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Pay the Craftsman
Feb. 27th, 2018 09:35 amWe are making the ‘you could die from exposure’ jokes over on one of the puppetry boards I participate in although I did get some great exposure but no credit this past week due to Karen Gillian.
I know this is the song that never ends but it is one that I feel needs to be put out for the public to see as much as possible. Handcrafted products are going to cost more than mass produced products. Not only do you get a unique objects, you also get the craft and learning behind what went into making the object.
I can remember proof-reading for a friend their grant application for a show they wanted to produce. I saw what they had budgeted per puppet for the show.
“You are only budgeting for materials,” I said pointing to the numbers.
“Yeah, but I figure I have a better chance of getting this grant if the numbers are within this range,” they said pointing at the grant application rules.
“You are going to get next to nothing out of this for a large amount of work. Look, I suggest that you put a labor budget line in with the puppets for the build and then if you get push back or noises about it, you can take it out.”
I figured out based on the numbers that they gave me what it would cost at minimum wage to produce the puppets and they added it into the grant proposal.
They got the grant without having to make the puppets for free.
I keep telling artists that their time and all the things that they have learned over the years are worth something.
I do know there are times that one will undercut themselves just to be able to put food on the table or pay the rent or put gas in their car. I understand that.
It is hard to raise one’s prices once people expect that something is going to be X number of dollars because last time they saw it, it was X number of dollars. When I had to raise the prices on my Phluzzies because I was coming close to selling each one at a loss, I got push back from the next convention I was at.
“Well I was planning on buying one this year but you raised the price so it is out of my budget for this convention.”
Yes, I have had that said to me more than once over the years. I don’t argue or barter on this anymore. I say, “Well that’s too bad. May be next time.”
I would really like to see someone barter down a heart surgeon. “Are you sure you can’t use fewer stents and make it cheaper?”
Art and artists are worth something. The public does decided what they are worth on the market, which makes their livelyhood a little more uncertain. But they are worth something.
I am grateful to those who have not flinched at my prices or tried to bargain me down.
I know this is the song that never ends but it is one that I feel needs to be put out for the public to see as much as possible. Handcrafted products are going to cost more than mass produced products. Not only do you get a unique objects, you also get the craft and learning behind what went into making the object.
I can remember proof-reading for a friend their grant application for a show they wanted to produce. I saw what they had budgeted per puppet for the show.
“You are only budgeting for materials,” I said pointing to the numbers.
“Yeah, but I figure I have a better chance of getting this grant if the numbers are within this range,” they said pointing at the grant application rules.
“You are going to get next to nothing out of this for a large amount of work. Look, I suggest that you put a labor budget line in with the puppets for the build and then if you get push back or noises about it, you can take it out.”
I figured out based on the numbers that they gave me what it would cost at minimum wage to produce the puppets and they added it into the grant proposal.
They got the grant without having to make the puppets for free.
I keep telling artists that their time and all the things that they have learned over the years are worth something.
I do know there are times that one will undercut themselves just to be able to put food on the table or pay the rent or put gas in their car. I understand that.
It is hard to raise one’s prices once people expect that something is going to be X number of dollars because last time they saw it, it was X number of dollars. When I had to raise the prices on my Phluzzies because I was coming close to selling each one at a loss, I got push back from the next convention I was at.
“Well I was planning on buying one this year but you raised the price so it is out of my budget for this convention.”
Yes, I have had that said to me more than once over the years. I don’t argue or barter on this anymore. I say, “Well that’s too bad. May be next time.”
I would really like to see someone barter down a heart surgeon. “Are you sure you can’t use fewer stents and make it cheaper?”
Art and artists are worth something. The public does decided what they are worth on the market, which makes their livelyhood a little more uncertain. But they are worth something.
I am grateful to those who have not flinched at my prices or tried to bargain me down.
