As I mentioned yesterday, I was going to post the actual expenses and profit from an accurate record kept by a reborning/sculpting friend of mine. Here is her list:
Reborn: March 25, 2011 11:15 AM Weight: 6 lb 1/2 oz Length: 20"
"Baylee" Lorna Miller Sands $32.95
BB Body $13.84
Material $1.00
Polyfil $2.00
Tools & Supplies $12.96
Glass Beads $6.00
2 Lg Magnets $1.34
Mohair $10.00
7 46g crown needles $10.50
Pacifier $1.08
Diaper $1.00
Sandals $8.61
3 pc Romper Set $20.69
2 pc "Happy Easter Everybunny" Set $5.39
2 pc Footed Sleeper $7.10
Blanket $2.02
Certificate Sleeve $1.00
Certificate $3.00
Ebay Listing Fee $8.85
Ebay Final Value Fee $50.00
Paypal Fee $32.50
Packaging supplies
includes free USPS box, ink, label,
tissue paper, bubble wrap, tape,
ribbon and rattle: $4.51
Total amount in Doll~supplies/fees $149.83
After sale expenses: $85.50
Total in making/selling the doll: $234.83
Artist’s time: 19 hours to root
18 hours to paint
= 37 hours X minimum $10/hr
$370.00
Grand total with artist pay: $604.83
Sold for $650.00
Traveling Fare (Buyer paid actual shipping of $58.50 so there was no cost to the artist)
Profit from Sale figuring that the artist is paid for her work: $45.17
This artist actually was paid for her time AND had a little bonus to her sale! Now, had she used a more expensive kit that bonus would have been gobbled up. She was wise on this creation keeping her kit and clothing costs low (the clothing costs were low but wow were the outfits ADORABLE! I saw the baby and auction). This sale had a happy ending...well almost. These figures do not calculate the fact that the artist will have to pay about a 1/3 of her actual income earned to...taxes.
Edited to add:
Speaking of taxes...I am working on mine this week (and last). Wow. I really should get a real job! LOL I will have to share later what my total sales vs expenses were for 2010. It blows my socks off every year.
While I was assembling prototype Hillary, taking her pictures and listing her on eBay, I realized that these time factors were not figured into the hours of creating the baby mentioned above. I spent an ENTIRE day and evening doing those three things with Hillary. So you can add on another 10-12 hours of labor for that, dropping the "profit" from the above doll down lower.
I looked up the term "profit" in Funk and Wagnalls dictionary:
"Any advantage or gain; benefit."
"Excess of returns over outlay or expenditure."
"The return from the employment of capitol after deducting the amount paid for raw materials and for wages, rent, interest etc.~gross profit"
"The excess of receipts from sales over expenditures for production or purchase.~net profit"
Some think it is wrong for reborn artist to "work" for profit. I think it is clear that we don't work for profit at all! We work because we love the act of creating beautiful reborn dolls and making people happy.
In Other Nursery News:
I will be finishing up Prototype Hillary this morning. Her glosses will dry today and I'll take her pictures tomorrow and get her on eBay! Whew this one has been a LONG birth...and a difficult one at times! I chose really fine kid mohair for her which took a long time to root, kept tweaking the hair line, had problems with my glues setting the eyes in and rooted tiny lashes to her open eyes. I am very pleased with her in spite of the troubled birth and can't wait to show her off.
While she dries today, I will begin rooting on a custom order doll...the 2011 Drawing baby. Can't wait to show her to you as well. It's been an absolute delight reborning this little one for my 2011 winner!
Hugs for the day!
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