Any you guys selling your products?

Newly retired so not wanting big production.

Just finance my hobby.

Comment by Don Grubish on March 25, 2010 at 6:55am: I sold my 2nd DVD shelf with the movie titles on it. However, that was the plan from the beginning. A coworker wanted me to build her that shelf. Normally, I find a good home first, and then I build something. I find it's better to give them away as gifts rather than haggle over price all the time. The recipients are amazed when it's a gift, but they can become the world's biggest critics when they have to pay for it.

Comment by Kim C on March 25, 2010 at 8:07am: Oh Don you hit it dead on there. That is exactly why I like to barter or just give things away. When you start putting a price on your time people just do not value it. But if someone asks me and they know up front what it will cost the Yes! Yes! Yes! sell it and buy more wood! (or clamp tracks in my case hee hee)
One thing about pocket hole joinery in general though, it does cut down on the time and tool investment factors.

Comment by wallace freeman on March 25, 2010 at 9:40am: lately I've been doing things for my family for gifts. My wife loves it because she always paid for family gifts before. But its fun and I enjoy doing it. I told her at least the class of gifts is getting better, I should get off with a few sritches and bruses should heal soon, have a great day everyone,, Wallace

Comment by Jens Jensen on March 25, 2010 at 3:08pm: I love the first two comments about people that always complain about a price on home made products.If any one had to go out and spend the money and upkeep of tools they would soon realize the cost of things.I went through my humble shop and added up up my costs on tools for insurance reasons and I came up with little over 25,000.00 and this is a hobby shop buy all means.If they don't want to pay for my product let them go purchase a foreign product and particle board and hope they follow directions to where Number A goes to Number C and then don't over tighten the cam lock. Enough said happy woodworking an dat least get your material paid for

Comment by Robert J Guidry Sr on March 25, 2010 at 5:26pm: I build for family and friends, mostly things like cabinets, book cases, entertainment centers ect. For immediate family the charge is materials only. For extended family and friends, I do charge a small amount for time, believe me I am not making any money. The first thing I tell someone when I agree to make them something is that I am not trying to compete with Wal Mart amd if they are looking for cheap go there. Believe me if I wanted to I could do a lot more, but this is a hobby and not a business.

No complaints because I am my worst critic.

Comment by michael pope on March 25, 2010 at 9:31pm: I totally agree with Jens and Robert..its real easy to go buy the Wal-Mart desk or IKEA kitchen cabinets..but you get what you pay for in more ways than one..The time and effort and minimum cost may be an appealing concept..but 5 years down the road when that piece has all the screws starting to strip out of the particle board or the drawer falls apart from over use..in the end you've wasted the cost of most if not all the material it would take to make a identical copy that will last generations in most cases...I make all my woodworking projects to last as heirlooms for generations to come,with quality workmanship,parts and materials,so when they tell me,"well I can buy it for a lot cheaper at IKEA",I tell them go right ahead..and when it falls apart,come see me for the last desk you will ever have to buy..

Comment by Gary roofner on March 25, 2010 at 11:35pm: Thanks everyone for your comments.
Many of the things mention are what I have observed in the past.
Back in the 70's several summers I built picnic tables.
I sold for just about cost.
I made a convention wood picnic table and hexagonal from templates.
My work experiece is electonic tech. Which branch into pc buiding for my own use from compter shows and buying parts. Then this hobby became my regular job in workstation support. People want there pc fixed but did not want to pay. I would spend many hours backing up data. Then reloadind operating system and restoring data.
Same things but I don't enjoy pc work anymore. The business changes so rapidly hard to keep up with.

Comment by Kim C on March 26, 2010 at 9:33am: The sad thing is that you can go to a high end furniture store and still not find anything solid wood. It has particle board in it somewhere! Solid wood pieces are several thousand dollars on the retail end.

Comment by wallace freeman on March 26, 2010 at 7:56pm: Another sad thing is if you purchace the material and finish a piece yourself, and not counting labor, it doesn't cost 1/10 of the retail price of a comprable piece. Cheaper material, which we wouldn't normaly use, and 900% mark up, thats whats sad. Thats one reason I love wood work and doing it myself if I can.

Comment by michael pope on March 26, 2010 at 9:50pm: Kim and Wallace,your both correct,i use to work for a custom hardwood furniture and cabinetry company that I will keep nameless...and for many years,saw how cheap it really was to produce the pieces that they were selling for 10x its material cost..but like I stated before..if the customers didn't see such a high ticket value,they would think they weren't getting the quality craftsmanship they were looking for..

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