"Liam Striker" wrote in message
m...
I developed a relationship with my local glass seller. I buy wholesale
now,
but I still buy from him as well and his prices are expensive compaired to
shopping on line.
Why?
-Every high quality sheet of glass is different.
-Ive gotton so much free advice. I would never be where I am today by
buying on line.
-The price of glass is really cheap when compaired to other things that go
into a stained glass panel. Price = 20% glass and 80% labor. If you
change
the first to 10% by buying on line cheap glass, then your panel is worth
50
% of the price because it looks only half as good.
Panel #1: glass $150, Labor 20hrs, price $1200, profit $1050, satisfaction
High
Panel #2: glass $75, Labor 20hrs, price $700, prifit $625, satisifaction
medium.
- If we don't support mom and pop stores they go out of buiness, then the
wholesalers. Then we all take classes in Hobby Lobby or Las Vegas.
Nothing
inbetween.

Liam

Hi, Liam. While I agree with your comments about supporting local retailers
and the relative cost of glass as compared to the total cost of a panel,
you've completely lost me in your mathematical illustrations. Whose
satisfaction are you talking about, the customers, or the artists'?
Satisfaction with what? Appearance or profit?

I'm not sure that expensive vs. cheap glass makes a 50% difference in the
value of a panel. It might alter the value somewhat, but not 50%.
Frankly, I'd place a much higher value on the overall level of
craftsmanship (good soldering, properly fitted glass, mitered corners of
the frame, neat beading, etc,). It doesn't make much difference what the
glass costs if the craftsmanship or design sucks....

I'd be interested in your additional comments about pricing. In your #2
illustration, it appears that you cut the labor rate by $500 for the same
number of hours. Are you saying that you charge a higher labor rate when
using more expensive glass? I don't understand what you are telling us.