Battery Oaks Billy’s 20ga Western Arms Corp. Long Range project

NiceOldDouble said:
Well, I am quite busy, I often sell and price low, and I never took an economics course. Much to learn.
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Here's what I Know...you are doing work that can not be found anywhere around my part of the woods. Charge accordingly.....

MANY years ago, we had a few cases left to do at 5:00. I was going to stay and get a good run at them for the next day. A man that worked for us was a WWI veteran. He was about 6'6" even bowed over at age 79. He came over to me and said....Time to go home Boy......I replied....Wellll I thought I'd stay late and get some of these leftovers done for tomorrow......He came over to where I was working and said........Sit down here in this chair Boy, Ima tell you something that Should last you the rest of your life. You have No education, you have Only your skills and Time to sell. If you give them to this Dental Practice, they will take them. Now, go Home and eat supper with your wife and tomorrow We will get back after this again. Your Skills, Your Choice. He stood up, straightened himself up, put on his sport coat, and WE walked out together........I have passed this along hundreds of times....now You have been told....Your Skills, Your Time...the two most precious things you have to Sell to provide for your families' future.....sell it or give it away...Now You Have Been Told. Your Pard, Billy
 
NiceOldDouble said:
Well, I am quite busy, I often sell and price low, and I never took an economics course. Much to learn.
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Sorry, I realized when reading the quote that sounded condescending, wasn't intended that way. Learned the lesson myself when I used to do some work on the side.

The idea... simply put if you're quite busy then you're underpriced. If you charge 50% more and 30% of your work dries up... then you actually make a bit more money, use less material and have more time, so profit goes up even more than increase in income. Finding that balance is the tricky part, but if you're already doing okay but not quite, you just start phasing in increases. Sounds like your work is great and prices are good. Not trying to take $ from other members, but we all lose if you stop because it doesn't make financial sense, so better to have to be a great service to us while making you a good living! I'd start charging 10%, 15%, 20% more and see what happens to your workload. If people pass, save their info, your skill isn't a common one, could always use them as leads if/when your workload is light and do it for a reduced price. Better to pace your work that way because another sure way to hurt your business is to become so busy that turn around times get crazy long and people start complaining about about 6 month waits etc. (not on here per se, but maybe other forums.)

Anyway, sorry to put my nose where it doesn't belong but thought I should clarify since I came across like an arrogant PAB (as @BatteryOaksBilly would say).
 
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No one put their nose in where it doesn’t belong. Thank you @Mathieu18 and @BatteryOaksBilly for you council. I appreciate it. The hardness of this work is not new to me, it being required for paying all of my families bills is. I love being generous and giving, and also love not being stressed about money. I will think hard about how to balance all of these aspects of what I am choosing to do for a career now.

2/3 of the work on hand pictured below.

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NiceOldDouble said:
No one put their nose in where it doesn’t belong. Thank you @Mathieu18 and @BatteryOaksBilly for you council. I appreciate it. The hardness of this work is not new to me, it being required for paying all of my families bills is. I love being generous and giving, and also love not being stressed about money. I will think hard about how to balance all of these aspects of what I am choosing to do for a career now.

2/3 of the work on hand pictured below.

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I have an acquaintance of mine that has a Dental practice. He went in one morning [about 5 years ago now] and told his Up Front Girl to go up 100% on everything the office offered. He said at the time he figured he'd lose about 50% of his patients and his bottom line would remain the same. Welll in the 5 years afterward he said he initially lost about 15% of his patients and now has more than when he decided to go up.


Just some food for thought................................
 
BatteryOaksBilly said:
I have an acquaintance of mine that has a Dental practice. He went in one morning [about 5 years ago now] and told his Up Front Girl to go up 100% on everything the office offered. He said at the time he figured he'd lose about 50% of his patients and his bottom line would remain the same. Welll in the 5 years afterward he said he initially lost about 15% of his patients and now has more than when he decided to go up.


Just some food for thought................................
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@NiceOldDouble when you provide a quality service, you might be surprised what people are willing to pay! @BatteryOaksBilly glad I avoided the PAB designation. Would love to make it down that way sometime, I’m just across the border in the Southport area. Finding time is another question though…
 
One variable to this path has been my own confidence level, and assessments about people who are REALLY good at this work, for example Bachelder, Turnbull, DelGrego, and others, and how I measure up. I believe the approaches and philosophies of each are different as to what “restored” means, and how close each wish to get to “factory new”. My work will be compared to theirs. I do not pursue factory new, they do, so their prices should be higher. In some cases their pricing is higher than most people can afford.

My pursuits are around “restoring” the guns to sound, healthy, attractive, useful, and commemorative condition, aka putting years of condition back on the gun, but not wiping away all evidence of a wonderful life up to this point.

I am beginning to feel I’m worth what I charge, and will try to be bold in going further. That said, my CFF family will always get breaks on pricing, because I am that fantastically awesome and nice of a person. 😂

Lastly, as @NCFubar mentioned, I have applied to the American Custom Gunmaker’s Guild (ACGG.org) as a metal finisher (damascus, rust bluing, nitre bluing, black oxide, color casing). My work samples will be voted on in January at their annual meeting at the Dallas Safari Club show. The likes of Turnbull and other Guild members will vote on my admission. 12 voter, 2/3 majority required. I would appreciate your prayers. Usually you you’re not allowed to apply unless they already think your work is good enough. I think the main disappointment if I don’t will be more about spending the money on a trip to Dallas. I do my succeed or fail because of these votes.
 
Incredible stuff! I can only hope to be blessed with an unexpected heirloom in need of your level of tlc and the ability to have it done.

I feel privileged that I am a step ahead of most in the gun world because I'm a member here and you are just a message away if the day ever comes.


I don't see how anyone could not be impressed by your work. Your skill set is a rare and special commodity.

Don't let yourself lose the love for it. Bogging down in the financials is a surefire way to make a passion, just a way to make some money...

Don't be afraid to charge enough to make it not stressful. The work is clearly stressful enough, with every piece being sentimental to it's owner. Concerns about overhead and time shouldn't be in the picture.
 
Breaking news! I had the make wrong. It’s branded as Western Arms Co. Ithaca NY. It’s similar to a Flues, but more so to a Lefever Nitro Special.

The Nitro Special is not really a Lefever creation. Dan Lefever was an inventor, not a great business man. He had three failed partnerships before founding Lefever Arms. After a time he needed more investors so he took on the Durston’s. The Durston’s who were now officers of the company wanted a lower dollar gun, so they made Lefever made the DS Grade (Durston Special). It is the same platform as the higher grade sideplate guns, but very plain. Lefever then left the company, moved to Ohio, and started DM Lefever and Sons. The Durston’s sold the Lefever brand to Ithaca, who then made the Lefever Nitro Special.

I have a DS 12ga 28” that is almost ready for sale. Completely refinished.
 
NiceOldDouble said:
Thank you again, folks, for your kind words. I have worked for a long time at this, so the responses mean a great deal.
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Keep up ta hat kind of high quality work and you will work at it until you finally say you are done. You are doing some awesome work and should be in high demand
 
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