Queen Mary 2

Much as I enjoy building models, doing so for others, except perhaps as a surprise gift, becomes a chore.  Oddly enough, it's less so if I'm doing it for nothing.

Michael 

Unless you are doing it solely as a favor, really, objectively, with GMM photo etched and materials

I would say in building this right, that $1,000 would be a gift.  

Well, I've done this a couple of times for friends, and I charge strictly for the materials used - the joy for me is in the building. I would talk with the person at some length and find out what they expect it to look like when you're done; that will dictate how much, if any, aftermarket stuff you use.

It's fairly easy to assemble a "price list" with all the info on the web these days, and you can even make printouts of what some of the photoetch frets, etc., contain to give the customer an idea. Then just start with the price of the kit, some kind of base, the brass plaque (tradition, you know), and go from there.

first off, welcome to the forums.

What is the purpose for them wanting the model, bathtub toy , display, etc.

After you have determined where they want to put it, then you choose how much YOU will invest in it. Are you going to invest with any AM stuff ?, if so, you should include the price of that in the final price, what the prices of paints and such are and how many hours you put into it.  Along of course with the kit price.

heres a link to a site that might help.

http://modelingmadness.com/reviews/misc/ships/robertoqm2.htm

and another

http://hsfeatures.com/features04/qm2tt_1.htm

figuring the price as $75, you invest in some PE stuff, that adds $10-15. Figure it takes around 150 hours of actuall build/painting time, I would charge maybe $500 for that, If I had to guess, that total wuld be around $600. Now if the co-worker were the boss, maybe throw in a little discount.

Just my input, I could be totally off though.

Regards,

David