How much should you charge?

Now that you know how to make stained glass windows, suddenly people are asking you to make custom windows, or other glass art, but you are not sure how much to charge for your work.  One of the biggest issues you will come across when making glass art is the art of pricing your artwork!  You will find that the pricing question is a familiar quandary to artists in all mediums.  Basically, you want people to buy your windows and at times you think that means you have to under price your piece to sell it.

While you work on a piece, you will need to keep a record of the cost of supplies that you have used in your window.  That means, the cost of the glass, foil or lead came, and solder used, plus additional materials.  Next you will need to know how much time it took to make the window.  And finally, how many pieces of glass are in the piece?  Other charges such as for sandblasting, bevels, jewels, roundels, fusing and other elements need to be included in your price list.  

Although leaded glass windows typically have less pieces than foiled windows, you will need to use additional steps in creating the window due to the cementing process.  For that reason our studio charges more for leaded glass windows.  

All in all, pricing your work is not always a formula set in stone.  We never advise under pricing art work just to make sales.  A studio that under prices will eventually end up closing and going out of business.  That also goes for a hobbyist working out of their home.  

Lastly, people buying glass art need to look at the quality of the finished product which they are wanting to purchase.  Sloppy work made quickly in a production factory will probably never look as beautiful as work made individually, carefully and correctly by a skilled craftsman.   Although buyers may find cheap stained glass art in department stores, chain stores and other locations, the quality and durability may never compare to glass art made in smaller glass art studios.  Look at the foil around the glass pieces for uniformity, soldering should be slightly rounded, plus the patterns and grain of glass should all go in the same direction.  In the end it all comes down to...  you get what you pay for!