This is a salmon carved by Joaquin Quesada a 30 plus year veteran carver from the Northwest. That's him in the background. It was a quick carve (75 Min's.) from the White River Comp here in Washington. I don't know what it sold for but I was impressed enough to try to duplicate it.



I have about 12 hours in this carve. It's my 3rd fishy. And few cracks had to be fixed. I made it to donate to a local fisherman's banquet. There were about 100 people there and it went in the verbal auction. I'm thinking it might be worth the $100 a foot rule, 4 foot, $400.00. To my humiliation it was only bid up to $125. so I decided to buy it back myself and got it for $150. We wrote a check but my friend the organizer. He tore it up and said just take it home so I wasn't out anything.

I know these guys were kinda tight judging by what was being bid on other stuff, but this was really humbling. Is it really that bad, or just the wrong venue? What should I ask for it?

Thanks, Mike

i think both yours and his are good on his quick carve it looks like it has been sanded and oiled

Maybe they aren't liken salmon, don't sweat it, nice fish. Doc

I have donated several carvings to auctions for different things. I havent gone to any of the auctions, once I donate it its gone in my eyes. Carvings are only worth what someone will pay, 125.00 is better than nothing which is what they ended up getting right?

One opinion

I donate what I feel are my better carvings to 3 separate events a year.
I was warned that charitable auctions are notorious for bringing in low prices and that turned out to be true. My first donation was an elaborate bear. I was very proud of it and I was extremely embarassed when it brought in only $125.

Part of it is due to inexperienced auctioneers (a club member, for example) who are not very good at stirring a crowd to part with their money.

Another problem I noticed at one event was that they waited until everyone had spent their money on bucket auctions, where a ticket would be drawn for a number of great items. By the time they got to the live auction at the end of the evening, and after the drawings were over, people didn't want to spend anymore.

It doesn't hurt to have a dose of humble pie once in a while. I stuck with it because I believe in supporting the causes I contribute to and now my carvings (under 2 feet) bring in over $300, which is a little easier to swallow.

Keep with it, putting up carvings is also a form of advertising and it may bring in customers.

Mike keep up the good work. Times are tough . Hang on to the fish some one will buy it for good money it might be a while.
Best Regards
Tom

you got the cart in front of the horse, you ( a good carver) copied a great carver and expect great results. it don't work like that, you got a bargain. but would it have been if he hadn't ripped up the check? I don't think so! I've donated most of my work this year to silent auctions!
Almost no market for me here! So i gave away most of them! They brought about one third or less of what they were worth! Meaning what i could have wholesaled them for last year. Times are tough, but Spokane sucked when the carving boom was on, so now it is probably the worst place on earth to sell carvings! so i've been tree thinning for three months now! kieffer

Hey Kieffer, where are you in Spokane? Where do you sell out of? We are moving our daughter over there next weekend. She seems to have become a permanent student, 4-1/2 years at Central, now 3 more at EWU Spokane.

Anyway, let me know, it would be fun to take a look at your stuff, See ya, Mike

Think of the feeling of making the carving.
Auctions are strange things.
I am sorry you could not give it away.
It is a nice fish
Dave

auctions with lots of junky items being run through give 100.00 item or less classy high end auctions 300.00 dollar piece. raffles are the best my 100.00 pieces can bring 580.00 , usually i give bear heads to auctions i ask 40.00 for them and they get 40.00. i would rather give them 100.00 then see a 400.00 dollar piece auction to a tight wad for a 100.00 and im a crappy carver.

I live in Spokane, but work out on the spokane rez. I've been wholesaling for years, so i don't sell any of my own stuff. Just not into dealing with people anymore, if you look around town you might see my stuff. Haven't carved for three months now! Not much to look at here! kieffer

Been in your shoes before and know the feeling as you walk away with all the wind gone out of your sails. I also found many folks going to benefit auctions are just chasing a deal than for the "benefit" of the sponsoring organization. I don't donate carvings any more but will donate gift certificates if they let me place a finished carving next to the gift certificate as a representation of my work. This alternative has proved to be a win-win situation for me as folks get just what they want and in a few cases an opportunity for me to make a little extra cash.

By the way your carving looks great and indeed deserves more.

Kevin

Those are some mighty fine looking fish. I just got done watching Pat McVay's CD on doing a Salmon. Cool CD.
You guys on the west coast can sure carve um good.

Keiffer I re-read what you wrote and and think that you miss took what I was saying. I was only showing the carver and sculpture that I was using as a model for my carving. I wasn't comparing myself or my carving to Joaquin's. I was just showing what he did in 75 minutes and what I did in 12 hours. Heck, I can still count my total carving output on my fingers and toes.

When I was asking "if was really that bad", I was referring to my fish. Maybe it's just not good enough for the $100 a foot rule.

Oh, just FYI everybody, this wasn't a charity auction. It was for a local fishing club. I would have let it go for a charity. The person I bid against came up to me after the event and asked if I would carve another one for him. I gave him my card, but said it wouldn't be for the price in the auction. If he calls, he calls.

Someone on here once said, "don't sell yourself short, it's not good for you or the other carver's out there" or something like that.

Anyway I just wanted to clear that up. Mike

i did mis-understand that one a little, personally i never reached that 100 dollars a foot mark to often. never really believed that was a good pricing method for me. thinning i make anywhere from 25 to 40 dollars a tank of gas, and carving seems to fall closer to that than by the foot.
Good luck with the student...lol hope she don't turn into a carreer student on you.....kieffer