craftsmen/artisans vs Cheap goods

[Shanntarra]

Sometime my theater let's actors buy their costumes after a show. This reason, and insurance, I give a listing to the theater of what is a faire replacement value on each costume an actor wears. (Could be $2, could be $200 depends on character)

Before our current show opened one guy asked he could buy his costume. I gave him the price I quoted the theater, $50. He thought I was jokeing. That much for a shirt and pants! He approached my trainnee to maybe make him a simular costume, after the show closed. "Igor" quoted him a price of $20 for the whole outfit including supplies.

After seeing me rebuild/remake other people's stuff that "igor" made after only wearing 4 wearing. He realized that the charge the theater was asking for his costume was actually reasonable given the quality. He tipped me a pint of beer for opening his eyes to this fact.

[Irish in Tacoma]

I have a friend who spent 40 years as a saddlemaker. Now he's retired from production but spends his time restoring 1950s era silver parade saddles (he was also a silversmith). He gets contacted fairly regularly by people who want him to repair their saddles. However, the only way he does business is to buy the saddle from them outright, restore it, then sell it again.

His has found that if he has to price his restoration work by the hour, most people will try to bargain him down or ask him if he will only do XX dollars worth of work. He doesn't need the money, but as a craftsman he is very concerned about the condition of the work that is attached to his name. By buying the saddle outright and fully restoring it, he admits that he will usually make less money on the sale that if they paid for all the hours, but the job is done right. And sometimes he finds a buyer willing to pay him alot more, because they understand not only the value of the antique saddle, but what went into it for the restoration.