Carving side trip.

Yukon Mike

Yukon Mike

Well-known member
So far this winter I've been working on more decoys than in past years and I love it. On a cold day I can keep warm by drawknifing bodies, and on a warm day I can work on the heads. Life is good.

But there's always something else cooking in the brain, and I've been thinking about giving this a try. For a first attempt I'm pleased with them, and there's ideas I'll change and others to keep. Part of my motivation is to do something marketable with all the skulls that seem to have piled up around here, as well as seeing at what point these become accepted as pieces of art suitable for display by "she who must be obeyed". If I put enough scratches on a wolf skull, will she let me put it in the China cabinet?

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We seem to have adopted a "no horns upstairs" rule. I don't remember getting to vote on that...

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Mike
 
Thanks guys. I'm not exactly sure how to price them. I sell a plain, old, clean wolf skull for $150, so I was thinking I'd add another $50 for the scrolling. Its easy to spend way too much time on details that aren't really appreciated, so I want to make something with clean, crisp lines, that looks cool.

When we were traveling I was blown away by the quality of bone and skull carvings in Indonesia. I regret not buying any of the big water buffalo skulls. Dang, I should have just bought it.

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Thanks guys. I'm not exactly sure how to price them. I sell a plain, old, clean wolf skull for $150, so I was thinking I'd add another $50 for the scrolling. Its easy to spend way too much time on details that aren't really appreciated, so I want to make something with clean, crisp lines, that looks cool.


You are selling your time, vision and talent far too cheaply!
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Yukon Mike,

I agree regarding your price being too low; however, not certain how to measure the "universe of buyers". The hardest part is reaching them.

For your "speculative" spare time skull carvings you are right: not too much detail, something that is cool. You know your time and input.

The "spec" carvings might generate interest in more custom activities. There is a gal here in MN that paints memories on skulls. She'll take a picture or two and work in elements of say a Canada fishing trip or the people's cabin. This type of work would command a higher value.

Establishing pricing range is simple: If no one buys, price is too high. If everyone buys, price is too low.

It's the details that are the devil: are some skulls in higher demand and deserve a premium? There might be a commodity market for wolf skulls that says $150 is right, but a wolf skull carved might be $500, not $300. But a whitetail skull might sell for $100, but only $200 carved, not $250.

Shipping from Yukon might lower retail price, as shipping could make total cost greater than what someone will spend, particularly for the non-custom pieces. Know how you will do this before you market the product (FedEx, Post, etc.) and what costs are for insuring the package in addition to shipping/packaging costs. The more you can communicate to your customers the more likely you get: 1) higher conversion rate of interested people; 2) satisfied customers. Satisfied customers will be your best source of new customers. A sense of exclusivity will help that. You might consider gifting one to your Provincial Minister (or whatever your equivalent is to our Governor). They often have influential people walking through that will pay premium, or it might be seen as a quality gift for them to give to other influential people.

You might also try galleries. If you can knock out 8 a day, maybe it makes the most sense to take $2,000 on the barrel and pass the risk along the chain. They might sell for $500, or more, but you don't have the cost of customer acquisition, individual shipping/management, etc.

Just some things to think about. I've started a couple companies from scratch and done some work in art dealing. Pricing art IS an art..... art is everywhere, all the time, and completely subjective. I've seen things that look like paint by number to me priced at $8k, while something that seems special bring $800. It's a market I couldn't stay in, not enough logic too it.

An auction might be beneficial also. There you will have people with money competing. That gives you a market valuation because people with money are more honest. Until one of us is making an offer, the rest of us are just guys on the internet ;-)
 
That is one helpful reply you wrote there Rob, thanks for that. All good stuff.

Our local Fish and Game Association has its annual fundraiser dinner at the end of this month. I usually donate a carving or a knife that I've made for auction, which is good advertising for me, and it helps out a cause I support anyways. If there's enough time I'll do up a wolf skull for them.

Mike
 
Very nice Mike. I have a fresh Javelina skull in the cooler now that, once cleaned, would look great with that style of art.
 
very interesting Mike! While it doesn't "do it for me", I can see how folks would love to get their hands on a piece and I understand the skill set it takes to create something like this. Good luck figuring out how to add it to the income stream!
 
Very cool! I've never seen that done with skulls before. Reminds me of work done with ivory or scrimshaw on whale's teeth.
 
Depending on how long it takes you to carve it should be considered. Do you have 1 hour or 20 hour into it? How much is your time worth?

It might make sense to put one up on Ebay and gauge the interest and let the market set the price.
 
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