Modelling commissions??

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DazDaMan
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Modelling commissions??

Post by DazDaMan »

So, I finished my Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster yesterday, took the obligatory photos and posted them up on Facebook today....

...and now someone wants me to build them a Lanc!

So, how do I go about charging for something like this?

Of course, it depends on the scale of the model as much as anything else, but aside from that I'm not sure what else should go into the price!

Any ideas?


(Of course, this all depends on whether the person is genuine!)
Daren

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vacant
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by vacant »

Your potential buyer could buy a Corgi (metal) Lancaster in 1/72 for £123. There are a few built Lancasters on eBay at the moment at initial asking prices of around £7.00 with no bidders and a few days to go. Presumably there is no point in you charging more than a Corgi metal one. Charging an eBay asking price would not cover buying the kit. The plastic model costs about £22 new. Add £5 for paint etc. If you work on it at minimum wage rates, you would have to charge about £400 and possibly more - so that's a non-starter! Will he also want a protective perspex case? That will cost more than the kit. Does he want a specific one that will involve buying decals? Do you want to profit (financially) from the deal? If you do, where would you put the figure that makes it worth your time and effort? I am not giving you the answer, but you did ask for ideas.
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DazDaMan
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by DazDaMan »

All good points.

I will ask the guy what he's looking for and post an update.
Daren

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bigfiver69
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by bigfiver69 »

I built two commission Tamiya 1/48 Lancasters about 8 years ago, and charged $600 for the pair (the client provided the kits and decals).

Nice to get the $600, but it took a year to finish and really soured me on 1/48th scale!!

When I moved about 10 years ago, I sold a lot of my 1.72 built kits on ebay... Some of them sold for over $75 which I thought was crazy!!! But anything offbeat (conversions, unusual schemes, etc.) really was hot.
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rob_van_riel
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by rob_van_riel »

DazDaMan wrote:So, I finished my Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster yesterday, took the obligatory photos and posted them up on Facebook today....

...and now someone wants me to build them a Lanc!
Personally, I'd be inclined to ask them if the one in the pictures would work for them... anything to get the built stuff off my shelves :ha:

More seriously, I'd be carefull about building to order. The actual actions might be the same, but this is building because you have an obligation, not because you feel like it, and that's a completely different thing mentally. Make certain this is going to agree with you before you commit.
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Martin R
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by Martin R »

rob_van_riel wrote:
DazDaMan wrote:So, I finished my Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Lancaster yesterday, took the obligatory photos and posted them up on Facebook today....

...and now someone wants me to build them a Lanc!
More seriously, I'd be carefull about building to order. The actual actions might be the same, but this is building because you have an obligation, not because you feel like it, and that's a completely different thing mentally. Make certain this is going to agree with you before you commit.
I agree with Rob here. I have built "specials" for friends' retirements etc. and have undertaken one commission. I find it the difference between doing something I enjoy because I want to do it, and work. Any non-personal builds I find take me much longer and if I hit a setback I find it difficult to motivate myself.

Having said that, if you're OK with the potential down side, give it a try.

My commission was a Spitfire T9 build using the Hase 1/48th scale kit as a base with the Brigade Models conversion. I am charging £100 for it and the buyer has reimbursed me for the price of the kits already. It's currently on my shelf awaiting decals - as it has been for ~ 6 months. Just as well the buyer's not in a hurry!

regards,

Martin
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DazDaMan
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by DazDaMan »

Thanks for that, guys.

I'll get in touch with the person and see what they think, then I'll pop back in with an update!
Daren

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PaulBradley
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by PaulBradley »

Building on commission is not fun. I built 20-odd space-related models for the US Geological Survey and it was a chore. They did pay well, and I got to meet some astronauts, but I'll not be doing something like that again in a hurry.

Get everything in writing, try to cover all bases and insist on some sort of contract that lays out the obligations of the builder and buyer, including timeframe and price. Even if it's a friend, its important so that there aren't any 'misunderstandings' come delivery time.
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TobyC
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by TobyC »

I'm not good enough to do commission work but if I was I think I'd keep well out of it. Too many potholes for my liking to have a successful build.
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Eric Mc
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by Eric Mc »

Same here. It's a hobby - not a job - and I would like to keep it that way.
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by vacant »

The psychology of a commission build is interesting and what everyone has said has also been my experience (which is extremely limited). I built one recently 'on commission' but since the person gave me the it to build, I charged nothing for doing it. That kept it as an interesting and fun build. I'm sure it would not have been so enjoyable if I knew I was being employed to do it. Besides, I knew it was for a good cause which was reward enough. So apart from any financial implications, it will be well worth while thinking carefully about whether to accept a paid commission or not.
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Chris
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by Chris »

Not big on it, but my rule of thumb is, Price of the kit, materials and $50 for labor.

Usually works out to about $100 + kit price.
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shangos70
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Re: Modelling commissions??

Post by shangos70 »

I wouldn't take on a commission unless I was supremely confident in my abilities to get a perfect finish. Most I have seen are museum quality pieces and beyond my skills. Besides as has been said by others on here I like to keep it as a hobby then there is only myself to please with the end result.
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