A couple of months ago I got a call from a person interested in a small media cabinet . Great . The clients were a referral from a past customer , and they had even gone to the trouble of scouting my gallery . Really great ; obviously they know my stuff and like what I do . The potential client gave me a rundown of what they were looking for and we setup a meeting . When I arrived for the on site meeting my excitement shriveled . Their existing furnishings were very dull and very 80's . Bad sign . I thought 'oh please don't ask me to duplicate this stuff' . Thankfully they were totally open to professional suggestion on the design as long as I could simulate the existing finishes . I wasn't ideal from the standpoint of making true heirloom furniture , but a gig is a gig and woodworking is woodworking , so I didn't raise any objections to doing the piece .
Next came the money talk . The client had mentioned a factory cabinet that they liked but were unimpressed with the quality that cost $ 1200 . I read the room (an unmentionable but necessary survival skill in the fine craft business) and figured I could probably ask $ 1400 for my piece without being shown the door (If I'm honest $ 2200 would have been more appropriate for my skill level) . Wrong . Though my bid would have netted me less than $ 5 an hour after expenses and taxes (I do not charge design or consultation fees) the deal fell apart . And it fell apart in the worst way . As soon as I said $ 1400 the meeting immediately morphed into the client scrambling to extricate themselves from any perceived commitment . When this happens (I've seen it happen many times) their faces just change . Boom ! Meeting over . I suggested a couple cost-saving options and the usual 'we'll think about it and get back to you ' was tendered . I haven't heard from them , but I am hearing from more and more people like them as folks further remove themselves from non-third-world craft . -The question still lingers in my mind , how could they expect me to deliver a fine cabinet for less than the price of a factory piece ?
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