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Post by Mel on Jan 30, 2021 22:45:38 GMT -5
So when I bought my saw a few months back, I got a pile of random slabs, and rough. Now, I am primarily a tumbler, not so much a cabber (yet....assuming I can ever find ANY time I want to change that). Most of it appears to be jaspers, a LOT of mookaite, chrysocolla, some kind of rhyolite (guessing on that one), and rhodonite. Lots of rough of each too. What do you guys think a fair price for an average slab of these material is? $4-5? How do you decide what to price your slabs at?
Thanks for any input!
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Jan 31, 2021 10:06:55 GMT -5
Market research online will tell you what your slabs might sell for. Experienced dealers know they can't price them too high if they want to move them.
To figure your costs just add cost of rough (plus up to 50% for kerf loss and heels), electricity, saw oil, blades - and something for your time.
Sometimes buyers at shows want to pay a lot less for slabs of self-collected material. We've figured that material from casual collecting trips can be more expensive than rough bought online. Your time (collecting instead of cutting), vehicle expenses, and food/drinks can add up to more than we thought in the beginning.
Many things to consider, but the main one is that any item is only worth what someone else will pay you for it.
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Post by rockjunquie on Jan 31, 2021 10:49:45 GMT -5
I agree. Do some research online at ebay and other places. I don't see many good mooka slabs anymore and getting good rhodonite is damn near impossible. You'll have to consider the quality of the slab, too. What is your rhodo location?
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Fossilman
Cave Dweller 
Member since January 2009
Posts: 20,723 
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Post by Fossilman on Jan 31, 2021 10:54:57 GMT -5
That's what I do, hit Ebay and ESTY and see what prices are, than do an average.... Also some material is worth way for than other and the other way around too..
Keep notes on your sales too..
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Post by hummingbirdstones on Jan 31, 2021 10:56:52 GMT -5
I'll add to what Vince said by saying that the size of the slabs and the quality of the material will make a big difference in cost, too. Really nice material with no fractures and soft/pitty areas will command a higher price.
For instance, the chrysocolla can be very soft and crumbly, but if it's chrysocolla in quartz can be a hard, easy to cut and polish material that people will snap up in a flash. Chrysocolla is one of those materials that sell well if the material is good. If it's the soft, crumbly stuff it works great as a yard rock.
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Post by Mel on Jan 31, 2021 17:42:45 GMT -5
Thanks guys, you pretty much confirmed what I've been doing. I was thinking $6-10 a slab seems fairly reasonable, regardless of material as a starting point for most, since blades & time aren't free. Excellent point about the softer material too hummingbirdstones ! rockjunquie - the rhodonite (as far as I was told) is from BC. It's average stuff, but there are a few really nice smaller slabs. I'm going to put the last of it through the saw today and see what I get. (edited, thanks for pointing that out HBS!). |
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Post by stardiamond on Feb 1, 2021 0:40:35 GMT -5
When checking eBay, select sold items and sort by selling price or sold date. I don't believe in the average slab concept. A slab is valued by material and attributes. I slab for my own use and buy all my rough. If I collected, I might be looking at saw time.
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Feb 1, 2021 9:00:39 GMT -5
Do a search for slabbing services. You should find prices per square inch for slabbing rough you send to them. You will be surprised.
Also, you can't really say "regardless of material" when it comes to selling slabs. There are lots of things I'd love to find for $10/slab.
Your estimate is a good starting point for solid small-to-medium sized lapidary quality slabs of commonly availabe types of rough.
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Post by Mel on Feb 1, 2021 10:35:02 GMT -5
Do a search for slabbing services. You should find prices per square inch for slabbing rough you send to them. You will be surprised.
Also, you can't really say "regardless of material" when it comes to selling slabs. There are lots of things I'd love to find for $10/slab.
Your estimate is a good starting point for solid small-to-medium sized lapidary quality slabs of commonly availabe types of rough.
Definitely true (sorry, edited my post to clarify it). The biggest thing is that I live in an area with no clubs (closest one is 3-4 hours away) and closest lapidary shop is ~7. The lapidary shop sells thin slices of kambaba jasper for $10-15 so I figured at $6-7 as a starting point for my regular slabbed jasper wouldn't be too crazy. My biggest fear is underpricing myself but time will tell right? I always find the concept of "expensive" in lapidary to be such a fascinating thing; it's the ultimate case of supply/demand, and even with a great source, great rough sometimes includes a good deal of luck. If it's rare you're after, I have some Saskatchewan granite for you @hummgbirdstones2! (It's sooooo rare I can't even get it into my shop, and it's doesn't exist for miles and miles...... until you get outside a 5 mile radius of my shop, then there are fairly large boulders of it on most pastures  ). |
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Post by hummingbirdstones2 on Feb 1, 2021 17:47:48 GMT -5
Mel - If you figure half of what the slabbing services rates are, then your estimate of slab prices was right on.
Since their rates would include some profit for their businesses, I think you did a great job figuring your prices.
At shows we have slabs from $3 "someone might like it" to $25-40 ones. The higher end are larger, or more expensive and/or rare types of rough.
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Post by stephan on Feb 1, 2021 23:37:33 GMT -5
Another thing to consider is that items with free shipping sell better, so you want to price that in.
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NRG
fully equipped rock polisher
Member since February 2018
Posts: 1,688
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Post by NRG on Feb 3, 2021 22:50:46 GMT -5
As a life long pricing dude 😳
I wonder what your goal is. If it’s to maximize profits, then ya gotta do your homework.
If it’s to simply move a load of slabs, $10/slab sells almost any material. Small slabbettes for $5
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