I wanted to post a quick comment here to clarify a few things. Thank you so much to everyone who is saying I should have paid myself more than $15 and that I undervalued my project. I am so thankful that you see the same value that I do💖 I just used $15 as a way to break down what the hours COULD have been and would ask more for my time now for sure. I am making up for that discrepancy in the sell price in my mind (which is why it's double the value). Because I can't prove the hours that I worked on this project (I just didn't keep track and couldn't even start to guess) I would have no way to show that value to insurance company. This is why I took my best guess from other dollhouses I saw on the market. I do think it will be really important for me to get a professional to evaluate it in the future as I do see that I could possibly off on my numbers here and there. Because it is a unique piece its just really hard to evaluate. Thank you all for your kind comments. It really has brightened my day to see that everyone loves this project as much as I do!
I hope you do get a professional to evaluate it and do a video about it, that would be so interesting. Also, like you said on the video, if something happened to it you would probably not remake it. I get that, you can't really put a price on the heart and soul that went into it and it would be very difficult to replicate it.
This project is not only a work of art, it's a work of heart. It's difficult to objectively assess its value from the heart standpoint. That's why a licensed art appraiser would be a wise investment. You're right that it's important for us, as artists, to value our worth and our work. You've shown in very practical ways how we can do that, and I appreciate that. Thank you!
Will You be making a video of you taking the mansion to the museum and setting it up there? Would Love to see that and then see all of the people's reactions when they see it. I Loved your ending on this video too funny!! Hugs from Lancaster,Pa.💓
Omg selling it for $50,000 would be an absolute steal! I know it’s extremely hard to put a value number on art because it’s subjective, but this is a masterpiece. I wouldn’t be surprised if a wealthy person would be willing to pay hundreds of thousands for this.
I think you still undervalued the project. One artist to another, I understand how hard this can be. It makes me think of a story.: So this man worked in a factory designing and maintaining all the equipment. He eventually retired. One day the equipment broke. The company tried to get lots of people to figure out where the problem was. Eventually they went back to this guy and asked him. He walked up and down the facility looking at the equipment for about 10 minutes. He then walked over a machine and put a big chalk X on it. That was where the problem was. He send the company a bill for $25,000. The company was shocked. They asked him to itemize the invoice. He sent the invoice back. One chalk X = $10 Knowing where to put it = $24,990 They paid the invoice. Don’t under value your knowledge.
That’s some very expensive chalk, I mean you easily get at least 20 pieces of chalk for under $10 🙃 jk A labor of love is still labor, it’s not easy to see monetary value in spending time enjoying yourself.
@@willowweedsYT it’s actually $10 to draw the X (his labour cost), not the chalk itself. Easy to misinterpret though and your other points still stand!
i worked in factories, too, and that guy probably rigged the whole thing up so only he understood what was going on so they'd have to get him in as a 'contractor' to 'fix' his own non-conforming work. worked in an arcade, the pinball repair man admitted to me, for some reason, he fixed these things to only last about six months as if he did it right he would work himself out of a job. knowledge? yeah, sure. a little bit of con-artistry? oh, you betcha, lol. now, i think your example is just a story to make a point, but i've actually witnessed retired maintenance guys returning to fix their rigged work when i was at GM. of course that has nothing to do with nothing other than maybe saying there're two sides to a coin. :)
Yess I’d love to see a museum video! I think it would be really interesting! Idk if you have a particular pose and position for all the characters for the museum display Ara but if you don’t I’d love to see a video on you getting it ready for the display in the museum and deciding on where to put everyone and what they would be doing etc! 😊
I just came home from a dollhouse store and I was like "Nah, Ara taught me how to make that, I don't need to buy it" for so many items. I appreciate the craftspeople in this hobby, but you really show us how much we can do on our own. I truly appreciate you and your channel! This house means a lot to all of us! You continue to be a huge inspiration to all of us! Before you I thought the dollhouse hobby was all frumpy and fancy. You showed me that my creepy taste has a home in this hobby! Thanks for you being you, Ara!
I am so glad my channel has been so helpful in that way! It's still fun to buy things, but when you can make some of the stuff you can save for the more fun things you want to buy! I love that about this hobby! And yay for creepy houses!
I saw a dollhouse at hobby lobby that I thought would make an awesome Addams Family house. I bought the house and then stumbled across your channel. I can't wait to start this.
I say, there is no amount of money that can replace something made from the Heart and the hard work to create it !!! CONGRATS on the Museum !!! GL on moving it :)
Incredible work! Totally interesting hearing you break down the costs and estimated value the way you did. I have a value for you. Absolutely Priceless!
The curation of the items into a cohesive design that accurately conveys your theme, is a job in itself. You specifically sought out certain items to use in this particular project. Other items you HAD to fabricate in order to represent a particular aspect of your vision, as well as draw upon the memories of an audience who would view this piece as fans of the show. Curation is an important part of any art installation. Miniatures are exactly that, in a compact space. Fans of miniature builds will most certainly expect historical and canonical accuracy in wherever their appreciation lies. Although there are those of us who are just flipping out over teeny tiny things, there are also those that want miniatures to look as super shrunken models of full sized inspiration, and others would rather see items that are created more “borrowers style” of everyday items created from full-sized found objects. When calculating your cost versus value, it would help to bring in an outside source who would place value upon the entire project as a whole curated museum worthy piece. We will always place more value on sentiment because of the love and sweat we put in as creators. With professional input from an another who appreciates the curation of certain items and the development of all the little pieces, pun intended, that go into creating the entire visual story, you can validate the actual “value” of the collection as a whole. In this case, leave out even one of the thoughtfully placed bric-a-brac, cracked tile, or peeling ceiling paint, and the entire installation loses some of it’s charm and appeal. You did research upon the memories you had of the show and included specific moments and characters. You sought out the most ideal images and designs of the characters as played by different actors across multiple time periods. This gave the entire project multi generational appeal, thus increasing it’s value. You inspired others to create items to be specifically used for this house, again in creating it’s value. The itty bitty knitting used to create Pubert’s union suit is amazing! Created by a fan, of an iconic moment from the show, and sent to you, specifically to be used for your latest addition to the house. Most likely, one of a kind. All together, you didn’t just create a massive project, you curated every item that went into it, over the span of eleven years. It didn’t just take that amount of time to create it, it took that amount of time to find everything you needed to complete the vision.
Thank you Robin! That's a great way to look at it! And you're right... it might well take me another 11 years to source everything to the same caliber again!
The Addams house is priceless. I know you will never sell it. Yes share it with the world and a museum sparing your space and putting your art on display to the public would be a blessing As You Are
I genuinely enjoy art-related organization videos. Lots of people will show all their storage bins for supplies and such. One thing I extra appreciate about this channel is that you also show *process* organization. List, diagrams, procedures, love 'em. My friends sometimes tease me because of how often I will say, "This situation calls for a spreadsheet!".
That's a a solid $150,000 dollhouse, due to originality, artistic creating, time, costs, and a only one. It's a Masterful job and deserves high praises and a exceptional price to reflect it's true value. 👍👍👍 CONGRATULATIONS on this stunning accomplishment.
Hello Ara, I have been following you since a few months now but I think it's my first comment. The 25 000$ total value is underrated. Should be higher I think, but good work on calculating all of that and thanks for sharing the process. I am very surprised of how few money you spend from your pocket. Of course 3 000$ is a lot but distributed over 11 years... it's not that much when you think about how much money people spend on their hobbies (whatever it is). I, myself don't do miniature but I do cosplay. And of course I could buy one for 200$-500$ and it would be amazing...but there's something special about being able to say "I did it myself", specially when people ask you "where did you buy it." Your work is amazing ! I can't wait to see the evolution od the Beetlejuice House !
I think $25/month is really good for creativity/therapy. I've recently started (like within the last 1-1/2 years--pandemic time--making Barbie furniture for my great-granddaughters and your projects blow my mind! You are one of the most gifted artisans from whom I have ever had the pleasure of learning. Thank you so much for sharing your gift with the rest of us! Your dollhouses are amazing and belong in museums because they are so wonderfully creative and detailed.
I’m new to your channel. To be perfectly honest it is truly priceless. When you consider your time, energy and the artistry alone poured-in to such amazing project; nothing under $50,000 would be fair. Nothing. I am not a miniaturist and until I ran into one of your videos, I had no idea what this art was all about. It is a testament of your expertise that I got completely mesmerized and now have watched all the videos on this project (some more than once) and I’m in awe! Since then I have researched a bit on the subject. You are simply amazing and you are so humble and kind. Love to hear about your projects. I’m now hooked on the “Beetlejuice” project and I’m cheering you on. Please let us know what museum will showcase your house, would love to support it. Keep shinning!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏💖
You should consider upping the number for what you would pay yourself…for example here in California minimum wage is between $13-14/hr (depending on the employer’s number of employees). I think 15/hr is a super modest number for a specialist 🤷♀️ just to further number throwing…that’s my 2 cents 😂! You are an amazing artist- this is an absolutely stunning piece and deserves to be showcased in a museum! All the videos including this one about this build and the love you put into your projects are such a joy to watch. ❤️
Most states min. Wage is still at $7.25 I live in one of those states and make custom drapes were the fabric costs $100 a yard I make 11.20 Sadly when it comes to arts until one has a name and recognition the pay isn't that good.
I think you have undervalued your whole project. Taking in the time worked, even approximately would far more than double that price as well as the fact that if you had to buy that as a kit it could easily be worth over S50,000. Now that's the insurance value I would put forward. Don't forget you can also charge for teaching time which is beyond money value in my book.
Thank you Barbara💖 This is why I really want to get it professionally valued so I know for sure! Hopefully this process will help me continue to grow and learn the value of miniatures!
@Barbara Grace I totally agree. I can’t even begin to imagine the cost of buying a precut house as big as the Adam’s family mansion even with nothing in it and having to put it together myself. I’ve seen some houses go for thousands and they’re smaller than this project and it’s only the wood pieces. Just the craftsmanship and attention to detail in the home make it much more valuable.
Absolutely worth a million dollars! The love, sweat and tears that went into it makes that still cheap at the price. I am looking forward to seeing how the museum plays out xx
The out of pocket $3,000ish made me feel soooo much better!! Thank you for posting this. I expected 8-10k to be honest. Because 11 years is a long time. You give me hope that I can finish my medium-sized project for less than $3,000 in maybe 6-8 years! (I would estimate it’s about half the size of your Addams house.) Great job and congrats about the museum!
Fabulous, informative, your sense of humor shining through, and a desperately needed video. Thank you so much for all your time, honesty and creativity that you poured into this project!
Thank you for this very insightful video. I don't think people understand how much TIME goes into a project like this, even more so than money. And no, not too much talking, I think it will be very helpful for many people. That onesie is just AMAZING! Oh and don't forget the support and love from the amazing community we're both in. Can't do it without them! Much love!
For something you love and for the start of a business and for something that is not only cherished by you but by others I think that's a very low number. And that onesie is perfect!
I have to say this house is amazing! Your talent is an inspiration to all of us doll house makers. I hope you continue to bring new ideas and projects to us all. thank you
you need to keep this in your family. It is an heriloom. It is priceless. Doesn't have a price. Your children's children will give it to their children.
I agree that this project is priceless. It has become so much more than a doll house, it is an inspiration to so many. That said insurance values are so difficult on something that is so personal. This video has been a reminder to me to record where things came from in my own mini houses, although with my big house already being 18 years in the making there are already a lot of blank spots in my memory.
I think it would awesome to see that in a museum and it would be the highlight of my day going to see it. I would seriously geek out over it so expect me to camp out there.
I personally view this project as priceless so I commend you for being able to put a cost to it. I’m glad a museum has recognised your talent, you deserve it, congrats 🥳 🎉
Thank you for sharing this. They say hind sight it 20/20. You're lucky you learned this so early in life. Yes, you started 11 years ago on this wonderful house but when you consider how many more years you have ahead of you, this knowledge of keeping inventory will certainly be of value.... not just for you but for the people who come after you.
Wow! Just ... WOW! Congratulations on the offer to have it in a museum! Can't wait to see that video! Hopefully, the museum is close so I can go and see it! $15 is WAY too low for an hourly rate for ANY artist, especially one of your talent! I generally charge twice that for my woodworking projects. Don't sell yourself short! People are willing to pay MORE for art. If the price is too low, they think it's just cheap art. Trust me ... the price makes a difference! Have a better day! Keep up the great work!
Thank you Sean! I would charge more than that now. It was just an example number for now. I will try to keep better track of Beetlejuice and it will be an interesting comparison!
I love your honesty...I've watched your build over the last year and have been inspired to make rooms of my own...not a house, just rooms...and I'm so rapt with yours and each of mine...thank you for being here to set my crafting juices flowing 💕💕💕
Wow I'm so proud of you! I've got to this channel thanks to that exact video and now I'm here everyday, I'm happy your house is going to a museum congratulations 👏
I am so surprised at how little it actually cost. I would have guessed much higher. I think it is worth far more than you think it's worth. It is stunning and so well thought out. You are an amazing artist and an inspiration.
Wow! I can’t believe you only spent $3200 on that whole house! That’s amazing! I would have estimated so much more. It’s definitely priceless in terms of its worth. I can’t wait to see it on display at the museum!! Congrats on one million views too!
Wow how proud you must feel to have a museum wanting to showcase it. This was a labour of love for sure. Yes do a follow up on the whole museum experience. Take care.
She is sooooo amazing to me and I'm sure all of her subscribers. She is my go to spot for all of my questions. And she is right about cost. I use boxes I grab from convenience stores, anything I can find on the farm in terms of weathered wood, broken hardware, etc. The most expensive items for me thus far, are glue sticks, clay if I use it for filler, and for now I've been using really watered down, Plaster of Paris instead of compound, only $4.99 for 5lbs at Walmart.
My eyes are swelling up with tears. Your creativity is extremely motivational. I love how others appreciate your work so much that they create things and send you to add to your masterpiece. Wonderful!
First of all a MUSEUM wants your house! You underestimate your talents. You are a fantastic artist and under value yourself. It’s not only about the money but the joy you have brought to thousands of people. You have helped me get through some rough times with your easy going , fun and quirky personality. You answer all our remarks. You make it so personal. I really do hope you have a get together for all of us. I think it would be a blast and I would get to meet a big celebrity!
Thank you Robin!! Thank you for your encouragement to me as well with your wonderful comments! Its definitely the community that keeps me motivated and going with these projects sometimes. Your excitement is contagious! I would love to do a get together one day! Or at least travel around to different mini shows and let y'all know where I will be ;)
You are so sweet! I LOVED LOVED LOVED watching the whole process of the making of this dollhouse! I get stuck for HOURS! LOL THANK YOU so much for your videos! Keep up the great work!
Just found your channel recently. I love making scale 1:12 miniatures into shadow boxes as gifts. Also tackling a fairies/elves/pixies, the little people of the forest for my granddaughters. Also, a Halloween room box for my son. And last, but not least, a bakery in honor of my daughter, who I lost 11/2 years ago. She was a real baker that made my cannolis perfect. I want to make her proud. She has grown daughters that may have a little girl. I know it sounds like a lot, but it is fun to switch up. So glad that I found your channel. God bless.
I love your earings in this video!! Low key want them for a hanging light fixture 😂😂😂 great video & i dont think you could ever offend anyone, but good on you for the disclaimer anyway 😊😊
Haven't watched the video yet, because I know whatever value you finally come up with, the actual answer should be... PRICELESS... Congratulations on knowing that so many people (a million!!!) feel the same way I do. 💖💖💖
I’m really think it’s worth thousands of dollars. Not finished with video yet. It’s a beautiful labor of love and learning process! If things work out with museum I would to see it in person!
@@BentleyHouseMinis looking forward to it! I did the math for the $25 k value and it came out to $6 and change a day. Being in a museum near you would be good in that you can visit it and many others can go see it in person.
That number is 100% okay! Like you said, it brought you joy and was therapeutic. You can’t really put a value on that, and people spend WAY more on things that aren’t worth it. There are people that spend $3k a year on alcohol, drugs, weapons, etc. you spent under 4k over 11 years on a learning experience that made you and other people very happy. That’s invaluable ❤
Truly the most epic dollhouse I have ever seen and a treasure. If I had done this, no amount of money could convince me to part with it. But then I am quite sentimental. Love this so much! I love the fact also that you are doing the Beetlejuice House because these long term projects are delightful. I have to ask though, how does one deal with having too many ideas and finding herself unable to start ANYTHING because of all the noise in her head: "Build me first!" "No, me, do me!" "No, ME!" Ah, I am spinning in circles with so many projects I want to do...and then there's the "where shall I put them all?" LOL!
Wow. Congratulations - even if it doesn't happen. What a wonderful show of appreciation (to have a museum want to showcase your creation). In truth, you'd want to sell it at an auction specializing in certain types of memorabilia, such as Adam's Family fans, Halloween iconography or miniaturists. Then you'd be dealing with an interested crowd and the value would definitely be higher than 50k.
Miniatures really scratch an aesthetic…sensibility for me, and your channel in particular. I think you’re a great ambassador for the craft, with how talented, engaging, and informative you are. Can’t wait to support you and your future museum endeavor!
This was really informative and I believe you should have included much more for your time. I love your workbook and currently am using it for 2 projects. I love that I can record ideas that I will forget by the time I turn the page! Lol! I also keep track of my time in a blank date book. Write in the date, project, hours worked and what I did. I would be very interested in seeing a video on the museum and how that happened. Thanks again Ara for sharing. I so look forward to your videos every week.
Wow, that's amazing about the museum! It definitely deserves to be spotlighted and admired. I feel that the overall value should be more, but as you said realistically it's worth what someone would pay for it. I hope once all your negotiations are done you can let us know where it will be! I would love to go see it!!! Thanks for this wonderful video. It really touched on excellent points that we need to realize as artists. 💜💜
Thank you so much Alisa! I will definitely keep you all updated when it is displayed! I would love to see pics of people visiting the Addams!! That would be so amazing!
Yes Please! I'd love to hear more about what happened and what it was like! Ara, we are all living vicariously through you!!! Congratulations lady! You had your hands full doing the inventory of the build. Ca-ra-zee.
I just enjoy watching you, you have such a soft easy going manner. This was a great video and certainly provokes thought as clearly the costs DO add up.
Ara, I'm so happy, all I am hearing is " their house is a museum..." Perfect place and the joy and fascination it will bring is priceless! This video is a real reference guide! Just incredible. Thank you so much!
You are simply an amazing lady. Beautiful, funny and TALENTED. You are a joy and pleasure to listen to and be taught by. Thank you, dear Ara. Thank you.
The house is priceless. So many memories are made while the making of it. I'm really happy that a museum is going to display it so that people can enjoy it.
Just finished the video and found it very informative. As artists, we do undervalue our worth. I think doing what this video covers is something more artists should do. And honestly, we also tend to undervalue other artists by saying "I'm not paying that much, I could make that ". Usually though, I think we make things to see if we can. I know I do. Love your videos and your personality, you make me laugh at least once in each video. I think you might have undervalued some of it, also I think I missed the numbers on the house kits themselves. I look forward to updates on this whole subject. I'm happy you like the ear rings too, they look very nice on you. I think
This is very true as well!! I like to mix it up and make what I know I will enjoy and also save up money to support artists by buying pieces that I know they will make better and I won't want to make! Great example of this is my Marie Antoinette doll. I knew she was worth the investment!
It is a beautiful piece of art and any museum should be thrilled to have it! And you are definitely worth more than $15 an hour. But as you say it was a project of love so very difficult to put a price on that. Making minis is a delightful world of magic where we are the magicians. Love your videos!
Wow, over a million views on the final video! You have a great channel. I wish you a ton of future success. I estimate for a living (for commercial construction projects), and you estimated the numbers exactly how I would have gone about it. I enjoyed being able to show my daughter what I do while we watched one of your videos (which we do anyway).
Thank you! I am glad to have your seal of approval on my process! I am going to try to keep better track with my up coming projects but I am glad I am heading in the right direction :)
It’s fun seeing other people do the breaking-down of costs to a month as well. I do this with my bicycle which was more expensive than I had thought it should. Soon I was under the amount of money I would need to spend for a monthly ticket of public transport. 😉 It was quite interesting. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing all of this! So much went into making this very detailed video. It is so interesting to see what this project cost you. I think you were very conservative on the numbers but I know nothing about miniatures other than that I love watching you make them. Being that I am in love with the Addams Family, your project is what got me into miniature videos, and I really appreciate all that you’ve done and do. Congratulations on the museum and I wish you all of the best with everything yet to come. Hugs to you and everyone here.💕✨
I wanted to post a quick comment here to clarify a few things. Thank you so much to everyone who is saying I should have paid myself more than $15 and that I undervalued my project. I am so thankful that you see the same value that I do💖 I just used $15 as a way to break down what the hours COULD have been and would ask more for my time now for sure. I am making up for that discrepancy in the sell price in my mind (which is why it's double the value). Because I can't prove the hours that I worked on this project (I just didn't keep track and couldn't even start to guess) I would have no way to show that value to insurance company. This is why I took my best guess from other dollhouses I saw on the market. I do think it will be really important for me to get a professional to evaluate it in the future as I do see that I could possibly off on my numbers here and there. Because it is a unique piece its just really hard to evaluate. Thank you all for your kind comments. It really has brightened my day to see that everyone loves this project as much as I do!
Your work is beyond priceless including your story writing talent x
I thought you did a great job explaining the pricing process. Very insightful.
I hope you do get a professional to evaluate it and do a video about it, that would be so interesting. Also, like you said on the video, if something happened to it you would probably not remake it. I get that, you can't really put a price on the heart and soul that went into it and it would be very difficult to replicate it.
This project is not only a work of art, it's a work of heart. It's difficult to objectively assess its value from the heart standpoint. That's why a licensed art appraiser would be a wise investment. You're right that it's important for us, as artists, to value our worth and our work. You've shown in very practical ways how we can do that, and I appreciate that. Thank you!
Will You be making a video of you taking the mansion to the museum and setting it up there? Would Love to see that and then see all of the people's reactions when they see it. I Loved your ending on this video too funny!! Hugs from Lancaster,Pa.💓
Omg selling it for $50,000 would be an absolute steal! I know it’s extremely hard to put a value number on art because it’s subjective, but this is a masterpiece. I wouldn’t be surprised if a wealthy person would be willing to pay hundreds of thousands for this.
First of all... Congratulations 🥳👏👏👏 on that amount of views, on the museum being interested and just for all of this. You deserve so much 💖☺️
Thank you so much my friend💖😊😊 To have so many love my project as much as I have means a lot to me!
Funny to see you here, Jen! 😁
2 of my favorite youtubers, I love that!.
I think you still undervalued the project. One artist to another, I understand how hard this can be. It makes me think of a story.:
So this man worked in a factory designing and maintaining all the equipment. He eventually retired. One day the equipment broke. The company tried to get lots of people to figure out where the problem was. Eventually they went back to this guy and asked him. He walked up and down the facility looking at the equipment for about 10 minutes. He then walked over a machine and put a big chalk X on it. That was where the problem was. He send the company a bill for $25,000. The company was shocked. They asked him to itemize the invoice. He sent the invoice back.
One chalk X = $10
Knowing where to put it = $24,990
They paid the invoice.
Don’t under value your knowledge.
That’s some very expensive chalk, I mean you easily get at least 20 pieces of chalk for under $10 🙃 jk A labor of love is still labor, it’s not easy to see monetary value in spending time enjoying yourself.
@@willowweedsYT it’s actually $10 to draw the X (his labour cost), not the chalk itself. Easy to misinterpret though and your other points still stand!
This is such a great point! Love the story!
i worked in factories, too, and that guy probably rigged the whole thing up so only he understood what was going on so they'd have to get him in as a 'contractor' to 'fix' his own non-conforming work. worked in an arcade, the pinball repair man admitted to me, for some reason, he fixed these things to only last about six months as if he did it right he would work himself out of a job.
knowledge? yeah, sure. a little bit of con-artistry? oh, you betcha, lol.
now, i think your example is just a story to make a point, but i've actually witnessed retired maintenance guys returning to fix their rigged work when i was at GM. of course that has nothing to do with nothing other than maybe saying there're two sides to a coin. :)
Yess I’d love to see a museum video! I think it would be really interesting! Idk if you have a particular pose and position for all the characters for the museum display Ara but if you don’t I’d love to see a video on you getting it ready for the display in the museum and deciding on where to put everyone and what they would be doing etc! 😊
I will definitely try to record as much as I can! I will need the museums approval but it would be really fun to get the final set up for you all!
@@BentleyHouseMinis thank u Ara!!
I just came home from a dollhouse store and I was like "Nah, Ara taught me how to make that, I don't need to buy it" for so many items. I appreciate the craftspeople in this hobby, but you really show us how much we can do on our own. I truly appreciate you and your channel! This house means a lot to all of us! You continue to be a huge inspiration to all of us! Before you I thought the dollhouse hobby was all frumpy and fancy. You showed me that my creepy taste has a home in this hobby! Thanks for you being you, Ara!
I am so glad my channel has been so helpful in that way! It's still fun to buy things, but when you can make some of the stuff you can save for the more fun things you want to buy! I love that about this hobby! And yay for creepy houses!
I saw a dollhouse at hobby lobby that I thought would make an awesome Addams Family house. I bought the house and then stumbled across your channel. I can't wait to start this.
I say, there is no amount of money that can replace something made from the Heart and the hard work to create it !!! CONGRATS on the Museum !!! GL on moving it :)
That's very true!! That's why its hard to put a number that makes sense to an insurance company lol!
Omg a museum wants to show ur build?? That so cooool 😎🔥
Thank you!! I feel super honored!
I never thought that making inventory could be interesting to watch. I was wrong, I cannot stop.
I am so glad to hear that! After doing inventory on each and every room I was over it lol! So I am glad I added in a sample of it ;)
IMO It's priceless :)
😊💖 Thank you!
I think your out of pocket cost was a bargain especially over 10 years. This is a great and well thought out brake down. 🤩👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks so much! 😊
Incredible work! Totally interesting hearing you break down the costs and estimated value the way you did. I have a value for you. Absolutely Priceless!
The curation of the items into a cohesive design that accurately conveys your theme, is a job in itself. You specifically sought out certain items to use in this particular project. Other items you HAD to fabricate in order to represent a particular aspect of your vision, as well as draw upon the memories of an audience who would view this piece as fans of the show. Curation is an important part of any art installation. Miniatures are exactly that, in a compact space. Fans of miniature builds will most certainly expect historical and canonical accuracy in wherever their appreciation lies. Although there are those of us who are just flipping out over teeny tiny things, there are also those that want miniatures to look as super shrunken models of full sized inspiration, and others would rather see items that are created more “borrowers style” of everyday items created from full-sized found objects. When calculating your cost versus value, it would help to bring in an outside source who would place value upon the entire project as a whole curated museum worthy piece. We will always place more value on sentiment because of the love and sweat we put in as creators. With professional input from an another who appreciates the curation of certain items and the development of all the little pieces, pun intended, that go into creating the entire visual story, you can validate the actual “value” of the collection as a whole. In this case, leave out even one of the thoughtfully placed bric-a-brac, cracked tile, or peeling ceiling paint, and the entire installation loses some of it’s charm and appeal. You did research upon the memories you had of the show and included specific moments and characters. You sought out the most ideal images and designs of the characters as played by different actors across multiple time periods. This gave the entire project multi generational appeal, thus increasing it’s value. You inspired others to create items to be specifically used for this house, again in creating it’s value. The itty bitty knitting used to create Pubert’s union suit is amazing! Created by a fan, of an iconic moment from the show, and sent to you, specifically to be used for your latest addition to the house. Most likely, one of a kind. All together, you didn’t just create a massive project, you curated every item that went into it, over the span of eleven years. It didn’t just take that amount of time to create it, it took that amount of time to find everything you needed to complete the vision.
Thank you Robin! That's a great way to look at it! And you're right... it might well take me another 11 years to source everything to the same caliber again!
The Addams house is priceless. I know you will never sell it. Yes share it with the world and a museum sparing your space and putting your art on display to the public would be a blessing As You Are
I genuinely enjoy art-related organization videos. Lots of people will show all their storage bins for supplies and such. One thing I extra appreciate about this channel is that you also show *process* organization. List, diagrams, procedures, love 'em. My friends sometimes tease me because of how often I will say, "This situation calls for a spreadsheet!".
Haha so true! I am definitely a list maker!
That's a a solid $150,000 dollhouse, due to originality, artistic creating, time, costs, and a only one.
It's a Masterful job and deserves high praises and a exceptional price to reflect it's true value. 👍👍👍 CONGRATULATIONS on this stunning accomplishment.
Def interested in learning more about it being in a museum!
Ok! I will make sure to record and update as much as I can!😊
Hello Ara,
I have been following you since a few months now but I think it's my first comment.
The 25 000$ total value is underrated. Should be higher I think, but good work on calculating all of that and thanks for sharing the process.
I am very surprised of how few money you spend from your pocket. Of course 3 000$ is a lot but distributed over 11 years... it's not that much when you think about how much money people spend on their hobbies (whatever it is).
I, myself don't do miniature but I do cosplay. And of course I could buy one for 200$-500$ and it would be amazing...but there's something special about being able to say "I did it myself", specially when people ask you "where did you buy it."
Your work is amazing ! I can't wait to see the evolution od the Beetlejuice House !
The dramatic music really added to this experience.
Yes! Joy! Therapy! Escape! A very worthwhile expenditure.
I think $25/month is really good for creativity/therapy. I've recently started (like within the last 1-1/2 years--pandemic time--making Barbie furniture for my great-granddaughters and your projects blow my mind! You are one of the most gifted artisans from whom I have ever had the pleasure of learning.
Thank you so much for sharing your gift with the rest of us! Your dollhouses are amazing and belong in museums because they are so wonderfully creative and detailed.
I’m new to your channel. To be perfectly honest it is truly priceless. When you consider your time, energy and the artistry alone poured-in to such amazing project; nothing under $50,000 would be fair. Nothing. I am not a miniaturist and until I ran into one of your videos, I had no idea what this art was all about. It is a testament of your expertise that I got completely mesmerized and now have watched all the videos on this project (some more than once) and I’m in awe! Since then I have researched a bit on the subject. You are simply amazing and you are so humble and kind. Love to hear about your projects. I’m now hooked on the “Beetlejuice” project and I’m cheering you on. Please let us know what museum will showcase your house, would love to support it. Keep shinning!!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏💖
Thank you so much for the encouragement Delcia!! I will definitely let you all know soon!
You should consider upping the number for what you would pay yourself…for example here in California minimum wage is between $13-14/hr (depending on the employer’s number of employees). I think 15/hr is a super modest number for a specialist 🤷♀️ just to further number throwing…that’s my 2 cents 😂! You are an amazing artist- this is an absolutely stunning piece and deserves to be showcased in a museum! All the videos including this one about this build and the love you put into your projects are such a joy to watch. ❤️
Most states min. Wage is still at $7.25
I live in one of those states and make custom drapes were the fabric costs $100 a yard
I make 11.20
Sadly when it comes to arts until one has a name and recognition the pay isn't that good.
Thank you my friend! Its really hard to value time when a company isn't just telling you what they are going to pay lol! Thank you for the kind words💖
Absolutely amazing👍🏻you are so talented👍🏻🕷️🕸️👻
I think you have undervalued your whole project. Taking in the time worked, even approximately would far more than double that price as well as the fact that if you had to buy that as a kit it could easily be worth over S50,000. Now that's the insurance value I would put forward. Don't forget you can also charge for teaching time which is beyond money value in my book.
Thank you Barbara💖 This is why I really want to get it professionally valued so I know for sure! Hopefully this process will help me continue to grow and learn the value of miniatures!
@Barbara Grace I totally agree. I can’t even begin to imagine the cost of buying a precut house as big as the Adam’s family mansion even with nothing in it and having to put it together myself. I’ve seen some houses go for thousands and they’re smaller than this project and it’s only the wood pieces. Just the craftsmanship and attention to detail in the home make it much more valuable.
Absolutely worth a million dollars! The love, sweat and tears that went into it makes that still cheap at the price. I am looking forward to seeing how the museum plays out xx
Thank you Lesley! I will keep you all updated ;)
I would think a project on which you lavished so much talent and dedication to detail is pretty much priceless ….
The out of pocket $3,000ish made me feel soooo much better!! Thank you for posting this. I expected 8-10k to be honest. Because 11 years is a long time. You give me hope that I can finish my medium-sized project for less than $3,000 in maybe 6-8 years! (I would estimate it’s about half the size of your Addams house.) Great job and congrats about the museum!
Fabulous, informative, your sense of humor shining through, and a desperately needed video. Thank you so much for all your time, honesty and creativity that you poured into this project!
Thank you Chris! I really appreciate that!💖
I love it how it shows how much value of thing grow when you invest some money in crafts that you love and work hard on it
Yes! Please do the museum video!
I appreciate other creatives talking about money in such an honest way this is very interesting
This is one of the coolest things I've ever seen in my entire whole life.
Thank you for this very insightful video. I don't think people understand how much TIME goes into a project like this, even more so than money. And no, not too much talking, I think it will be very helpful for many people. That onesie is just AMAZING! Oh and don't forget the support and love from the amazing community we're both in. Can't do it without them! Much love!
Thank you my friend! And yes! SO MUCH TIME! lol!
For something you love and for the start of a business and for something that is not only cherished by you but by others I think that's a very low number. And that onesie is perfect!
Thank you!! Yes I agree it's adorable!
I have to say this house is amazing! Your talent is an inspiration to all of us doll house makers. I hope you continue to bring new ideas and projects to us all.
thank you
you need to keep this in your family. It is an heriloom. It is priceless. Doesn't have a price. Your children's children will give it to their children.
I agree that this project is priceless. It has become so much more than a doll house, it is an inspiration to so many. That said insurance values are so difficult on something that is so personal.
This video has been a reminder to me to record where things came from in my own mini houses, although with my big house already being 18 years in the making there are already a lot of blank spots in my memory.
I think it would awesome to see that in a museum and it would be the highlight of my day going to see it. I would seriously geek out over it so expect me to camp out there.
Congratulations Ara on being able to showcase the Adams Family project for others to enjoy and admire x
Thank you so much!
If you love it and you enjoyed creating it then it is actually priceless. You’re not spending a ton of money for your joy. You’re worth it!
I personally view this project as priceless so I commend you for being able to put a cost to it. I’m glad a museum has recognised your talent, you deserve it, congrats 🥳 🎉
It is priceless to me as a fan of your work but this really helps me as I get started on my project. ❤️ Thanks for sharing
Thank you April! I am so glad it was helpful to you!
It will be cool to see all the Process of you getting it to the Museum.
Thank you for sharing this. They say hind sight it 20/20. You're lucky you learned this so early in life. Yes, you started 11 years ago on this wonderful house but when you consider how many more years you have ahead of you, this knowledge of keeping inventory will certainly be of value.... not just for you but for the people who come after you.
Thank you Maria! I hope so! I really hope to leave my family with some kind of organized catalogued mini mess when I leave this world!😄💖
Wow! Just ... WOW!
Congratulations on the offer to have it in a museum! Can't wait to see that video! Hopefully, the museum is close so I can go and see it!
$15 is WAY too low for an hourly rate for ANY artist, especially one of your talent! I generally charge twice that for my woodworking projects. Don't sell yourself short! People are willing to pay MORE for art. If the price is too low, they think it's just cheap art. Trust me ... the price makes a difference!
Have a better day! Keep up the great work!
Thank you Sean! I would charge more than that now. It was just an example number for now. I will try to keep better track of Beetlejuice and it will be an interesting comparison!
I love your honesty...I've watched your build over the last year and have been inspired to make rooms of my own...not a house, just rooms...and I'm so rapt with yours and each of mine...thank you for being here to set my crafting juices flowing 💕💕💕
Wow I'm so proud of you! I've got to this channel thanks to that exact video and now I'm here everyday, I'm happy your house is going to a museum congratulations 👏
Thank you so much for the support and I am so glad that video found you!
I am so surprised at how little it actually cost. I would have guessed much higher. I think it is worth far more than you think it's worth. It is stunning and so well thought out. You are an amazing artist and an inspiration.
Wow! I can’t believe you only spent $3200 on that whole house! That’s amazing! I would have estimated so much more. It’s definitely priceless in terms of its worth. I can’t wait to see it on display at the museum!! Congrats on one million views too!
I think you were spot on!!! There really is no price you can put on the love, emotions, feelings and memories you create. You did fantastic!!!
Agreed! Thank you :)
It is a great! I know crafting is expensive, but craft is so rewarding and the artistic choices you put in and your time add so much value!
A museum interest is awsome. Would really love to see a video about that experience.
You are an absolute delight to watch! 😃
😊 Thank you!
Yes, please cover the museum process. Congrats 🎉
Wow how proud you must feel to have a museum wanting to showcase it. This was a labour of love for sure. Yes do a follow up on the whole museum experience. Take care.
Amazing work! I have loved watching your channel. I think you have under valued all of your hard work.
Thank you so much 😀 I definitely might have. I am looking forward to a professional looking at it and keeping better track of the Beetlejuice house!
She is sooooo amazing to me and I'm sure all of her subscribers. She is my go to spot for all of my questions. And she is right about cost. I use boxes I grab from convenience stores, anything I can find on the farm in terms of weathered wood, broken hardware, etc. The most expensive items for me thus far, are glue sticks, clay if I use it for filler, and for now I've been using really watered down, Plaster of Paris instead of compound, only $4.99 for 5lbs at Walmart.
My eyes are swelling up with tears. Your creativity is extremely motivational. I love how others appreciate your work so much that they create things and send you to add to your masterpiece. Wonderful!
💖💖
First of all a MUSEUM wants your house! You underestimate your talents. You are a fantastic artist and under value yourself. It’s not only about the money but the joy you have brought to thousands of people. You have helped me get through some rough times with your easy going , fun and quirky personality. You answer all our remarks. You make it so personal. I really do hope you have a get together for all of us. I think it would be a blast and I would get to meet a big celebrity!
Thank you Robin!! Thank you for your encouragement to me as well with your wonderful comments! Its definitely the community that keeps me motivated and going with these projects sometimes. Your excitement is contagious! I would love to do a get together one day! Or at least travel around to different mini shows and let y'all know where I will be ;)
Congratulations on the Museum showcasing!!!! How exciting!!!
Thank you for taking the time to make this and share with us Ara! I hope the museum showing goes through!
Thank you John! I will definitely keep you all updated!
It is one of the best dollhouses I’ve ever seen, and I love seeing it! And no, u don’t pay yourself enough!
Love the chair rolls 😆❤️. Thank you for making this video and I really love your Addams family house! Its a treasure fit for any museum 💪🏼
MAJOR props for sharing the calculations and including the price to pay yourself in the value. Instant sub for that.
Welcome to the channel!!
Thanks for this video. I'd love to see more about the museum process.
You are so sweet! I LOVED LOVED LOVED watching the whole process of the making of this dollhouse! I get stuck for HOURS! LOL THANK YOU so much for your videos! Keep up the great work!
Just found your channel recently. I love making scale 1:12 miniatures into shadow boxes as gifts. Also tackling a fairies/elves/pixies, the little people of the forest for my granddaughters. Also, a Halloween room box for my son. And last, but not least, a bakery in honor of my daughter, who I lost 11/2 years ago. She was a real baker that made my cannolis perfect. I want to make her proud. She has grown daughters that may have a little girl. I know it sounds like a lot, but it is fun to switch up. So glad that I found your channel. God bless.
It's brilliant.
Thank you so much!
I love your earings in this video!! Low key want them for a hanging light fixture 😂😂😂 great video & i dont think you could ever offend anyone, but good on you for the disclaimer anyway 😊😊
Thank you Aaron! The earrings came from a subscriber who is also a mini-maker!
Congrats!!! thats such an amazing opportunity for you, love to see the museum display when it comes out!
Haven't watched the video yet, because I know whatever value you finally come up with, the actual answer should be... PRICELESS...
Congratulations on knowing that so many people (a million!!!) feel the same way I do. 💖💖💖
Yes please! I would really like to see a video on the museum process. Please do post if it comes through.
Loved every bit of this. And I enjoy watching you chat! I feel like I'm there with you, sharing a snack.
I’m really think it’s worth thousands of dollars. Not finished with video yet. It’s a beautiful labor of love and learning process!
If things work out with museum I would to see it in person!
Thank you😊 Once I know everything is set I will definitely announce it and promote it for anyone who can make it to see the house in person!
@@BentleyHouseMinis looking forward to it! I did the math for the $25 k value and it came out to $6 and change a day.
Being in a museum near you would be good in that you can visit it and many others can go see it in person.
I guessed 80k -125,000
Ms. Bentley, you and your creations are worth every penny. And more! Please keep dazzling us with your amazing creativity. Thank you!
That number is 100% okay! Like you said, it brought you joy and was therapeutic. You can’t really put a value on that, and people spend WAY more on things that aren’t worth it. There are people that spend $3k a year on alcohol, drugs, weapons, etc. you spent under 4k over 11 years on a learning experience that made you and other people very happy. That’s invaluable ❤
Truly the most epic dollhouse I have ever seen and a treasure. If I had done this, no amount of money could convince me to part with it. But then I am quite sentimental. Love this so much! I love the fact also that you are doing the Beetlejuice House because these long term projects are delightful. I have to ask though, how does one deal with having too many ideas and finding herself unable to start ANYTHING because of all the noise in her head: "Build me first!" "No, me, do me!" "No, ME!" Ah, I am spinning in circles with so many projects I want to do...and then there's the "where shall I put them all?" LOL!
Wow. Congratulations - even if it doesn't happen. What a wonderful show of appreciation (to have a museum want to showcase your creation). In truth, you'd want to sell it at an auction specializing in certain types of memorabilia, such as Adam's Family fans, Halloween iconography or miniaturists. Then you'd be dealing with an interested crowd and the value would definitely be higher than 50k.
Miniatures really scratch an aesthetic…sensibility for me, and your channel in particular. I think you’re a great ambassador for the craft, with how talented, engaging, and informative you are. Can’t wait to support you and your future museum endeavor!
Thank you! 😊 That means a lot to me!
This was really informative and I believe you should have included much more for your time. I love your workbook and currently am using it for 2 projects. I love that I can record ideas that I will forget by the time I turn the page! Lol! I also keep track of my time in a blank date book. Write in the date, project, hours worked and what I did. I would be very interested in seeing a video on the museum and how that happened. Thanks again Ara for sharing. I so look forward to your videos every week.
I am so glad to hear the workbook is helpful for you!! I am so excited to use it all through the Beetlejuice project!
This was so interesting to watch! $25,000 for a dollhouse sounds insane but it's really a one of a kind work of art. I think it's worth much more!
Wow, that's amazing about the museum! It definitely deserves to be spotlighted and admired. I feel that the overall value should be more, but as you said realistically it's worth what someone would pay for it. I hope once all your negotiations are done you can let us know where it will be! I would love to go see it!!! Thanks for this wonderful video. It really touched on excellent points that we need to realize as artists. 💜💜
Thank you so much Alisa! I will definitely keep you all updated when it is displayed! I would love to see pics of people visiting the Addams!! That would be so amazing!
Yes Please! I'd love to hear more about what happened and what it was like! Ara, we are all living vicariously through you!!!
Congratulations lady! You had your hands full doing the inventory of the build. Ca-ra-zee.
I just enjoy watching you, you have such a soft easy going manner. This was a great video and certainly provokes thought as clearly the costs DO add up.
Your work is stunning! Invaluable! Thank you for teaching us. You’re the best! Love and light. 💕
Ara, I'm so happy, all I am hearing is " their house is a museum..." Perfect place and the joy and fascination it will bring is priceless! This video is a real reference guide! Just incredible. Thank you so much!
Thank you!! That line from the song will be perfect as it really goes into a museum lol!!
That ending was everything!!!!!! It is an amazing piece!!!!! I wish I had the money to buy it….and a house big enough to put it in…..😂🤣😂
You are simply an amazing lady. Beautiful, funny and TALENTED. You are a joy and pleasure to listen to and be taught by. Thank you, dear Ara. Thank you.
Thanks so much 😊💖
The house is priceless. So many memories are made while the making of it. I'm really happy that a museum is going to display it so that people can enjoy it.
Thanks for sharing. This was so interesting & can’t wait to hear about the Addams’ Family house adventure to the museum.
Just finished the video and found it very informative. As artists, we do undervalue our worth. I think doing what this video covers is something more artists should do. And honestly, we also tend to undervalue other artists by saying "I'm not paying that much, I could make that ". Usually though, I think we make things to see if we can. I know I do. Love your videos and your personality, you make me laugh at least once in each video. I think you might have undervalued some of it, also I think I missed the numbers on the house kits themselves. I look forward to updates on this whole subject.
I'm happy you like the ear rings too, they look very nice on you. I think
This is very true as well!! I like to mix it up and make what I know I will enjoy and also save up money to support artists by buying pieces that I know they will make better and I won't want to make! Great example of this is my Marie Antoinette doll. I knew she was worth the investment!
It is a beautiful piece of art and any museum should be thrilled to have it! And you are definitely worth more than $15 an hour. But as you say it was a project of love so very difficult to put a price on that. Making minis is a delightful world of magic where we are the magicians. Love your videos!
Wow, over a million views on the final video! You have a great channel. I wish you a ton of future success. I estimate for a living (for commercial construction projects), and you estimated the numbers exactly how I would have gone about it. I enjoyed being able to show my daughter what I do while we watched one of your videos (which we do anyway).
Thank you! I am glad to have your seal of approval on my process! I am going to try to keep better track with my up coming projects but I am glad I am heading in the right direction :)
So good! Thank you for sharing this with all of us. Such an awesome project.
Absolutely incredible!
It’s fun seeing other people do the breaking-down of costs to a month as well. I do this with my bicycle which was more expensive than I had thought it should. Soon I was under the amount of money I would need to spend for a monthly ticket of public transport. 😉
It was quite interesting. Thanks for sharing!
It does help when those costs end up evening out and making sense doesn't it? Especially when it's something that brings so much joy!
Thank you for sharing all of this! So much went into making this very detailed video. It is so interesting to see what this project cost you. I think you were very conservative on the numbers but I know nothing about miniatures other than that I love watching you make them. Being that I am in love with the Addams Family, your project is what got me into miniature videos, and I really appreciate all that you’ve done and do. Congratulations on the museum and I wish you all of the best with everything yet to come. Hugs to you and everyone here.💕✨
Watching Ara's videos... priceless!