“I just want to cover my materials.”
That leaves your time, overhead, and experience unpaid.
PRICING YOUR ARTWORK
Your price shouldpay you, too.
Materials matter. So do your time, your skill, the kiln, the studio, the selling—and the reality that not everything finds a home right away.
FIRST, A SMALL TRUTH
Passion is priceless.It also doesn’t pay the bills.
“I haven’t considered an hourly wage.”
Your working hours belong in the cost of the work.
“I’m afraid a higher price will scare people away.”
The right customer is looking for value—not simply the lowest number.
WHAT BELONGS IN THE PRICE?
More than glass.More than time.
A useful price begins by naming all the things the work asked from you. If a cost is real, it belongs in the conversation.
Your labor
Production hours, selling hours, and a fair hourly wage for your skill.
Materials
Glass and other materials at their replacement cost—not simply what you happened to pay.
Overhead
Studio space, equipment, kiln firings, tools, utilities, and the costs that support the work.
Unique value
Complexity, originality, design difficulty, and the qualities that make the piece distinctly yours.
The work that doesn’t sell
A thoughtful offset for unsold inventory and the hours spent getting your work in front of people.
LET’S PRICE THAT ART
Put the numberson the table.
Start with honest estimates. The calculator brings together labor, materials, overhead, uniqueness, unsold inventory, wholesale pricing, and retail pricing.
WHEN THE NUMBER FEELS TOO HIGH
Don’t immediately shrink it.Look at what it contains.
A price isn’t a verdict on whether someone will buy the piece. It’s a clear account of what the work required—and a way to make sure your creative practice can continue.
Cover the real costs.
Pay yourself for the work.
Leave room to keep making.
