re: Big commission piece coming my way

Everyone wants a deal…our culture is completely disconnected from most of the labour that goes into the stuff we buy which I think distorts our perception on what quality really costs…
I just finished my first commissioned piece a few weeks ago. I’ve made stuff for friends and family before but always for free. This was the first piece too that I really kept track of my hours spent working on it. It was a Nakashima style hall table with a big walnut slab top; I quoted $500 for the piece before I started it. Well, the wood itself was almost $400 and it took me 30 hours so I made about $3/hour.