How do you decide...

[Pokeyonekenobie]

I'm curious (and not entirely sure if this is the right forum for this question).  How do you decide how much to sell your customs for?  I often see how high some artists charge and wonder if they actually sell for that much or if they end up taking up shelf space for decades on end.  I understand that some require a lot of work and therefore cost more, but I see stuff that I wouldn't pay more than $10 for being priced at $60 or more.  Maybe I just don't like the design enough to pay that much for it.

On the other hand, what determines how much you are willing to pay for a custom pony?  And if I price my customs low in an effort to reach more buyers, does that make it look like I don't think my work is worth much? 

[Salli]

Art is really hard to fix a price for. Basically, its worth as much as people will pay for it. Some customs go for big $$ but they are probably masterfully made and by someone who is in demand and has a well-established name as a customizer.

Some people start out thinking they'll make a killing, but it takes a long time to establish your name as a great artist, even if you do have the skills to make amazing ponies.

Another factor is fan base. For instance, a Dr. Who pony that looks like the 10th Doctor will have not only pony fans, but Dr. Who fans as well.

Then there are the regular supply/demand rules that apply as well. When g4s first started, Muffin Pony customs were SUPER popular. Now there are some regular releases of her and she's not as big of a deal. A Princess Luna custom might go for more than a Pinkie Pie custom, but then again you have to consider how many people have Pinkie Pie armies that they are willing to spend on.

My advice is to ask a professional customizer what they think your particular pony might sell for and if you think you want to start low, you can always say 'SALE!' that way you can raise prices for the next one if needs be. Pricing art is an art in itself. Best of luck!

[Colorscapesart]

Well said!  Sometimes it can be helpful to watch eBay auctions and see what other customs are going for.  You can even put a few customs up for auction here or there to get an idea of what people are willing to spend.  Try not to take it personally if it's not as high as you'd like!  Certain times of year are harder to sell in (i.e. January) and overall economic trends do trickle into any luxury purchases like customs. 

[Aednatia]

I have yet to sell ponies. but I have plans to. I will probably doing 15-25 depending on the pony. I start my caculation with base cost + hair cost + paint + 5$ an hour.

So a g4 custom would kind of look like this
g4 bait: 5
hair:      3
paint:    2
time:     5   10  15
total      15  20  25

Hair, I would charge 3$ cause it takes less then 1 hank and takes 1 hour to. I don't include that time in the total time. I don't think I would ever charge more than 15$ for the time no matter how long it takes because I don't think mine are really that great. If it was a bait specific pony that cost more then 5 that would change and paint would change for a FBR on a G1 by 1$.