[Chad Arnow]

[Joe Fults]

Sometimes the sells are actually trades.

Barter can work even when there is a shortage of cash on one side or the other in a deal.

[C. Gadda]

[Michael Pikula]

Not to get too much off topic but as a maker, and not that well known at that, I often question my pricing.... I see a wall with 4 swords and two rondels and after this next commission is over I wonder on how I can pay the bills and keep a float. On one hand I don't want to charge pennies for my work or everything that I have been through to get to this point, but I don't think I can justify letting pieces go for little to nothing compared to what it cost to make them, anymore. Being a maker that is trying really hard to make his name known, I am trying to find a way to ride this economy out until my work can sell for what it is worth, and what people have to spend.

I know that times are not easy and I don't need a lot to keep my head above water, but every month it is cutting it closer then I would like. Not knowing what income will be like in two weeks really keeps me on my toes because I am trying not to prostitute myself and my work but a $1000 sword is worth nothing when bills are past due and one is forced to give up everything. Luckily I am not there, but there is a haunting thought in my head, what if things don't get better?

For now I am focusing ONLY on making the best work that I can, making sure EVERY customer is 100% happy and if that is not enough to get me through, then would you like fries with that?

[James Aldrich]

[Jean Thibodeau]

Michael: From what I have seen of your work so far it's already of the quality to deserve the higher prices of established and well known makers. Keeping the prices affordable is a good thing to get your work known but it shouldn't be " fire sale " prices either and should at least represent the amount of work that goes into making them, and to keep on making them you have to be able to survive and pay the bills.

Pricing eventually does have to reflect demand and after a time you're backlog of orders will become high enough that the unit price will have to go up considering that the number of swords or other weapons you can make is limited: Past a certain point you can't increase your output and maintain quality, so at that tipping point your prices should go up.

Not being greedy and not wanting as much as possible for each piece is commendable, for the " collector " finding a new maker before he becomes too popular is when one can get great work before it becomes affordable only to those with deeper pockets and/or willing to deal with very Loooooooong wait times.

The economic crisis does mean that the price versus what the pieces should bring may have to be closer to the minimum you need to keep going until things get better eventually.

Oh, I would try to use the " Available for sale Now " model of sales as much as possible as too many makers get into trouble by accepting too many custom projects and then have problems with finishing each piece within the time frame promised for delivery or run out of money to actually finish the pieces they are working on if new orders don't come in to pay for materials ( Assuming that deposits are accepted ! That's another way a maker can get behind as the deposits for new projects end up being the funds used to finish older project ! Turns into a " Ponzy scheme " in effect even if no fraudulent intentions are present ).

Keep posting new swords or other weapons on the Maker's Forum and if they are selling at the prices asked within a few weeks or so you should be able to use the " Available Now " sales model for your core sales and add a few custom projects to the mix. ( Maybe only ask for a deposit on custom projects you don't think you could sell easily to other potential buyers should the original customer have to change his mind for any reason ? ).

[Thom R.]

Point taken. However, that particular book is sort of the equivalent of - say - the Albion Svante. Most of us are buying books on a.... much lower level. So I would still say that on average, books are an order of magnitude less expensive than swords and a great way to keep your hobby going in times when you can't justify a new sword. I just bought three for myself on Amazon: Highland Broadsword: Five Manuals of Scottish Regimental Swordsmanship by Paul Wagner, SPADA II, and Fighting With The Quarterstaff by David Lindholm - all for less than 60 bucks!

the other idea is to just buy more target material - noodles are a great buy this time of year, more mats etc and do more cutting! thats what I am doing today! happy new year.....tr

[Joe Fults]

Brilliant idea on the noodles...if you can find them.

I already bought, and then used, most of the local supply last fall.

[R D Moore]

Hi Michael,

I'd like to second Jean's comments (yet again ). I'd like to be able to tell you to try this, or that, but my experience doesn't fit your game. I do think you need to raise your prices though, hunting season is short and unless the deer in your neck of the woods are a lot bigger than they are in mine, you're going to run out of meat. I always look forward to seeing your work on these posts. You're a talented maker and you should be able to carve a living out of your love here.

[Michael Pikula]

Thanks for the moral boost and kind words guys! I am going to start asking for more on future pieces, also because I feel that my quality is going up. All of the sudden I start looking at older pieces and I am less inclined to sell them since I know I CAN to better. Then I look at my new stuff and think, man, that is too nice, I don't want to sell that, I want to keep that for me!

Anyway I would be interested in expanding this thread to makers, production and custom, to see what kind of approch they are taking.

Personally I only accept a deposit when I start the project, and when I have more money then will last the week I try to get ahead on bills the best I can. If I run out of food there is a trail that wild turkeys take through my property, I'll bundle up and climb a tree with my type 14 held in my teeth and wait, they'll never know what hit them!

I also like the Availible now idea Jean. I was going to save that for my website which should be ready to lauch in the next couple weeks, but if I get enough work done and "hanging" around, might post a thread with everything I got to give folks a quick over view of what I can ship out asap.

Here is to what I hope will be a grand new year!

[Bill Tsafa]

I think we have turned the corner. Looking at the commodities index I am starting to see a reversal of prices. Looks like the government has been spreading around a lot of cash in the last month.


http://www.bloomberg.com/markets/commodities/cfutures.html

It looks like they got the wage reset they were looking for and have now shifted gears.

BTW, that price index is now were it was 10 years ago based on some other charts I looked at. The value of your cash savings has greatly increased in the last 4 months