What's a fair price to charge to paint Miniatures?

[aco175]

That $20.00 for a decent paint job was in 2003 dollars, so that is closer to $100.00 now at the rate we are printing money.

 

[ccs]

I'll offer up a somewhat dissenting alternative - if painting miniatures is your hobby, you shouldn't charge anything.

If it's your hobby, you'd be painting something anyway, right? If the person you paint for pays for the miniature itself, the other costs (paints and time) are things you'd spend anyhow.

This person is giving you a chance to do something you enjoy more cheaply than you'd normally would, as you'd usually have to pay for the mini out of your own pocket. He's giving you something, and you're gonna make him pay to do it?

I've yet to meet someone who's hobby is painting minis/models (or playing minis based games) who doesn't have their own backlog, multiple projects, or both. They don't need to worry about you "giving" them something to work on.
So if they're painting your stuff? That means they're not not painting their stuff. And you're using up their supplies.
So expecting Free is foolish.

So when I paint for others, how much I charge depends upon;
How good a friend you are,
What exactly you want painted.
The amount of detail/quality you want.
How many figures you want painted.
How much time I expect this project to take. And on a related note, how soon you want/need this done.

 

[Umbran]

So expecting Free is foolish.

Dude, the post you are responding to is from 2003. I'm pretty sure that the statute of limitations is up after seventeen years.

And, I didn't say anyone should expect anything. I was putting the focus on a choice by the individual painter. No expectations on the part of others logically follows or is implied.

 

[Wolfram stout]

Who gets to keep the mini...?

I don't know if that was designed to drive home a point. But, I know a situation where that fits perfect. In my D&D group, we have one guy that paints minis as a hobby. At the start of a campaign, he really goes out of his way to try and find good miniatures for each player. He buys them, paints them, and brings them to the games....and takes them home. He never complains if the campaign is short lived.

He very well might paint someone's mini for free if they provided the mini, because as Umbran pointed out, that is what he likes doing.

 

[ccs]

Dude, the post you are responding to is from 2003. I'm pretty sure that the statute of limitations is up after seventeen years.

And, I didn't say anyone should expect anything. I was putting the focus on a choice by the individual painter. No expectations on the part of others logically follows or is implied.

Didn't notice the date.
But if threads would auto-lock to read-only status after x period of inactivity it'd keep the necromancers out.

 

[pogre]

On a recent Kickstarter for Heroforge they had an option for a custom mini hand painted for $149.00. Their normal price for a custom printed mini is $25-$30. Roughly speaking that's $125.00 for the paintjob. Now, given this is a company with overhead and contractors - that's naturally a high price point.

I can paint at or above the level they are charging. I would charge a stranger $75.00 for painting a 28 mm scale character figure, including custom basing. I generally do not charge friends for painting miniatures that are going to be used in my campaigns.

Even at my prices, I had more work than I could keep up with and I burned out on commission painting. Make sure the price is worth your time and passion!

I have friends who have turned miniature painting into a career. They do sell figures and do commission work, but most of their revenue comes from Twitch broadcasts and Patreon.

I know this is an old thread, but I enjoy talking miniatures!

 

[Wasteland Knight]

I know i'm late to the party here, but the fella that said he would gladly paint a mini, for anyone, ive got 200 whats your address. I need them painted and I want them done by the end of the week ... K thanks

Also when you are done I plan on purchasing 600 more from a kickstarter, will you also paint those for free?

I have a few friends that need free painting done as well, not sure how many minis they have but shoot me an email and we can get it setup!

The main part of this thread was 2003 with one intermittent necro-post in 2015. Now in 2020 you decide to take umbrage? Lol.

In any case, for work like painting minis or custom building terrain, the amount that fairly compensates the artist is going to be far more than the average client would pay.

I know a few people who are heavily into minis war games as their primary hobby and, by the painting awards they’ve won, paint at a very high level.

From time to time they’ve sold of a painted army for what sounds like a good bit, but when talking to them they laugh and when it breaks down they are being“paid” a tiny amount on an hourly basis. They all have good day jobs, and they sell off painted minis when their display cases are seriously overflowing and they want to try something new.

 

[Mmitta200]

I am seeking someone in Miami or aventura Florida that paints miniatures. I will start off with a few jobs and this can become something that is full time work. Please email me if interested michael@aurumkings.com

 

[Fenris-77]

It depends on your resume and your skills. Last time I charged someone for a single fig it was $100, which is about my standard for a top-tier single figure on foot, and also about righty considering the time that paint job takes. I don't usually, or didn't usually, do units on commission, but the prices would be in the hundreds for that as well for my solid table top quality job. Those prices are based on my skill set, as should anyone's be. I have multiple golden demons as well as some best painted wins, so that what my end of the hobby looks like.

 

[Emerikol]

The simple answer is, "What the market will bear."

This is the simple answer. The price will vary a lot based on your skill level.

There is also the opportunity cost for you. If you enjoy the work, and see it as found money then you may not want to sweat the last drop of cash out of your customers. If it is hard work and you'd rather be doing something else almost always then charge for that. If you like the work then it can be an easy way to pocket some extra spending money doing something you enjoy doing anyway.