to those of you who make cbg's to be sold, what guidelines do you consider while priceing? i am thinking about making a few to sell at a craft fair and i am not sure what i should sell em for!
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I did not sell any of them at the craft fair but it was not the right place for them. I have since sold 2 of the cbgs I brought there and a few others thru the internet and personal sales. Good luck, sounds like your fair will be a better satrt. Oh and My prices have gone up a bunch and they sell better.
Roy Alderman said:
Michael - Please let me know how you do. I am preparing for a hippyfied music festival in the spring and my builds are typically 3 string, fretless w/a piezo pickup w/CB's economy tuners. I will have 15 or more to sell plus lever basses, diddly bows and even a 2 string fiddle. I enjoy the building process but also want to get people involved in playing music.
My builds take about 2-2&1/2 hours and are middle-of the road in quality. and would like to sell every piece if possible. For me its about the fun building & sharing + I could use an extra small income stream. I would appreciate price feedback from yourself and others on these types of builds/festivals & pricepoint. Thanks guys - Roy
MichaelS said:
I'm going to a craft fair tomorrow with 3 new cbg's asking $125 each. My wife is selling artwork, we'll see how it goes.
Michael - Please let me know how you do. I am preparing for a hippyfied music festival in the spring and my builds are typically 3 string, fretless w/a piezo pickup w/CB's economy tuners. I will have 15 or more to sell plus lever basses, diddly bows and even a 2 string fiddle. I enjoy the building process but also want to get people involved in playing music.
My builds take about 2-2&1/2 hours and are middle-of the road in quality. and would like to sell every piece if possible. For me its about the fun building & sharing + I could use an extra small income stream. I would appreciate price feedback from yourself and others on these types of builds/festivals & pricepoint. Thanks guys - Roy
MichaelS said:
I'm going to a craft fair tomorrow with 3 new cbg's asking $125 each. My wife is selling artwork, we'll see how it goes.
Great thread here, good point made by all i'm really interested in building CBGs as my first attempt at luthurie! will be checking back here very often!
I found that if I charge a realistic hourly rate for an artist/musician. . . .$60 per hour, then my guitars average out at $500 a piece complete with basic instructions and a free lesson. I've been selling at that price for the last 4 years without any negative feedback except for the usual one- in- a -crowd jerk.
These instruments are an art form and still way cheaper than a hand made accoustic guitar and they SOUND GOOD. .
Great thread, I love to see what other people think about this, seems if you play well you sell well. Lets me out, my playing stinks.
When I started to read this my brain was thinking why would anybody want to see these things, but the passion of the sellers here shows through, yes I love to build them as well.
I am a ex pro woodworker, at one point I thought I will some day quit this and build nice things for myself, friends and family, which is where I am now. When I started in on my first CBG I told my wife I have been resisting building instruments for years and have finally given in. She said why resist, I said, because if you want to be really poor build instruments.
So it was never mentioned in the posts but you have to love building, and seems play well and they will sell, a little creative marekting helps.
I sell a few so they don't pile up but not enough to be short of customers.
So don't sell yourself short, ask a fair price.
Cheers Ron.
All right, I have to add my 2c worth. (Maybe 1.5c).
First, I build and create things for the same reason I attempt to play music. Personal satisfaction. If I can sell a few things to offset my costs of building more for myself, or accumulating more tools, bonus!
My dad, brother etc, who play a little conventional guitar, and appreciate music, may be intruiged by my displaying my latest toy, and I hand it to them after showing/explaining it to them. They smile and dig it so I say keep it, its yours. They may protest, I just tell them I'm building another.
That said, if someone wants to buy stuff, dont sell yourself short. I'd tell you what I would pay in an instant if I didnt prefer to build my own. (assuming all are reasonably built and set-up, and can be used to play well and sound reasonably good.)
Basic fretless acoustic three string, cheap tuners, no pickup, bolts (or similar) for nuts and bridge, etc. $75-100
Add a piezo and a little detail +$25
Add frets, an upgraded neck and headstock, a bone or some such nut and bridge, decent intonation possibilitys, possibly four stringer, I'd readily go $150 on up depending on the combination.
Add a preamp, or mag pickups, add more, etc.
Now an observation from someone who has studied the common suppliers of parts, and ready built CBG's
Most of the sites I have visited, (nothing personal and I am not pointing fingers or naming names,) Are poorly presented, confusing to use, etc.
I have looked at many offerings and found that after looking at all the pretty pictures and presentations, none of what I am seeing is actually available, or you have to e-mail someone to determine price and availability, or there is no link at all. I have even hit dead end links often when I click on links for purchase information.
Another thing, and an admission it is personal, if the link just refers me to an e-bay store I am not enthusiastic at all. I am not a fan of e-bay based on my personal experiences. Maybe its just my age/generation. Also it may be that I set up a paypal account only to have someone use the account to buy some expensive items, fight to get it straightened out and then fight (still fighting) to get my account unlocked so I can use it. Great, someone can use it to steal from me, but I cant use it legit! (sorry for the rant)
Sorry to go on so long, but bottom line, I'd buy right now if I wasnt the kind of person who prefered to build his own. But theres a potential market there.
I'd buy several hardware kits right now if I could find what I want and buy it from a trustworthy storefront that would accept my credit card without the PayPal BS. I'm short on time so I'd buy a handful of neck blanks right now If I could find what I want...... etc etc. The market for selling some stuff is out there, and some very good people arent taking advantage of the opportunity in my opinion.
Replies
Roy Alderman said:
My builds take about 2-2&1/2 hours and are middle-of the road in quality. and would like to sell every piece if possible. For me its about the fun building & sharing + I could use an extra small income stream. I would appreciate price feedback from yourself and others on these types of builds/festivals & pricepoint. Thanks guys - Roy
MichaelS said:
Turkish said:
These instruments are an art form and still way cheaper than a hand made accoustic guitar and they SOUND GOOD. .
When I started to read this my brain was thinking why would anybody want to see these things, but the passion of the sellers here shows through, yes I love to build them as well.
I am a ex pro woodworker, at one point I thought I will some day quit this and build nice things for myself, friends and family, which is where I am now. When I started in on my first CBG I told my wife I have been resisting building instruments for years and have finally given in. She said why resist, I said, because if you want to be really poor build instruments.
So it was never mentioned in the posts but you have to love building, and seems play well and they will sell, a little creative marekting helps.
I sell a few so they don't pile up but not enough to be short of customers.
So don't sell yourself short, ask a fair price.
Cheers Ron.
First, I build and create things for the same reason I attempt to play music. Personal satisfaction. If I can sell a few things to offset my costs of building more for myself, or accumulating more tools, bonus!
My dad, brother etc, who play a little conventional guitar, and appreciate music, may be intruiged by my displaying my latest toy, and I hand it to them after showing/explaining it to them. They smile and dig it so I say keep it, its yours. They may protest, I just tell them I'm building another.
That said, if someone wants to buy stuff, dont sell yourself short. I'd tell you what I would pay in an instant if I didnt prefer to build my own. (assuming all are reasonably built and set-up, and can be used to play well and sound reasonably good.)
Basic fretless acoustic three string, cheap tuners, no pickup, bolts (or similar) for nuts and bridge, etc. $75-100
Add a piezo and a little detail +$25
Add frets, an upgraded neck and headstock, a bone or some such nut and bridge, decent intonation possibilitys, possibly four stringer, I'd readily go $150 on up depending on the combination.
Add a preamp, or mag pickups, add more, etc.
Now an observation from someone who has studied the common suppliers of parts, and ready built CBG's
Most of the sites I have visited, (nothing personal and I am not pointing fingers or naming names,) Are poorly presented, confusing to use, etc.
I have looked at many offerings and found that after looking at all the pretty pictures and presentations, none of what I am seeing is actually available, or you have to e-mail someone to determine price and availability, or there is no link at all. I have even hit dead end links often when I click on links for purchase information.
Another thing, and an admission it is personal, if the link just refers me to an e-bay store I am not enthusiastic at all. I am not a fan of e-bay based on my personal experiences. Maybe its just my age/generation. Also it may be that I set up a paypal account only to have someone use the account to buy some expensive items, fight to get it straightened out and then fight (still fighting) to get my account unlocked so I can use it. Great, someone can use it to steal from me, but I cant use it legit! (sorry for the rant)
Sorry to go on so long, but bottom line, I'd buy right now if I wasnt the kind of person who prefered to build his own. But theres a potential market there.
I'd buy several hardware kits right now if I could find what I want and buy it from a trustworthy storefront that would accept my credit card without the PayPal BS. I'm short on time so I'd buy a handful of neck blanks right now If I could find what I want...... etc etc. The market for selling some stuff is out there, and some very good people arent taking advantage of the opportunity in my opinion.
Crow said:
LOL
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