Someone wants to buy a model--advice?

Boquillas · #1 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 1:50 AM**

An architecture/design firm has approached me about purchasing one of my San Antonio sketchup models for some design/visualization work they're doing. Does anyone know how much I should ask? I spent 12-15 hours on the model, so I thought I'd go with a typical commercial art pay scale of $25-$30/hr, but I'm not sure if I could get more. I have an MFA, and have been doing commercial illustration off and on for over 10 years. Any thoughts? I can't say which building, but it's one of these:

Austin55 · #2 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 2:04 AM**

it better not be that one in the middle

I kid. Haha, I can't help you on that sortoff thingthough, sorry man. Looking around at random sites through my decades of work here, that seems fair to me though. Being that it's commercial company you could probaly go higher maybe. I dunno :p

Boquillas · #3 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 2:20 AM**

Nope, not your Holiday Inn, Austin

Austin55 · #4 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 3:41 AM**

Damn

I could use a few extra bucks

photoLith · #5 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 4:11 AM**

Doesnt google have something where you put your models on it and people can buy them. You might want to check google for what people are selling their models for.

Mocholate · #6 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 6:58 AM**

I don't mean to offend but if they could afford to pay that money they could get a more profesional person/group to do it. wouldn't get your hopes up sorry.

Aleks · #7 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 7:12 AM**

Yeah, I say investigate but don't get your hoped up. Google will probably release a model in a week or so. They've been updating Earth, Maps, and everything they have like crazy! It's a nice model though, maybe you could talk it out and see how much money you can get.

Boquillas · #8 Posted **Nov 19, 2008, 7:08 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mocholate

I don't mean to offend but if they could afford to pay that money they could get a more profesional person/group to do it. wouldn't get your hopes up sorry.

My best friend is a CAD drafter in San Antonio. He's been out of school about 4 years and makes $80 grand/yr working for Subaru. Given he works 48 wks/yr, that comes to almost $42/hr. I might be a bargain at $25/30, given what this firm likely pays their own designers.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aleks0o01

Yeah, I say investigate but don't get your hoped up. Google will probably release a model in a week or so. They've been updating Earth, Maps, and everything they have like crazy! It's a nice model though, maybe you could talk it out and see how much money you can get.

Google's been in touch with me. We're currently working on re-texturing the thirty or so SA models I've done before Google can include them in their GE 3D layer. The old textures are from Microsoft VE. There's not many others out there really working on SA right now.

bmfarley · #9 Posted **Dec 2, 2008, 7:09 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Boquillas

An architecture/design firm has approached me about purchasing one of my San Antonio sketchup models for some design/visualization work they're doing. Does anyone know how much I should ask? I spent 12-15 hours on the model, so I thought I'd go with a typical commercial art pay scale of $25-$30/hr, but I'm not sure if I could get more. I have an MFA, and have been doing commercial illustration off and on for over 10 years. Any thoughts?

Well, that they are offering is a good thing. I uploaded one of mine to the warehouse and about 6 months later I saw it in the background on some marketing material for a nearby proposed building.

If you have not already thought about it, or discussed in this thread ( I have not read) I might suggest providing them a license to use it for a specified time or for a specified project, but you retain any rights outside that license window?

And, to offer at a nominal rate with the understanding that you could/would be available for future work... at a specified hourly rate, or provide estimates on an agreed upon product.

Mocholate · #10 Posted **Dec 5, 2008, 6:59 AM**

CAD is worth something
Sketchup produced models are worth nothing

photoLith · #11 Posted **Dec 5, 2008, 7:39 PM**

What is CAD?

Austin55 · #12 Posted **Dec 5, 2008, 11:21 PM**

Let's hope the poteintial buyers didn't just read that.
It's like, pro stuff, not hobby(not always though)
CAD=Computer Aided Design

Rizzo · #13 Posted **Dec 17, 2008, 11:08 AM**

There are quite a few architecture firms that do use sketchup, and are interested in purchasing models. So that CAD vs Sketchup statement is entirely untrue, especially when any CAD drawings are downloaded free from mfctrs and nothing beyond that. It's just that they dump the models into some higher end rendering program to produce the money images.

I would probably negotiate something in the low $20/hour range for the model. Honestly they could have some intern do it for much cheaper, so don't set your price to high. But at the same time, you might want to ask them what they intend to do with it. If they plan to present it to the client in polished images, which then are used to market the project, that's a whole different story. You should then be getting paid much more.

- Some advice from someone who has worked for architecture firms. Hope it helps.

Surefiresacto · #14 Posted **Dec 17, 2008, 5:27 PM**

Can you prove that you spent 12-15 hours? If you are figuring a "per-hour" rate, you will need to back up you claim on time spent. I would work your numbers privately and just give them a price.

NorthernLights · #15 Posted **Dec 27, 2008, 2:28 AM**

Go ahead and tell them to make an offer and go from there! Better you get something then demand too much from them and have them get an intern to do it. It may have taken you 12 hrs but someone with a lot of experience could probably do it faster. Also, quality might not be a big concern to them, so they might settle for something more simplistic and less time consuming from an intern. I would just tell them to make an offer. Having them make an offer will at least give you a ballpark estimate on how much it's worth to them.

Btw, there's a difference between what someone makes an hour and how much the firm charges. Billable hours are much higher than the worker's salary due to benefits, overhead cost, etc. One planning/design firm I know of, charges 140/hr or more for most services. It's a small firm though.

Rizzo · #16 Posted **Dec 28, 2008, 8:01 AM**

Yes, but interns aren't getting benefits and very little overhead cost. I do know for fact that an intern would be hired to do this type of work if the firm decided to give up on their offer. By seeing Boquilla's work, they are assured that this is the is the product they will get or miss out on after making their decision. Most interns can't do what he did, but that doesn't mean he should make a high offer either. There's also the chance they will just give up and go purely conceptual if the price is too high.

You really don't have to prove how many hours you worked. They'll trust you on that. He's not an employee, so they'll use their own discretion without asking.