Pricing commissioned builds?

[PrimoOptimoso]

Sooooo I must be doing something right, with the steampunk portal gun and all; got a couple guys that would like to commission me to build them a couple video game guns!

But I have ZERO idea how to price them. I know I have to decide how much my time is worth, etc... but that may or may not be in line with what people would expect to pay.

So, what say you, RPFers? Both guns are like bazooka sized weapons, but they don't have boatloads of intricate or moving parts. I realize I'm not a production house with years of cred built up, so I'm not going to go thinking my work can demand thousands of dollars or anything...

 

[BlindSquirrel]

Figure how much you'd be happy getting for the build then add materials. That'll ballpark it. Unless they're a friend or relative, resist the urge to help them out with "mate's rates"

 

[Hazelrah]

I generally go with a 35-40% markup of the cost of materials and then factor my time accordingly. If there is a new tool or item for my shop that I need for the build I usually factor that in and then adjust my hours accordingly.

 

[Supa troop]

Price materials ect, work out the time it takes to build and then charge an hourly rate

 

[who45]

depends on what the market is - there may be others offering the same and will go under your price to get the sly income -as an example i just spent a 7 days, 8 hours a day painting and weathing my armour project, materials were 30uk pounds and someone does offer a painting service for 80. i wouldnt be spending 50+ hours for such a minimal gain for my time so that guy has balls to charge so little

other things to consider is your life and people in it. when you do this commissioning other people will be on hold in your life - girlfriends, friends etc etc........so is it worth losing it all for a minimal gain. make sure if you go ahead your going to make something for your time.

i think its better to make one fully and offer it as a final sale when its built - that way you have accounted for materials amd time it actually took to make......theres been alot of people paying money for goods before there built and simply they never arrive. see what the market is by trying one, when finished offer it for sale - and then repeat the process.

 

[PrimoOptimoso]

Of course, I knew it would be all very subjective.... Hmmm.

Let me hit you with two for-instances: Lets' say the materials are about $100 and it takes 2 weeks of working in the evenings after work, a couple hours at a time -say, 20 hours of work. While $10 an hour is horribly low, I couldn't say that I think the thing would command more than $300...

Which brings about the second for-instance: Would you pay $300 or more for a replica bazooka that looks pretty darn good, but doesn't have any fancy FX to it?

 

[brandomack]

Well, the way I see it...

They arent toys. They're art. Art doesnt need to blink, click or clack. some people pay a quarter million for some kid's fingerpainting. If your customer gets a well made and painted bazooka for $300, they're doing ok.

and if anyone ever low balls you, forget it. You're time is worth more than that.

 

[exoray]

Estimate $100/hr in the end you will likely make $10/hr, estimate $10/hr and you will make $1/hr...

Seriously though, unless it's something you do all the time it's a shot in the dark....

You also have to decide what you want to get paid, how much is your night and weekend time worth to you? If you do it for fun charge whatever but if you approach it as a job, then you have to ask would you have been better off putting an extra hour in each day at the office vs spending four hours each night building? Would you have been better off flipping burgers at McDonalds for a set hourly rate?

In the end only you can decide what your time is worth...

 

[FXengineer]

I do this for a living and I can tell you that bidding the job is usually one of the toughest parts. And for me the least enjoyable. I wish they could all be priced after I finish. However, since you have little experience in estimating, I will give you this advice: It is all subjective. Decide why you are really doing this. Is it for a paycheck, to advance your portfolio of work, or because you love it, etc. I am usually doing it for those three reasons combined. If you have a steady job and you're just doing it for the fun and a little extra cash, then tell yourself that. And to remind you of it, write it down and post it on your workbench. So when your working late at night trying to meet the deadline for a measly $200 after twice the number of hours you thought, you'll remember why you're doing it. Very important to remember why. In the end for me, its always because this is what I love to do and I couldn't imagine my life not creating and building.

Sometimes you bid them right and sometimes you don't. And even at my professional level, I'll do jobs for less just because I've never done it before and want to try or because I want to add that type of work to my portfolio.

Figure out the material cost. Estimate how much time you think. Estimate what you'd like to earn. Estimate what you think someone would pay for it. Then put all of those numbers together onto a board and throw a dart. Its as good as any other method.

Seriously though. Decide why you're doing this project. Figure what you want to charge. If they take it, do it. And if they pass, you haven't lost anything. Because you estimated what you thought the job was worth to you. And taking less is typically a stressful outcome. Remember that every project that leaves your workbench should represent how you want people to view your work. Every time I took a job that wasn't worth the money or my time, I always thought, "I could have been building something worthwhile with this energy." Be proud of your work or you waisted your time.

Good Luck

 

[PrimoOptimoso]

Thanks FXE. I know all about it being subjective to me, etc. If it was an illustration gig (that's the other thing I do on the side; my regular dayjob is a normal corporate thing) I'd know exactly my rates and level of effort estimates and all that. With construction of an object, though, I actually find it harder to justify a given rate even though it's more difficult!

I would also say that I don't mind taking less money for something I really enjoyed making, especially since I've been making costumes and props for years just for myself, so there's been no money made anyhow. I guess I should resist the "any money is better than nothing" attitude, heh.

 

[kelsobrooks]

Seriously though. Decide why you're doing this project. Figure what you want to charge. If they take it, do it. And if they pass, you haven't lost anything.

That is excellent advice!
I usually have a very diffucult time with this part of my "Hobby"...
Generally I tend to underprice my items because it is only a hobby and I do it for fun. Maybe if this was my main income I might approach some of the builds a little differently...?:unsure

Kelso

 

[MiDri]

Thanks FXE. I know all about it being subjective to me, etc. If it was an illustration gig (that's the other thing I do on the side; my regular dayjob is a normal corporate thing) I'd know exactly my rates and level of effort estimates and all that. With construction of an object, though, I actually find it harder to justify a given rate even though it's more difficult!

I would also say that I don't mind taking less money for something I really enjoyed making, especially since I've been making costumes and props for years just for myself, so there's been no money made anyhow. I guess I should resist the "any money is better than nothing" attitude, heh.

Remember though, as who45 said earlier, don't bid to low you undercut and hurt the whole prop making community that way.

 

[JackAce]

i recently commissioned some stuff and i can tell you that at first i got a bit of sticker shock, but having lurked here for so long i decided to probe a little and ask how they came to that price. it was explained to me how much the materials costed, how many hours it takes to make these things, and then what kind of hourly rate they were shooting for.
after finding out how low the hourly rate actually was i didn't feel like i was being cheated and actually started to get the feeling that it was a bargain so i went for it even though the total cost was more than i was originally thinking.

maybe all you need to do is break it down for the customer and let them know exactly what they are paying for and things will go better than expected? :thumbsup