Reply by richgreer

I don’t sell anything any more, but I did at one time. In fact, I sold quite a bit because my wife owned a flower shop and I set up a woodworking display there. Woodwork seemed to be a good complement for flowers.

My basic formula was 125% of the cost of materials and the equivalent of $20/hour for labor. I deviated from this formula often, but almost always on the up side. Hence, my formula was more like a minimum.

IMO – There are some items where you can make a reasonable profit and others where it is very difficult to make a profit. A profitable item tends to be something that is either unique and different and unavailable elsewhere or something that you could produce quickly by making multiple copies at one time. I seemed to have my best results with pens, bottle stoppers and cork screws (all turned on the lathe).

-- Rich, Cedar Rapids, IA - I'm a woodworker. I don't create beauty, I reveal it.