer a short but to the point of my crafts and how they were made. Don't over load your display ith too many items. It confuses people and turns them off. I am never aggressive and try to take the can I help you approach. I also explain to them if you see something that interests you and is not the "exact" thing I can design and make it. What you display I use higher shelving type displays. People get tired of looking down to see your offerings. As far as equipment, outfit yourself with what you need to produce the most common items you are selling. I maintain a complete shop. But I do not display everything I can do. I do keep a binder of "special" items I have made. " Custom orders" to show them. Maintain a positive but not aggressive attitude. Your selling yourself, not the product you make. As for pricing. People will pay for quality, I always explain my products are "handmade" and that helps. I have found when your talking to a customer, the better you can explain your craft, the better it id received. I never try to compete with the crud made in China or mass produced on machines. Takes time, but like the monetary invest you made, it works out in the end. Hope this helps.

Well done Wayne.

Anything you can make eskimo is cool, small alaskan pendants, necklaces, signs. Also old big hand carved signs look cool and maybe smaller versions of those.

just a thought

 

Thanks Mike all good ideas.

<snip> Hope this helps.

 

Thanks Wayne. Very helpful.