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I was thinking about what they could have done. (I watched the video.) I first thought, perhaps they could have just made them at their usual rate of work, and

I was thinking about what they could have done. (I watched the video.) I first thought, perhaps they could have just made them at their usual rate of work, and simply taken two, three years to deliver. This is the case with world-class restaurants that have year-long waiting lists. Or, they could have had a higher price. It was then that I realized why an "artisanal" scissor with a viral independent video about it and real old-world charm might cost $100. Not because it's "worth" $100. Not because hipsters are idiots who don't know what to do with their cash. But simply to limit the seller's obligation to fulfill. I am not saying it is the solution here, just that it gives another perspective on insane artisan pricing. (I hope my comment is not insensitive to the family and people involved. I have no idea of what is behind the story and express my sympathy to all involved.)

albertgoeswoof 8y ago
It’s 100 dollars because it costs 100 dollars to make, including enough margin to support the business
- logicallee 8y ago
  I don't know, from the write-up it does seem that their business was pretty sustainable at their usual prices. It seems to me that if they had received 90% fewer orders (not gone as viral) they would still be in business. Anyway if I had said "$400" my point still applies but I doubt you would say that's what it costs to make, including enough margin to support the business. It's just an alternative way to view a $100 (or $400) price point.
  - albertgoeswoof 8y ago
    Ultimately their pricing model was wrong, they could have charged more and still reached their kickstarter goal, which would have given bigger margins and would have put way less pressure on the business.
  - saalweachter 8y ago
    Strictly speaking raising the price isn't necessary to limit order volume; you could just ... limit order volume. There are X widgets available in 2018, and once they're ordered, they're gone. Granted, raising the price may also be good, because it restricts the market to "people who are willing to pay more" rather than "people who happen to order first", but sometimes that isn't desirable (this is a constant argument around eg PAX tickets).
jdietrich 8y ago
$100 really isn't a lot of money for hand-made scissors. It's the starting point for high-quality hairdressing scissors, with prices ranging to over $1,000. https://www.scissorscraft.co.uk/hairdressing-scissors https://www.scissorscraft.co.uk/hairdressing-scissors

albertgoeswoof 8y ago

It’s 100 dollars because it costs 100 dollars to make, including enough margin to support the business

logicallee 8y ago
I don't know, from the write-up it does seem that their business was pretty sustainable at their usual prices. It seems to me that if they had received 90% fewer orders (not gone as viral) they would still be in business. Anyway if I had said "$400" my point still applies but I doubt you would say that's what it costs to make, including enough margin to support the business. It's just an alternative way to view a $100 (or $400) price point.
- albertgoeswoof 8y ago
  Ultimately their pricing model was wrong, they could have charged more and still reached their kickstarter goal, which would have given bigger margins and would have put way less pressure on the business.
- saalweachter 8y ago
  Strictly speaking raising the price isn't necessary to limit order volume; you could just ... limit order volume. There are X widgets available in 2018, and once they're ordered, they're gone. Granted, raising the price may also be good, because it restricts the market to "people who are willing to pay more" rather than "people who happen to order first", but sometimes that isn't desirable (this is a constant argument around eg PAX tickets).

jdietrich 8y ago

$100 really isn't a lot of money for hand-made scissors. It's the starting point for high-quality hairdressing scissors, with prices ranging to over $1,000. https://www.scissorscraft.co.uk/hairdressing-scissors https://www.scissorscraft.co.uk/hairdressing-scissors