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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Dec 5, 2008 13:42:17 GMT -5
So I went to a local jewelry store that also caters to rockhounds and people who make jewelry. Anyway, they had some cabs for sale. I've never priced cabs before, so I was a little surprised: Large (1.25" by 1") Bruneau $95 Medium Bruneau $75 Most cabs were in the $45 range.
They were nice cabs, but I wonder how many they sell.
Are those typical non-ebay prices?
Chuck
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Post by Tonyterner on Dec 5, 2008 13:59:35 GMT -5
Whew if that is typical prices I'm charging way too little. I'll have to price some next time I'm at my local rock shop. I don't know how expensive they are but one woman who works there and does silver work wants to buy some of mine. Don't know what she is expecting to pay though.
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Post by akansan on Dec 5, 2008 14:55:05 GMT -5
Those are a lot higher than cab prices at shows as well. What I've seen at shows is $10-$30 for hand-cut cabs, priced dependant on size and material. If the material is really fantastic, the price obviously jumps. If you're a well-known cutter, such as Silverhawk, and if the cabs are unique shapes out of pricier material, then yes, I can see $45/cab. Actually, it looks like Silverhawk's prices have gone down (or I've adjusted my mental budget eyes ) since last I looked. www.samsilverhawk.com/gems1.htmlI'm still trying to wrap my mind around 1" x 1.25" being thought of as large. :
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1rockhound
spending too much on rocks
Member since July 2008
Posts: 286
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Post by 1rockhound on Dec 5, 2008 15:01:39 GMT -5
You do have to realize that very little Bruneau Jasper is being mined anymore actually non existent which brings the price way up. Also if it has very good patterns it will increase it's value. For example high grade Morrisonite that is for sale at my local rock shop is $100 pound and it from the people that discovered it in the 40's. Some cab prices will be determined by how much the rough cost and it availability.
Jason
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Dec 5, 2008 15:25:36 GMT -5
Rare materials handled by skilled or well known cutters can mean cab prices from the mid $$ to the $$$ range.
Sam Silverhawk is a pretty good yardstick, but lately his son has been doing a lot of what shows up on his site, and Chris isn't yet getting away with charging what his dad did. Even so you'll find a couple of the nicer stones there have sold for pretty good premiums.
It comes down to who is buying and how much they want a stone, the market isn't helped by commercial and automated cutting outfits dumping calibrated cabs on the market for pennies, but again, the good materials and creative cutters can demand really good prices and find plenty of artisans willing to pay for their talent.
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Post by bobby1 on Dec 5, 2008 18:18:21 GMT -5
Jewelry stores' prices are somewhat inflated. They mark their pieces up 3 to 5 times their wholesale cost. My daughter-in-law works as a sales manager at a major West Coast jewelry chain. Recently she was telling me of a grab and run theft that they recently had. The ring was a 1 1/2 carat diamond priced at $17,000. I asked her what it cost for them to replace it from their supplier. She said.........................$4,000. So these cab prices are well within their price structure. Expensive to us, though. Bob
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Sabre52
Cave Dweller
Me and my gal, Rosie
Member since August 2005
Posts: 20,466
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Post by Sabre52 on Dec 5, 2008 20:11:33 GMT -5
Man, every time I have someone give me a link to Silverhawk's cabs I lose two hours of time *L*. He must really spend some money on slabs because his cabs are some of the very best examples of most the materials on the market....Mel
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Post by Bikerrandy on Dec 5, 2008 20:22:27 GMT -5
Retailers have to pay for shop rent, employees, insurance, a crap load of taxes.... When I owned my 12 bay auto repair shop, $22,000 a month was my "break even" point.
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Post by Tonyterner on Dec 5, 2008 20:38:11 GMT -5
WOW!!!!!! That silver guys rocks are incredible.
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49er
freely admits to licking rocks
Member since February 2008
Posts: 753
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Post by 49er on Dec 5, 2008 23:04:36 GMT -5
I need to set up a site to sell my cabs after checking out 'silvers' site. I can understand the increase of prices. Sonora Sunrise is a high price rock to begin with. Iron wood will be on the increase due to lack of good material. Understand all material being mined is too soft.
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Post by Bejewelme on Dec 5, 2008 23:16:33 GMT -5
Man I just looked at that silverhawk website, man, he is a master, what beautiful material and shapes, WOWOWWOWOWOWOWOW.
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Post by Bikerrandy on Dec 6, 2008 8:24:52 GMT -5
I agree, some of that stuff is unreal!! This one really caught my eye, looks like somebody punched a hole in a plaster wall
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drjo
fully equipped rock polisher
Honduran Opal & DIY Nut
Member since May 2008
Posts: 1,581
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Post by drjo on Dec 6, 2008 9:36:05 GMT -5
The wall I punched is not near as pretty as that ;D
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Post by stonesthatrock on Dec 6, 2008 10:28:50 GMT -5
yes he is one of my favorites also. I wish i could say i only spend 2 yrs on his site lol
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Post by akansan on Dec 6, 2008 11:46:11 GMT -5
I hadn't realized Sam Silverhawk had passed along the reins to his son. That makes sense. I assume the higher priced pieces on the site are Sam's pieces then.
And my $45/stone was more of a baseline for common material from well-known cutters. Some day I'm sure Ed's name will be among those!
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Post by Hard Rock Cafe on Dec 6, 2008 11:51:40 GMT -5
Yep, the cheap calibrated cabs on ebay or available from rockhound supply companies are impossible to compete with. I look at them and think "teenage girl jewelry". Fortunately, they're not using great material or doing free-forms.
Stores definitely have overhead and pay, and like anything else the cost of raw materials affects the cost of the final product. Maybe if I ever learn to make cabs I can supply some to the shop at 'wholesale'....it would be better than ebay!
Silverhawk's stuff is really nice. I hope he gets more than one cab per slab!
Thanks all for your replies!
Chuck
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rallyrocks
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since November 2005
Posts: 1,507
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Post by rallyrocks on Dec 6, 2008 11:56:02 GMT -5
I hadn't realized Sam Silverhawk had passed along the reigns to his son. That makes sense. I assume the higher priced pieces on the site are Sam's pieces then. Actually I now see that the have seperated Chris' work out to their "Sale cabs" page while Sam's still make up the main Gemstones page. With his dad's slab stock to pick from, Chris' pieces are getting to be really nice too.
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Post by Tweetiepy on Dec 6, 2008 12:51:30 GMT -5
Samsilverhawk's website gets my attention too for a few hours, I even printed out pics of his cabs to get ideas on different shapes to use - his work is amazing - it,s like that ringofartist.com website, I love those - those two sites are like sex in rocks! My cabs are like vomitstones in comparison!
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deedolce
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since October 2006
Posts: 1,828
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Post by deedolce on Dec 6, 2008 23:03:43 GMT -5
He's my favorite cutter! When I first started cabbing, over time I bought two of his cabs (the less expensive ones) to see and feel his work in hand! And then I tried to replicate him. He doesn't have beveled edges! And his workmanship, of course, is EXCELLENT!! I still pull them out from time to time to 'remember' and put his by mine to see if I've gotten to far off in what I'm getting off the wheel. His eye is so refined and he is a Master at what he does!
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