# A Slow Nickel, or a Fast Dime



## pashley (Mar 22, 2008)

In this meandering Shopnotes blog post, I talk about the merits of pricing high and pricing low….


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

I fully understand your point. As of January 1st I raised prices. I am still not "high end" furniture. However I am moving up. I certainly want to get there. My 2 main reasons for moving up slowly are;
1. I have been improving my skill level. My prices have gone up as I believe that my skills and quality have improved. 
2. I don't live in a large population. So as I build up my name, I have started low and have steadily moved up with more notoriety.

Right or wrong, that's been my approach. I started out barely breaking even. I am now making a "decent" profit. My intent is to get to a "good" profit next year.


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## Woodwrecker (Aug 11, 2008)

I think your post has merit.
Some times it takes someone else to inform us that we should be asking hgher prices for our work.
I think I always secretly focus on the small things I think I could have done better, and forget to realize that my talent has grown from where it was.
You will never know if you could have commended a certain price unless you ask for it.


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## j1212t (Dec 7, 2013)

I really enjoy all your thoughts you are putting out there on the pricing, thanks for that.

And Monte, how on earth do you not regard yourself as a high end producer. Have YOU seen YOUR projects?


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## reedwood (Jan 27, 2011)

enjoyed the blog.

Price and demand….which came first?
Nickels are the price of admission
Invested Nickels turn in to dimes.
Dimes lead to more dimes and nickels are paid forward
It pays to live in the land of dimes

Ha! having fun with words.
Hey, I hope everyone gets paid exactly what they're worth.


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## DrDirt (Feb 26, 2008)

I think part of the fast nickels is driven from the idea that as woodworkers, we are very critical of our own work.

We look at our creation and recall the dovetail we had to shim to close a gap, or a run in the finish that had to be sanded….Maybe we are all a little neurotic, and give our projects a bit of "low self worth"

The other feeder- is that we tend to actually be good craftsmen… but crappy sales people. 
We don't really blow our own horns, We think the work will "speak for itself" which leaves our products to sell on price…since we can't/won't really SELL the quality of the finished product - - beyond stationg that it is NOT made of particle board with plastic woodgraining by Sauder..


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## joeyinsouthaustin (Sep 22, 2012)

I think you are refining your ideas about pricing and marketing quite well. If a slow dime equals a fast nickel, I'll take the slow dime any day….* but* I personally like the fast dime better than either!!


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## mojapitt (Dec 31, 2011)

DrDirt has a point. I HATE the sales side of things. In a perfect world i could build lots of pieces and someone else would handle the sales. Not reality though.


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## Betsy (Sep 25, 2007)

There's a lot to be said for you pricing thoughts. Marketing is a challenging endeavor that most of us don't get right. It's an entirely different scenario when you sell your things for fun and not to make a living. Don't get me wrong, I make a profit on my pieces and don't sell at a loss, but I probably go on the slow nickle theory.


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