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As the title says, when you price out an order for a customer, are you figuring the full retail costs of the kits into the commission price? This is based upon the assumption that you're doing a full army for a customer, and you are purchasing and assembling the kits yourself. Hopefully I'm not treading into "none-of-your-damn-business" territory

I charge what i have to pay for the kits, including basing materials, the actual kits, the postage for getting the kits to me. If im buying at a discount i charge that. This is completely seperate to the fees for building, painting and doing up the models/bases

Most the materials and kits I buy are at wholesale prices. I mark them up 10-15% over my cost, plus sales tax as applicable.

If you end up doing the volume, it is worth the effort to go ahead and get your business license and tax number for your state (or country as the case may be). If you are only doing $50-100 a month of material goods, it probably won't be worth the effort on the paperwork side of things - but for me, it is worth while due to the amount of material I end up moving.

 the_Armyman wrote:
As the title says, when you price out an order for a customer, are you figuring the full retail costs of the kits into the commission price? This is based upon the assumption that you're doing a full army for a customer, and you are purchasing and assembling the kits yourself. Hopefully I'm not treading into "none-of-your-damn-business" territory

If I have to purchase a model for a customer, I charge them what I pay for it. Honestly, it hasn't happened that often as most of my clients already had the models in hand or ordered them on their own from an online retailer (or eBay) and had them shipped to me.

Like Melcavuk said, the price of the model is completely separate from the price of doing the work.

Melcavuk wrote:I charge what i have to pay for the kits, including basing materials, the actual kits, the postage for getting the kits to me. If im buying at a discount i charge that. This is completely seperate to the fees for building, painting and doing up the models/bases

The reason I ask is because I wasn't sure if people were buying form an online discounter and still charging full kit price to cover handling costs. It's not dishonest to quote a price at full retail, then buy at 20% off when that 20% savings gets eaten up by taxes, shipping, and your time ordering/fixing any issues that arise from that order. As long as you're transparent with the customer, right?

Sean_OBrien wrote:Most the materials and kits I buy are at wholesale prices. I mark them up 10-15% over my cost, plus sales tax as applicable
If you end up doing the volume, it is worth the effort to go ahead and get your business license and tax number for your state (or country as the case may be). If you are only doing $50-100 a month of material goods, it probably won't be worth the effort on the paperwork side of things - but for me, it is worth while due to the amount of material I end up moving.

Yeah, I think as a matter of course, I'd get a busines license if I chose to go the route of being a commission painter. As an aside, does GW permit you to have a trade account as a commission painter? I don't know the ins and outs of their current policy.

ScootyPuffJunior wrote:If I have to purchase a model for a customer, I charge them what I pay for it. Honestly, it hasn't happened that often as most of my clients already had the models in hand or ordered them on their own from an online retailer (or eBay) and had them shipped to me.

Like Melcavuk said, the price of the model is completely separate from the price of doing the work.

I'm sure every painter's business is different, but what % of your work does the customer supply the mini/models? I would imagine it would cut down on hassle to just order everything and have it shipped to your door as the painter.

Absolutely...ideally I just receive assembled ready to go models, but otherwise I charge what I pay plus assembly time.

 the_Armyman wrote:

ScootyPuffJunior wrote:If I have to purchase a model for a customer, I charge them what I pay for it. Honestly, it hasn't happened that often as most of my clients already had the models in hand or ordered them on their own from an online retailer (or eBay) and had them shipped to me.

Like Melcavuk said, the price of the model is completely separate from the price of doing the work.

I'm sure every painter's business is different, but what % of your work does the customer supply the mini/models? I would imagine it would cut down on hassle to just order everything and have it shipped to your door as the painter.

Almost all of them.

I've had one customer ask me to source the model (which I bought from my local store) and I worked with another customer to track down a model he wanted (it was a particular submarine that he served on and it was hard to find) and he ended up buying it himself and sending it to me.

Other than those two clients, I've always had the models sent to me from their personal collection or ordered them online and had them shipped directly to me. Even though I really don't care either way, I enjoy purchasing the models myself because I can support my local store.

 ScootyPuffJunior wrote:

Other than those two clients, I've always had the models sent to me from their personal collection or ordered them online and had them shipped directly to me. Even though I really don't care either way, I enjoy purchasing the models myself because I can support my local store.

Ideally, I would advertise locally in my FLGS with the understanding that the initial business I received from that would result in purchases from the store. But if most people supply minis, then the business he would receive might be negligible. I don't think the owner would have any expectations, I'd just like to "pay" him for the free advertising I'd be receiving.

I charge the client exactly what it costs me to purchase the model, including postage if I'm paying for that. I think of it as being no different to the client buying the models new and then sending them on to me - it just cuts out that middle stage. I have occasionally painted models that a client has already had but 90% of the time I buy in the models and charge the client accordingly.

Not that I'm a commission painter, but I would never pay MSRP for a model from any manufacturer other than GW direct-only, simply because every model can be had with at least a 15% discount, if not 25% or more.

Talys wrote:
Not that I'm a commission painter, but I would never pay MSRP for a model from any manufacturer other than GW direct-only, simply because every model can be had with at least a 15% discount, if not 25% or more.

Well, I think that's why some of these guys have mentioned that most of their customers purchase the minis themselves and then ship to the painter. But, don't you tend to seek out a painter based upon his reputation and quality, rather than the price he gets you for your models? Don't get me wrong, price is always a factor in a purchase, but it's not a major factor when dealing with an established commission painter.

Unless we are talking direct only then you are able to purchase at a discount price all over the place. I always charge the client what I paid for, but most of the time people send me the minis they want painted .

If I was to price out for you this is how the bill would work.

Cost of model/s: (if shipped to me it would be n/a)
Degree of detail pricing:
Table top quality: $6-8 per hr. (Squad of marines 3-4hrs)
Above table top quality: $8-12 per hr (Squad of maines 5-7hrs)
Competition quality: $12-15 per hr (squad of marines 8-10hrs)
Cost of materials:
Shipping and Handling:

So for a squad of marines, if you shipped them to me and you wanted tabletop quality painted with sand and static grass basing.

Id charge;
$18-32 for painting
$7-10 for materials
Shipping and handling costs. ($3-5)

Just what I would usually price out, takes 3-5 day turn around.

 Shinoden wrote:
If I was to price out for you this is how the bill would work.

Cost of model/s: (if shipped to me it would be n/a)
Degree of detail pricing:
Table top quality: $6-8 per hr. (Squad of marines 3-4hrs)
Above table top quality: $8-12 per hr (Squad of maines 5-7hrs)
Competition quality: $12-15 per hr (squad of marines 8-10hrs)
Cost of materials:
Shipping and Handling:

So for a squad of marines, if you shipped them to me and you wanted tabletop quality painted with sand and static grass basing.

Id charge;
$18-32 for painting
$7-10 for materials
Shipping and handling costs. ($3-5)

Just what I would usually price out, takes 3-5 day turn around.

Eesh, you're fast. For the qualities you state I'm looking at that amount of time per marine, not per squad. Any pics or hints?

When im talking table top standards I am talk basic color, light blending and basic base. Something similar to the painting on my battle sister. Above table top standard would be more indepth blending, free hand work (if wanted), weathering, designed base (sculpting required). More like my Eldar swooping hawk.

 Shinoden wrote:
If I was to price out for you this is how the bill would work.

Cost of model/s: (if shipped to me it would be n/a)
Degree of detail pricing:
Table top quality: $6-8 per hr. (Squad of marines 3-4hrs)
Above table top quality: $8-12 per hr (Squad of maines 5-7hrs)
Competition quality: $12-15 per hr (squad of marines 8-10hrs)
Cost of materials:
Shipping and Handling:

So for a squad of marines, if you shipped them to me and you wanted tabletop quality painted with sand and static grass basing.

Id charge;
$18-32 for painting
$7-10 for materials
Shipping and handling costs. ($3-5)

Just what I would usually price out, takes 3-5 day turn around.

Interesting. Thanks for the breakdown, Shinoden. As winterdyne said, you're very efficient and your prices look to be very competitive. I doubt I could manage that speed Time is such a killer. I know you guys don't make bank, but surviving on $8-$10/hour is a tall order. And this is coming from a frugal person who lives modestly in an area where the cost of living is relatively low.

I enjoy painting very much, and besides my FT job, I'm usually painting. Ive been painting for nearly 15yrs now so I've found alot of quick tricks and methods. Tau, Cadian, Eldar, and Marines are the easiest to paint, they paint up quickly.

The fine print on my painting ad reads "Cost does not include cost of figure(s)." For all my services to date, the client has provided the models, so it's never figured into the final price.