The real cost of my big industrial salvage piece
Just finished calculating the final tally for that massive piece made from old factory parts I showed a few months back. The raw materials were almost nothing, of course. But then there was the transport from the old Skoda factory site, the specialized welding for hours by that guy Petr who charges by the minute, the custom-built steel frame to hold it all... I looked at the invoice and my first thought was 'Is this a joke?' It came out to 85,000 CZK before I even thought about my own time. Nearly fainted. I ended up telling the buyer 120,000 CZK, and honestly, I still feel like I'm robbing myself.
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That's a significant number, even for a large piece. The hidden costs of salvage art can be brutal. Petr's hourly rate sounds... intense. Good that you found a buyer who appreciates the labour and materials, though. It's always a fine line between valuing your work and pricing yourself out of the market.
Petr's rate is indeed... historic. But he is an artist with the torch, a true craftsman. It's that kind of detail that makes the difference between junk and, well, my junk. The market is a mystery, always. You guess, you roll the dice. Glad this one landed.