Going Professional

With all the talent that is here, I was wondering if anyone here has tried doing this prefessionally, either for a living or just to make some money on the side. I know of some of you sell what you build. Do you do it regularly? How did you find people that want to buy what you build?
This has probably crossed the mind of everyone who`s been building for a while and really enjoys it. I`ve heard of people who do this for a living, but charge $500-$1500/model. :eek: But it would probably be the dream job for most of us. :)

I have built a few for other people and am currently starting another.

The first one I built as a favor, he told a friend about my work and sicne then it has been word-of-mouth really.
I've never advertised or anything, just had people approach me and ask if I can build one for them.

As far as money, I have only really covered expenses and made a little to fund my own building.

OK the money would be nice, but then you would have the pressure to get it right, on time etc. No it would spoil the hobby for me I'm afraid.
I also build the cars I like. You may get asked to build something you really hate and you heart would not be in it. That's my outlook on it.

I'm going to be. But not pro-builder but to help my friend 'Garage43.com' to becoming a bodykits and tran-kits builder.

Rtuned

OK the money would be nice, but then you would have the pressure to get it right, on time etc. No it would spoil the hobby for me I'm afraid.
I also build the cars I like. You may get asked to build something you really hate and you heart would not be in it. That's my outlook on it.

I agree. Also, I'm not all that good... I've built a couple cars for friends, but that was just for fun and 'cause those friends were cute. A few people have suggested I do it for a living (they've never seen any of ya'll's work!) and that it would be so much fun.... But the idea of pro model building doesn't excite me... what would I do when I got home from a stressful day of model building?

You have to put yourself in a certain mindset that I like to compare with cartoonist or comic book artists. Aside from building models I also sketch, airbrush, and do paintings on a commission basis. If you're not ready to part with your work then this isn't for you. You have to simply see it as a job or a paying hobby. You do have to deal with pressure and deadlines and that's what a job is about. I started out not wanting to sell off such original and unique works but, you learn to adjust to that and keep photo records in a portfolio of all you've done. You do get paid substantially more by people for one-off projects and unique requests, that comes as a nice perk. The most I got for one model building job was in the $600 range and I'm not a true pro, it's more about who your customer is and typically they'll only pay around $50-$100. However, I did paint a wall mural in a home several years ago and got over $6000 for it. I have a regular day job these days so I can't build as many models I'd want to but, it still is nice to make the extra money on occassion.

Good luck if you decide to do this. :smile:

Bigg "E"

I'm going to be. But not pro-builder but to help my friend 'Garage43.com' to becoming a bodykits and tran-kits builder.

Rtuned

Would you be building in 1/24 or 43?

I don't think I'm good enough plus I just do it for fun. :)

Ok, I am getting a common sentiment here:
Everyone would like to enjoy their hobby, and they dont want the pressures/deadlines to spoil the fun? I can`t say I`m surprised. It would be my concern too.

Suby:
I can`t imagine building for anyone other than a relative for $50-$100! :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

Tonio,
You are waaaaaaayyyyyy to modest!!! :)

I don't think there's alot of money to be made here. You might find the odd buyer willing to pay you a fair value for your time/talent, but they'll be rare. I wouldn't feel very confident about making the mortgage payments without some other source of income...

Murray

I don't think there's alot of money to be made here. You might find the odd buyer willing to pay you a fair value for your time/talent, but they'll be rare. I wouldn't feel very confident about making the mortgage payments without some other source of income...

Murray

I agree with Murray. I can't imagine a line of people waiting for pay you several hundred dollars to build a model. And you'd probably have to build several at a time to make "real job" money.

I think the money is in the accessories part of the hobby. People are always asking "Hey, does anyone make this?" or "That be a cool kit/wing/wheel/etc to have." There a lot more of us (hobbyists) out there than people paying to have a model built. And more people are willing to plunk $20 for a trans-kit, $5 for resin parts, etc than $500 to have their car replicated in 1:24. And it'd still be fun building kits. You'd be showing off your products and getting more business.

I don't think I'm good enough ....
that is exactly how i feel :smile:
AND you are wayy good enough antonio :smokin:

I kind of thought that would be fun, but modeling isn't what I would love to do for the rest of my life. Its fun and all, but just a stress releiver I think.

I guess u could say i'm living the dream :biggrin: SAS is a full time thing for me, every day is a model making day, what more can you ask for? I'm not sure how someone can make a living from just being commissioned to build kits, there can't be that much of a market for it. The only modelers i know of that are able to do this are those with some serious modeling skills and able to scratchbuild larger scale cars, usually pre war classics. Then there are the magazine writers but there are only a handful of people involved fulltime as some of the content is from contributers. Perhaps the easier approach is to do something along the lines of what i do and tackle the aftermarket side of things, SAS is basically run from my bedroom and the spare room nextdoor. As long as you have the right ideas and right skills then you can do it.

I have made a few models for people, but to me its just not the same as building one for yourself.
The ones i have built, the people dont know the amount of work that goes into one. When i tried to charge the person he thought i was joking when i told him the price.
I would like to do it full time, but its hard to put a price on what we do.

I took commission many times, and I enjoy building every one of them. (For some reason, I get many inquiries from SW20 owners.)
Plus, I need some pressure to complete kits. (LOL)

I'm in the middle of my first commissioned work right now, and I'm doing it for next to nothing, mostly just to see if I can pull it off and do a decent job of it.

Of course, if he offers me more money at delivery, I probably will not refuse...

I'm no good at all so I never considered going pro.

Looking the commision that you guys got paid, isn't that less than $10 per hour? I'm sure most of you make more money on your day job. I don't see how anyone can do this for a living.

BTW, if I tell my wife that I want to become a pro modeller then she'll rolling on the floor laughing!! Then if I tell her again seriously she'll divorce me.

Would you be building in 1/24 or 43?

For body kits or tran-kit, mainly for 1/24 scale. I'm still not into 1/43 yet, but am learning on build stock version before doing crazy thing again :lol: , not only that, will build some 1/20 too. But most of them will focus in Japan or Europe market.

There wasn't anyone in SG will paid that much for us to build 1 model or 1 body kit, but there was market for it. To become a Pro-builder is not easy. Stephan told my friend that he can be better if he join him and he will teach him more pro than now. My friend wanted to but thinking his skill is still not there...I want my skill to be like my friend. Btw, he got himself a .com.... www.garage43.com
Oops!! :redface: I think I talk too much...
Rtuned :lol2:

I totally agree with P-Man, it's hard to put a price on this craft. Most people don't know the value and only want to pay enough to cover the price of the kit and materials used. It's hard as a business and not as satisfying as doing it for your own enjoyment at your own pace.

Bigg "E"

Sure it would be a dream job, but the thing is I wouldn't be able to give up the cars that I made........

I think I can leave my opinion since I was selling and building for friends diecast in 1/43 to 1/18.Doing simple jobs as repaints and simple bodykits I never had any real money earned since most of the money went for new cars,materials,paints...The good things about this hole period(I have almost 6 months to build a metal model car...)is that I build many cars that I didn't had the money to build otherwise and created a small diecast collection(around 40 diecast models)...
On the other hand there is something that really bothers me more than the pricing of each model....It's that I miss every one of them....Most of you propably know that even for a simple model that you spended hours creating it's your creation and always going to be unique...and you propably will not want to part with it...Also I'll add to that that I've seen one of them(months after completion) that costed about 150US in materials have a big scratch in th great paintjob...That really make me fell bad...

On the plastic models know I took my first project for someone else and it was a quick one wo I really not had time to think but:
1.Know I don't want to finish my other Civic 'cause the one built look ten times better!
2.I didn't even had time to take some finished pics!
3.My best job untill today isnt here.
4.I think that doing it just for the cost of the kits wasn't the best idea I ever had...

Thge good thing is that I build a great Civic which is a OOP Haasewaga kit and I made a friend happy when I gave him the finished item exactly to his specs...

Sorry for the long post just some thoughts of a non professional modeler
that did model on reqeust/for money...