Is there a market for hand-made-to-order buildings such as those I made for Leadwood?
I'm considering making model scenery to order, in the hope that such an endeavour might at least pay for my hobby... but, is it viable? What would be a fair price?
You tell me, folks. As a benchmark, take a look at the stand-alone building I made for the tutorial and tell me what you think it is worth. (Let's make it easy and talk in terms of US dollars.)
Is there a demand out there? I would very much appreciate your feedback on this.
All the best.
I would purchase some as long as the price was right. I was looking at the Custom Kingdoms buildings but they don't seem to fit with what I want to do and the prices seem to have jumped lately.
ReplyDeleteIt all would come down to the cost of materials and then your time to put them together.. What would you price your time at?
The other thing that would get me is the shipping as well as I'm on the other side of the world.
For what you have above in the image I wouldn't look twice at paying $30 for it and possibly $40 but then the shipping would be a clincher.
Yes, there is a market . . . but it is a limited one.
ReplyDeleteAs the last poster mentioned, deliver (shipping) costs are a problem. A buyer is only willing to pay so much and that includes what it costs you to ship.
New Zealand buyers might pick buildings up at a convention you're at . . . but those around the world cannot do so and shipping isn't cheap.
Another problem is getting your message out to potential buyers. You can have a website . . . but there are many millions of websites and trying to insure that potential buyers actually visit your site isn't easy.
I don't want to discourage you too much, but I'd advise your checking with your postal service and determining how much it would cost to box and ship one of your "standard size" buildings . . . sadly that is going to limit the prices you can charge.
-- Jeff
PS, I have built my own Old West buildings (although nowhere near as nice as yours), but now I mostly use "Whitewash City" paper buildings:
http://www.erichotz.com/whitewash.html
Oh . . . and shipping costs will need to be by air . . . no one wants to wait months for delivery by ship.
ReplyDelete-- Jeff
PS, the website in the last comment is not mine, it is one I buy from.
I do make wargaming buildings - North African/Middle Eastern and African native huts - from foamcore and other materials for sale on eBay, and I have sold to a gamer in New Zealand. As Jeff says above, shipping costs are the real clincher. I set a price of around $20 for a group of five buildings/huts, and they get bid up from there. My NZ customer paid almost as much for me to ship airmail from the US as his winning bid.
ReplyDeleteYour building is excellent, and I'd certainly pay US$30 for one of the examples you show here. Perhaps you'd have more of a market in NZ and Australia, with the occasional US/UK buyer.
I'm one of the Australians that would be interested but you also could focus to certain games...
ReplyDeleteAs I play more Malifaux than everything else at the moment these buildings really do fit in!
Thanks, Gents.
ReplyDeleteThis is all very useful. Keep 'em coming!
All the best.
I have to say they are fantastic mate - really interested if you do decide to start selling some.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Agama!
ReplyDeleteOK, chaps - let me put it another way.
I will consider all requests, price to be negotiated based on size, materials, complexity of model.
The model I made for the tutorial should be worth about $55.00US by my calculations, not including P&P. That should give you an indication.
Please feel free to ask me anything you'd like to know.