simple pricing of small cabs

[Anea]

Good mOrning Everyone -

I had a request from a local business who teaches PMC classes for a pricelist for some simple cabs. They want them approximately 5mm, 10mm and 15 mm. I don't want to go through a fancy pricing formula to derive this number. Mostly I am just interested in finding out what other people charge for cabs of a similar size. I will make good money no matter what I charge, since a $7 piece of dichro can make at least 25-50 cabs. Simple cabs with a clear cap. Just want to make sure that the cost I quote is comparable and competitive. I was thinking something like $2 for 5mm, $4 for 10 mm and $6 for 15mm? Does that seem like I am in the right area? More or less? Thanks for any and all advice.

Anea

[Barbara Muth]

If the client wants nicely shaped cabs think about your hidden costs - time spent grinding, cost of running kiln through the 2 firings. Then think about other costs that you need consider when pricing anything you make: studio overhead, marketing, your profit, etc etc. I would also think about whether or not this price would be one I would regret six months down the road if three other people began ordering the cabs.

Barbara

[Geri Comstock]

I'm not sure how you're making your small cabs, but I find it takes more time grinding, etc. to make tiny ones (6-9mm) than it does to make larger ones. I sell my cabs, but I reserve these tiny ones for my own work because I couldn't charge enough for them to make it worth my while to make them in quantity for sale.

I could make them using a different process that would make it easier, but they wouldn't match my other work.

That being said, the minimum I charge for cabs is $4. Most of mine take at least 3 firings. The larger ones that require more firings are $25 and the rest are in between...

Don't underestimate the amount of work it takes and the fact that not all of them will turn out "right" without extra work. Charge fair prices for both you and your customer!

All the best -

Geri

[Kitty]

IMHO, $2 is not a sensible price. if they're nice, and the price you're charging is the price to the final customer, $10. after all, nice beads command $5 up and a lot more if they are fancier handmade ones. i make cabs for a silversmith on Kauai, and i charge her $10 or $15. i don't know what her finished jewelry sells for.

maybe for the really small cabs $5. a nice bracelet with several dichroic cabs set in silver bezels sells for around $125 or more, if it's well done. i sell cabs and pendants to a small, local bead store, and it brings in about $2000 a year, which is nice because cabs and pendants aren't something i make all the time.

all the cabs i make are entirely made from scrap, so it keeps the waste down. every couple of months, i take all the tiny bits of black or dark blues from my earring production and arrange them on the kiln shelf, evenly and a few thicknesses deep. it's a tidy jumble, usually about 5 x 7 inches. if it's black, i sprinkle the lay-up with black powdered frit, and fire to about 1600 or until by sight i can see it's flattened out and smooth. then i cut that piece up into sizes for cab bases.

when i'm making earrings, all the scrap dichroic i throw into petri dishes on my work table, and i use this on top of the black or blue bases to get a multi-colored cab. i use dichro coated side down, and the resulting cabs look sort of like the mineral, opal. i usually don't put a cap on, but sometimes i do.

it's a nice little studio recycling project, and generates a bit of money as well. good luck ... sometimes these little niche markets can produce a nice little income stream. kitty

[PaulS]

Good mOrning Everyone -

I had a request from a local business who teaches PMC classes for a pricelist for some simple cabs. They want them approximately 5mm, 10mm and 15 mm. I don't want to go through a fancy pricing formula to derive this number. Mostly I am just interested in finding out what other people charge for cabs of a similar size. I will make good money no matter what I charge, since a $7 piece of dichro can make at least 25-50 cabs. Simple cabs with a clear cap. Just want to make sure that the cost I quote is comparable and competitive. I was thinking something like $2 for 5mm, $4 for 10 mm and $6 for 15mm? Does that seem like I am in the right area? More or less? Thanks for any and all advice.

Anea

My glass supplier sells me BE by weight so I got myself a mailing scales and charge by the Gram.


Paul

[Jerry Cave]

My cabs are worth every bit of $15 - $20. I just saw some at $50 - $70.

Ignoring the "fancy formula" you're playing the pricing guessing game. At the prices you mentioned, you're probably not even making cost.






jerry

[Anea]

Thanks for all the advice. I ended up pricing it out the "fancy way" and making distinctions between patterned and plain (simple) cabs, as well as those with or without a clear cap for a shiny finish.

Thanks again,
Anea

[Brian and Jenny Blanthorn]

Good mOrning Everyone -

I had a request from a local business who teaches PMC classes for a pricelist for some simple cabs. They want them approximately 5mm, 10mm and 15 mm. I don't want to go through a fancy pricing formula to derive this number. Mostly I am just interested in finding out what other people charge for cabs of a similar size. I will make good money no matter what I charge, since a $7 piece of dichro can make at least 25-50 cabs. Simple cabs with a clear cap. Just want to make sure that the cost I quote is comparable and competitive. I was thinking something like $2 for 5mm, $4 for 10 mm and $6 for 15mm? Does that seem like I am in the right area? More or less? Thanks for any and all advice.

Anea

£7.00 per oz for single pebs in volume

Remember that we use a lot of equipement n the latest up 2 date cheetin technology

Also been sorting em out 4 20 or so years

We actually make more £££ on the larger ones