My late sister was a ceramic artist. She would charge typically 5 times what the materials for a project cost her. So some imported clay and a special tool for a commissioned piece would easily end up costing the patron close to a $1000. She never let anyone say, "Oh, I don't care what it costs. Just make it." Ninety-nine percent of those who said that would freak out when Sis would say, "Okay, but I insist on half up front. That will be $500." She felt she had to be up-front about the cost. Otherwise they would balk at the cost or scream, "But I can't afford that!" and then try to bargain with her or just not pay her. They wanted her to put her skills and artistry to use but didn't realize that she would actually charge enough to make a living from it.

It's like that story about the old engineer who charged a company $805 to replace a part. When asked why that amount, he replied that it was $5 for the part and $800 to know which one to replace.