Toy box with a difference?

[dedee]

Tim,
all things considered I think it was a reasonable price in the circumstances. It was obviously higher than your reserve.

Is that an etched makers mark on the RHS of the drawer? I've been considering getting some from here Makers-Marks.

Are yours similar?

aNDY

 

[Adam]

Well it raised £750.

If I'm honest I'm a little disappointed esp when I analyse the time/ materials taken. I normally don't make things on spec so its a bit of a rude shock but its done some good and I enjoyed making and donating it.

Cheers Tim

OK, assuming a standard auction, noone there was specifically looking for a wood item. However having seen it, they were prepared to pay £750. That seems reasonable. Who was auctioning? Did they do a good pitch? Hand built by a local cabinet maker, hand cut dovetails, blah blah blah - really lay on the sales patter?

What would a customer who really wanted it have paid if they had turned up on your doorstep and commissioned such a piece? What would you have quoted? I'm guessing £1K to £1.5K? But then they get to specify some of the design perhaps?

Possibly, the person bidding probably won't realise how good it is till they get it home and examine it properly.

I think its a lovely piece. Well done.

Adam

 

[CYC]

It seems a fair price to me, it's like €1125.

I, like everyone on this forum, will understand how long it must have taken you but really this is the kind of price you would expect from any retail place of "fine" furniture. The difference is that because it's a once off for you it feels like it's too much work for the gains. Sadly that's the cruel reality of hobby woodworking. I have done some projects for friends clocking the likes of 25 hours only to make about €200! It was for a friend :-({|=

It's only my opinion now.
How much were the materials for it?

 

[tim]

I think Adam's hit the nail on the head. You can't exploit the 'bespoke' factor if its not bespoke to the customer. So essentially to get a decent price for this I had to be lucky that on the day at least two parties had to have the same interest and wallet depth.

It did essentially sell itself since it was in a Silent auction so it wasn't talked up except by my guff in the brochure which said all the usual. This was something I only found out about a week before the event :x rather than in the main one run by one of Sotheby's finest - who was incredible.

Since this is the first one of these that I have made there was also an inefficiency attached - again normally covered in bespoke pricing.

I think also I was slightly unlucky in that while this crowd weren't Ikea shoppers at all, one grandfather was overheard saying 'Oh that's a pity, I've just had four toyboxes commissioned and they are being made in China'.

Andy, they are from Maker's marks - really pleased with them.

CYC - materials were probably c £200 if I bought them from merchants but the Cherry was from Ledbury so probably about £80. :wink:

But the money went to a good cause - that's the main thing.

You are right and thats definitely the point of doing it but I its also a very interestiong experience for me about what to consider if selling items on spec rather than my usual commission only route (which I think I'll stick to for the time being!).

Cheers

Tim