East Coast demand for my coasters is strong. How much would you pay for something like this?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (205553)
Walnut Creek, California
March 23, 2018 9:22pm CST
As many of you know, I like to make coasters out of guitar sound holes, sent to my by Martin Guitars, Collings guitars, and (occasionally) other manufacturers of high-end guitars.
I've only sold a handful of these things. They take a few weeks to make, but most of that time is just "drying time" for several coats of stain and polyurethane to beautify and protect them. Most of the pairs I make go to musician friends and family as "house warming" presents.
I just got a request from Long Island for a couple of new pairs. They have been featured at my Auntie's house for several years, and for whatever reason, they're a great hit among her great-grand-children. Some have recently been broken--thus, the request.
And so, I'm working on a few new pairs. How much would you pay for a pair of hand-made coasters hand-made from original sound holes from elite guitar manufacturers? I'm just curious.
One pair is heading down to Santa Cruz Guitars, and another to a MyLot friend, soon. The ones I'm working on now will be shipped off to New York in a month or so.
6 people like this
6 responses
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
24 Mar 18
$20-$28 for a set of four? That's just off the top of my head.
I'll bet the kids are playing air hockey with them.
3 people like this
@TheHorse (205553)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 18
@spiderdust If kids like 'em, kids like 'em. I'm happy with that.
2 people like this
@spiderdust (14741)
• San Jose, California
24 Mar 18
@TheHorse My son would probably want to hold them and carry them around the house, or have them be plates.
2 people like this
@andriaperry (116860)
• Anniston, Alabama
24 Mar 18
They are nice but they are not for me so I could not price them, I am a minimalist and trying to stop buying things. I already have to much stuff.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (205553)
• Walnut Creek, California
24 Mar 18
@andriaperry They've appealed to the 2- through 5-year-old set. I'm not sure if they Frisbee them.
1 person likes this
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
26 Jul 18
@TheHorse It isn't just the materials, it's your time and experience that also has to be taken into consideration. I was thinking about the same price range. What would really make them a hot seller is that they are from guitars. Musicians would love them!!! There are a LOT of people who like something different and also something hand made so those coasters would fit the bill perfectly. The only other thing I would do is put those little felt dots on the bottoms of the coasters so that they wouldn't scratch someone's table.
Kids would love them to play with, not so much as frisbees, but for building things like houses etc with their blocks. I know I would use my parents coasters when I was playing with my building blocks, the coasters made perfect roofs and streets.
@just4him (305864)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
24 Mar 18
I don't know what to price them at. They're high quality and hand made. Plus I don't know the cost of the materials used, which would factor in. They're very nice, and I'm sure they are appreciated since you're now getting orders for them.
1 person likes this
@BearArtistLady (5382)
• United States
25 Jul 18
I couldn't put a price on something that beautiful! They are absolutely great. With the amount of work you put into them I wouldn't sell them too cheaply, especially as beautiful the wood is when it's finished. Crafts people always seem to either over price their merchandise or undersell their craftsmanship. Of course the people that over price their merchandise are the ones that don't have the talent to be doing what they are doing. I know of one lady who decided that she was a bear artist...she never took a class and the bears she made and sold were worse than awful. Her prices started around $75 and worked their way up. I wouldn't have sold them for $10 each! She gave up making bears a few years ago, she just wasn't making it as a bear artist.
I do something similar to the "holes" that you get. I make joints. Ahhh!!! I can see the look on people's faces, she is busily getting "high". 
Now that I have your attention, I make teddy bear joints out of Masonite and other similar wood products. I have a hole saw that I put on my drill and go to town sawing out holes. I usually get around 2500 joints from a full sized sheet of Masonite. That is usually enough for me to joint bears for a year, sometimes more sometimes less than the year. Unfortunately this year's supply didn't quite make it through the year, in fact I didn't even get to use any of the joints from this year's cut. A year's cut works out to be 250 bears made and jointed and each bear uses 10 joint pieces (circles with the hole in the middle). I prefer using the Masonite or wood joints over the plastic ones as the plastic breaks quickly and the wooden ones are held together with cotter pins and washers to keep the curled part of the cotter pin from cutting a groove into the wood. Anyhow, I looked at your coasters and immediately saw "joints", I hadn't thought of making coasters out of the cut outs.
Now that I have your attention, I make teddy bear joints out of Masonite and other similar wood products. I have a hole saw that I put on my drill and go to town sawing out holes. I usually get around 2500 joints from a full sized sheet of Masonite. That is usually enough for me to joint bears for a year, sometimes more sometimes less than the year. Unfortunately this year's supply didn't quite make it through the year, in fact I didn't even get to use any of the joints from this year's cut. A year's cut works out to be 250 bears made and jointed and each bear uses 10 joint pieces (circles with the hole in the middle). I prefer using the Masonite or wood joints over the plastic ones as the plastic breaks quickly and the wooden ones are held together with cotter pins and washers to keep the curled part of the cotter pin from cutting a groove into the wood. Anyhow, I looked at your coasters and immediately saw "joints", I hadn't thought of making coasters out of the cut outs.1 person likes this
