Question for you coin carvers.

Glenn · Mar 26, 2007

I just purchased a hobo nickel on ebay for $26.99 plus shipping. My question to you coin carvers is how much time do you spend carving a hobo nickel? What is the going price for a hobo nickel or any other carved coin in todays market? How much per hour are you coin carvers making? Just some questions for thought and discussion.

Steve Adams · Mar 26, 2007

How much time do you spend carving a hobo nickel ? Answer : However much time the design dictates. That could be six hours or six days, for me an average is two or three days. The going price covers a wide range , as it seems there are carvings under $10 and carvings over $2,000, but you get what you pay for. Many professional engravers charge not by the hour, but by what they think the work is worth. Design and how unique the carving is can play a big part. An hourly rate can be established for a base guideline, for instance the carving must get no less than what I make per hour in my regular work. Telling you what a carver makes per hour won't help because everyone makes different amounts. It is the skill level and expierience, as well as how sought after a paticular persons work is that in most cases is the determining factor. There is one exception to this and that is the quick type carvings. The whole idea there is how many you can produce per hour rather than how many hours it takes. I won't debate the method, to each his own, but I prefer to spend some time on my work. Maybe another carver or two will post on this, I'm sure there are differents views. Just a guess, but I would bet a good carver can make as much per hour as any professional craftsman in the trades industry. Vey few carvers that I know do it for the money though. It is a love for the art for most.

Shamey · Mar 26, 2007

From my experience you pretty much have to let the collectors decide what it is worth by posting a few on EBay and seeing what they are willing to spend for your carving. If it is a good carving it will bring a good price. After a few postings you will get idea what your work is worth to the people that are interested in collecting carved coins.
Usually a carvers first offering will bring a higher price than the next few since the collectors like to have a new kid on the block's first coin. There are no set rules. Carve one and post it on EBay and you might be pleasantly surprised! Like Steve said, I don't think you will be doing it for the money but it sure is fun.

Glenn · Mar 26, 2007

Steve,
Very good answer and I believe what you say is correct. I'm always botherd by how little some artists get paid for their work even if it deserves a premium price. When I see some thing sell for virtually nothing it hurts me to think some one has spent much of their lifes blood for little consideration. It seems like so many artists struggle to make ends meet.
My 4 bits.

Andrew Biggs · Mar 26, 2007

Ahhhh, but don't forget that when the artist dies the prices start going through the roof and in about a hundred years it will apear on Antiques Roadshow with some expert telling the lucky owner that it's worth an outrageous fortune!!!!!

Or you could implement an immidiate marketing strategey by cutting off an ear or going insane, preferably both. That usally bumps the prices up a bit!!!

Cheers
Andrew

Jim-Iowa · Mar 26, 2007

Andrew Biggs said:
Ahhhh, but don't forget that when the artist dies the prices start going through the roof and in about a hundred years it will apear on Antiques Roadshow with some expert telling the lucky owner that it's worth an outrageous fortune!!!!!

Or you could implement an immidiate marketing strategey by cutting off an ear or going insane, preferably both. That usally bumps the prices up a bit!!!

Cheers
Andrew

Well Andrew, I'm thinking one would have had to already have gone insane to cut off his ear?
And I've seen pictures of that guy, He was ugly enough before he hacked off the ear

Billzach · Mar 26, 2007

All of the answers i,ve read i think are correct, I,ve been carving coins about 11 years and in the early years i had a goal of getting $100 for a carving, after i got $100 for a carving i set a higher goal ..While i,m still carving hobo nickel related coins, i,m getting more into other art forms of carved coins.. While I think i can carve a very nice coin, i think we,ve some master coin carvers today [ They are on this forum ]..Also some of the new carved coins i,ve seen on this forum are amazing...

monk · Aug 6, 2007

i'm not sure, but i don't think a lot of the coin carvers have to "act" crazy. speaking strictly for myself, anyone who does this, has to be nuts ! oh, and what does your daddy do at home little girl? "oh he takes nickels from my piggy bank" !

coincutter · Aug 6, 2007

If thats how it works please tell everyone i am dead so i can get more money.

I think you get what you pay for in coins. There is a wide variety to choose from. I am beginning to wonder if the Chinese arent getting into the act too. If a carver does good work on good coins then life will be good. You try to pull a fast one and you go down the dumper.

With the number of new carvers trying their hand at it will make for an interesting year. I am trying to help several up and coming cutters and it's exciting to see them make progress and learn the art form. I have no doubt they cuss me now and then but this is one American art form that deserves attention regardless of the money involved. (Pun intended!)

walrafen · Aug 6, 2007

It is all a balancing act from my perspective.

I WANT to compensate the artist for their talent and hard work... not garner for myself a one time GOOD DEAL and move on to the next sucker. My goal is to encourage each individual so that they generate more art works, not less art works. Obviously resources are limited on both sides of the equation. If I expend huge amounts on every new acquisition it isn't long until I can no longer purchase additional pieces... as I said in my title; "It is all a balancing act from my perspective."

Speaking of art works I want to sing the praises on one of our group here who deserves recognition in my eyes (without detracting from any of the other talented folks who haunt this site of course)... Derek "Degs" Pegnall just finished up a carved nickel for me today and I am thrilled with it. It reminds us both of an English Game Keeper or Gillie(Ghillie)... what we would call a Guide here on this side of the Pond. If I can make this include picture thingy work I'll show you what I mean. Just don't ask me what I paid Degs for this fine work. I will tell you it wasn't enough but I don't want Degs to know of course.

I admire you one and all- V-Dubya

coincutter · Aug 6, 2007

Hee heee
I had a picture of it before you did!!!!!

Whatever you paid him was not enough unless you bypassed the VAT
thats a fine coin .. Degs is a damn good engraver - musicuian and a has a lot of other talents which are illegal to disclose.

walrafen · Aug 6, 2007

I had a picture of it before you did!!!!!

And how is it that you know the precise moment that Degs first sent me a picture of this carving? I saw it first at 5:01am this morning but then who's watching the clock that time of the day anyway?

coincutter · Aug 6, 2007

because I saw it one sun cycle before - dont forget we are closer to england here in colorado
we dont do hours and minutes - just sun cycles - it was one sun cycle earlier than you had it said so in the fine print
if you promise not to make fun of me you can join us in a skype conference call soon
we should have his system wired and playing audio if not video by then
get it installed its a rip

have you seen the degs frank zappa looka like picture yet -twins they be
i need to carve a coin of degs with his hair on I bet he would pay me thousands of sheckles for it
ps pretty in your bucket
degs liked it therefore i consider it a very valuable coin

Marcus Hunt · Aug 7, 2007

I love carving nickels but compared with 'the day job' the recompense is not good due to the exchange rate, in fact it's dire. That's the reason I'm not really selling any at the moment. I'm sorry but I don't want to give stuff away, if one does coin carving becomes seriously under valued which is not only bad for the artist but the collector too. I don't think I'll ever make as much carving coins as engraving guns but it makes a break and its a lot of fun.

Glenn · Aug 7, 2007

Marcus,
Would you mind showing some of your coins?
Regards, Glenn

walrafen · Aug 7, 2007

coincutter · Aug 7, 2007

explain please

if one does coin carving becomes seriously under valued which is not only bad for the artist but the collector too.

Michael Orticelli · Aug 7, 2007

coincutter said:
explain please

if one does coin carving becomes seriously under valued which is not only bad for the artist but the collector too.

I think he was saying that giving away your work for too little "coin" will wash out the market, collections will devalue and the rest of the artists will suffer for it.

walrafen · Aug 7, 2007

...not only bad for the artist but the collector too.

I read what Marcus said to mean that nickel carvings only get made when artists are paid for their work.

If they are literally given away below the cost of making them then I can see collectors loosing out several ways; 1) fewer and fewer carvings would get created, 2) no new talented artists would be attracted to the genre, 3) those of us who pay fair value for pieces would find our collections dropping in value over time under those circumstances, and I am certain I could think of other things as well.

Oddly enough... bargains almost always are never bargains in these situations. It seems counter intuitive but it generally proves out as true none the less.

Not to put words in Marcus' mouth... I am sure he can speak for himself- V-Dubya

Marcus Hunt · Aug 7, 2007

Steve, both Verne and Michael have explaned it perfectly. I think my punctuation was to blame. It should read as "if one does, coin carving becomes serously undervalued...etc" NOT "if one does coin carving....." Sorry for the mistake. Anything one just gives away (unless it's a gift in which case it has value in it's own right) in my opinion devalues a skill. Basically that's what the Chinese are doing because their cost of living can bear it but look at what it's done to the skill set in the western world. It's made a lot of it virtually worthless, businesses close, men can't feed their families and all because we want something for nothing or next to it!

Question for you coin carvers.

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