What’s your time worth??

[flehto]

When I first started building LRs, I amassed 2 racks full and one day realized that those that weren't my personal hunting MLers were never shot and that I just wasn't a collector. So, TOW sold 3 and I did have an idea of their selling prices minus TOW's 33% which was high but seeing their website receives 1000s of hits a week, it was good advertising for my guns and me.....and it worked because all my subsequent LRs were sold by me based on the prices TOW sold them for. 

Seeing my gunbuilding is a hobby, I don't keep track of the hours for a particular LR but do use methods which are the least time consuming. Was a toolmaker  and all the new jobs had completion hours which had to be met or one didn't get new jobs in the future or no longer was employed by that company.

Also the great  majority of my builds were spec LRs and I mostly  refused taking commissions from individuals.  Had one individual call TOW and inquired as to what builders were "fussy" and my name was one of those mentioned....this guy "hounded" me for close to a year before finally giving up......Fred

[WadePatton]

Plain Jane, no patchbox, straight barrel probably around 65 hours. Add 4-6 hours for the wood box with no decoration. Ad 30 hours for a simple metal box with no piercings and all of those hours are dependent on my being cocked and locked with no distractions. Which will take me back to my original question: What’s your time worth? Plain gun @ $1000.00 labor @ 65 hours = $15.38 per hour. I could make more being that “go to” guy at my local hardware store!
 You do this because you love to do this.

But not here.  The local Ace won't pay that.  Location/economics of lifestyle are huge in this regard (and big corporations only pay the local labor rates and -not- anything more).  15 sounds pretty good to me. My "big" raise and job change didn't get me there.  Folks think I'm fooling when I don't have money for this or that.  I'm not.   But I'm working on it.

[Craig Wilcox]

When I started out I built for all of my shooting buddies dirt cheap so everybody could afford a good gun. One by one they went on to other things and sold off their guns. Nearly all of them bragged and laughed about making 3 to 4X more than what they paid originally. I have very few buddies anymore.
[/quote]

Awwwww - Mikeee, you still have me!  And maybe Stoner....

[Stoner creek]

When I started out I built for all of my shooting buddies dirt cheap so everybody could afford a good gun. One by one they went on to other things and sold off their guns. Nearly all of them bragged and laughed about making 3 to 4X more than what they paid originally. I have very few buddies anymore.

Awwwww - Mikeee, you still have me!  And maybe Stoner....
[/quote]
 Stoner aka Devil Spawn  >:

[Bob Gerard]

I just put a rifle up for sale the other day. It was a Kibler SMR that perhaps 35-40 hours of work.
I asked for what I thought was a fair price (it really did come out beautifully).
It sold in ten minutes.
I Think I could have gone higher!
I guess that what is conflicting for me is the joy I get in building these and happiness knowing that with these sales I can continue to build more. With some profits I have even been able to make one for myself and pay a bunch of bills 

[little joe]

It,s not what your time is worth, its what your skill level worth.

[Daryl]

Good point, little joe. So true.

[RAT]

"What's your time worth?"

Simple answer...
Whatever the market will bear.

Whether you think that amount is beneath you is an entirely different thing.

Sorry... it had to be said.

Some people have a higher opinion of themselves... and others don't. I tend to be on the humble side. I'm a product of my upbringing.

[Bob Roller]

In the early 1970's the makers of guns and components time was of no value according to those who
i dealt with.Too many people with a taste for fine wines but only a beer pocket book.
Bob Roller

[Bob McBride]

….more and more each day….this I can tell you.