# Would you buy these? If so, how much would you pay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 12, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367 "2007-08-12T19:43:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/1 "2007-08-12T19:43:12Z")
First things first, I am not an artsy person. I lack imagination and am usually very bad with my hands. I had something nagging at me for awhile though, and I made these shadowboxes for my basement arcade. I am proud of them, and really enjoyed making them, and would love to make more. The problem then comes in that I can only make so many for my basement. That said, what do you think of them. Would you want to hang something like this in your home (anywhere)? What would you pay for something like these? It wouldn’t make sense to make them for others, as a hobby only, for x dollars, if people would only pay x-10 dollars for them. If it helps at all, the boxes measure 8"x10" and are probably an inch or two deep. [Box 1](http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/4002/miniimg2124dx8.jpg) [Box 2](http://img63.imageshack.us/img63/9292/miniimg2125tw7.jpg) [The pair standing upright](http://img147.imageshack.us/img147/7566/miniimg2128iz3.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![TroubleAgain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e480ec/32.png) [@TroubleAgain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroubleAgain)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/2 "2007-08-12T20:34:38Z")
I like them! I don’t know if I’d buy them, myself, but I think that others might, easily. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/3 "2007-08-12T20:38:31Z")
I like them too! A Scrabble box would be really cool! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/4 "2007-08-12T20:39:35Z")
They’re nice. Not to my personal taste for decorating but I have no doubt that you could find someone to pay you for them on eBay. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/5 "2007-08-12T20:51:00Z")
A better market for this type of item might be Etsy go crazy kid. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [August 12, 2007, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/6 "2007-08-12T23:16:26Z")
I think some people would like them for decorating a game room. The one on the left has better balance in its design, but it needs to be turned upside down in my opinion. I also think that these might sell better as a set, but not of the same game. One monopoly and one of something else made the same size in a duplicate frame. If I were selling them on e-Bay, I would add one-third to the cost of making them and use that as the starting bid. Or maybe a little more. Go for it! ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/7 "2007-08-13T04:51:10Z")
Attractive and a clever idea! I wonder about copy right violations if you try and manuafacture/seel these items though… A good formula is to figure your cost of materials, plus your time at around $15/hr. (as a starting E Bay bid) Good luck! FML ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/8 "2007-08-13T05:38:32Z")
[QUOTE=Zoe] I think some people would like them for decorating a game room. The one on the left has better balance in its design, **but it needs to be turned upside down in my opinion**. **I also think that these might sell better as a set, but not of the same game**. One monopoly and one of something else made the same size in a duplicate frame. [/QUOTE] I’m sorry, I have to disagree with the portions of your post that I bolded, and defend the OP’s design. The two are a great set, and the way they are oriented is important…because “Free Parking” is in the opposite corner of the board from “Go,” they need to be juxtaposed to look the same in the boxes. I think they are very cool, and you could do similar designs with other games, like **Hazel’s** suggestion of Scrabble. It would have to be a game that is familiar to people, though, with interesting pieces…maybe The Game of Life or Clue…or Candyland or Chutes & Ladders for a kid’s room! I would definitely buy something like this, for maybe $30 for the set. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 5:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/9 "2007-08-13T05:59:49Z")
I had another idea for making them with a Scrabble theme…if you sell them on ebay, you could let people customize them, with the letters spelling out whatever they want, like “Bob & Sue’s Game Room” or that kind of thing. **Full Metal** might have a point about copyright, but I know that people do sell jewelry & art made from Scrabble tiles on ebay. ---
**Author:** ![Soul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Soul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/10 "2007-08-13T13:30:04Z")
I’d snap up a pair of Axis and Allies themed ones in a heartbeat, and not feel bad parting with thirty or so dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/11 "2007-08-13T20:32:11Z")
[QUOTE=reticent expert] As a crafter, I have to tell you that nobody makes money on crafts. When they do, it’s because they went past craft into manufacturing, making identical things five or ten at a time. And no crafter ever made money through sales to ordinary stores like card and gift shops, only though art dealers. Gift shops want to buy things wholesale. [/QUOTE] Ditto. While you may have put a lot of time into them and they look nice they could also have just as easily came from a back endcap clearance shelf at Target. My wife make a lot of neat crafty things and once in a while gets it into her head to try to sell them and make money. But after calculating time + materials decides the profit is just way too small. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/12 "2007-08-13T20:37:56Z")
I WANT THAT! I’m obsessed with monopoly. But the thing is, I could buy one from you but I would probably only be willing to pay for supplies and shipping because now that i’ve seen the idea, i will make one myself and you’ll never know! ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/13 "2007-08-13T20:40:08Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] I WANT THAT! I’m obsessed with monopoly. But the thing is, I could buy one from you but I would probably only be willing to pay for supplies and shipping because now that i’ve seen the idea, i will make one myself and you’ll never know! [/QUOTE] That’s one problem with selling this type of thing online. I recently bought some handmade beaded jewelry from a lady at a sidewalk sale, and commented that it would be a great thing to sell on eBay…she said she doesn’t sell online because people can copy the designs. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/14 "2007-08-13T21:34:24Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] That’s one problem with selling this type of thing online. I recently bought some handmade beaded jewelry from a lady at a sidewalk sale, and commented that it would be a great thing to sell on eBay…she said she doesn’t sell online because people can copy the designs. [/QUOTE] Yeah my mother designs a line of childrens clothing and finally password protected her website. Assholes like me will steal your ideas left and right. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/15 "2007-08-13T23:13:38Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] Yeah my mother designs a line of childrens clothing and finally password protected her website. Assholes like me will steal your ideas left and right. [/QUOTE] What do you mean, password-protected? So only people who know the password can see the items? How does she work that? ---
**Author:** ![Frozen\_Fish\_Sticks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@Frozen\_Fish\_Sticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frozen_Fish_Sticks)\ **Post date:** [August 13, 2007, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/16 "2007-08-13T23:22:59Z")
I like the concept. I can see a few that might be willing to pay for that. I wouldn’t because a) Monopoly is not a favorite game of mine, it’d pique my interest more if it were Scrabble b) I am one of those idea stealers the posters upthread are talking about. If it’s something I think I can easily do myself with the same results, I wouldn’t put money down for it, even if I don’t actually go out to the craft store and get the supplies to make my own. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/17 "2007-08-14T00:00:35Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] I WANT THAT! I’m obsessed with monopoly. But the thing is, I could buy one from you but I would probably only be willing to pay for supplies and shipping because now that i’ve seen the idea, i will make one myself and you’ll never know! [/QUOTE] In all seriousness, if you have the tools to make this (a decent saw and superglue), then go for it. Even better if you can make your own shadowboxes from scratch as these came from Michael’s at $15/each. I would never dream of doing it to make it rich but more instead that I ENJOYED making it and want to share it with others. Between the boxes, and $10 for the game, and two hours for ‘labor’, I would sell them for $70 for the pair, and I cannot imagine anyone paying that for these, even if they were ‘perfect’ quality, although a coworker was very kind today and said she’d think Pier 1 would sell something like these for $89. The Scrabble idea has really lingered in my head and that will likely be my next project. After that, I will likely start hitting yard sales and flea markets for cheap games (missing pieces is fine) and let that guide me for future pieces. ---
**Author:** ![lobstermobster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobstermobster/32/10033_2.png) [@lobstermobster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lobstermobster)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/18 "2007-08-14T00:08:48Z")
[QUOTE=Sarahfeena] What do you mean, password-protected? So only people who know the password can see the items? How does she work that? [/QUOTE] Yeah she sells to mostly high end boutiques wholesale doing things like apparel markets a few times a year. The clothes are more for people who don’t have to worry about money so it’s not like she’s trying to move a whole shit ton of quantity. I used to model for her advertisements when I was little. I was in a childrens store a few years ago in new orleans and saw pictures of myself when I was about 6. Pretty weird. ---
**Author:** ![Sarahfeena](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarahfeena/32/519_2.png) [@Sarahfeena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarahfeena)\ **Post date:** [August 14, 2007, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/would-you-buy-these-if-so-how-much-would-you-pay/415367/19 "2007-08-14T00:50:03Z")
[QUOTE=lobstermobster] Yeah she sells to mostly high end boutiques wholesale doing things like apparel markets a few times a year. The clothes are more for people who don’t have to worry about money so it’s not like she’s trying to move a whole shit ton of quantity. I used to model for her advertisements when I was little. I was in a childrens store a few years ago in new orleans and saw pictures of myself when I was about 6. Pretty weird. [/QUOTE] That is weird! I get it now…I thought you meant that she was selling her stuff online, so it didn’t make sense to me.