DIY cable pricing and advice needed  

It's against Head-fi policy to sell "DIY" items at a profit.  To do so requires becoming a Member of the Trade, or rather, with the new forum software, an "Industry Insider", as far as I know.  This will have to be clarified by jude once he posts the new Head-fi Terms of Service.

That being said, to answer your question, have a look at the cables being made by various people/companies here and look at the cost of the materials vs what they are being sold for.  There you'll have your answer. 

First of all, why would anyone want to buy your cable?

And how much would you pay for your own cable...

Do your homework with this two question in your head, and you'll get your answer plus what currawong said.

I'm the definition of a terrible businessman...I don't charge for anything, except material cost. LOL. I enjoy doing it, not for profit.

That is something you have to think out for yourself. As long as you're not more expensive than ALO. ;-)

The "DIY for fun" crowd is vastly overshadowed by the "DIY for profit" crowd in the FS forums.

^^I belong to that crowd!

I don't see profit being a bad thing, but doing a bad job and expecting someone to pay for it..thats just eroding the DIY status - Most people's impression are DIY are fugly cables when the opposite is true, DIY cables can be as good as boutique ones.

You also cannot sell tons and tons of DIY cables even if they're all at the materials' cost on Head-Fi. A few leftovers here and there, sure, but mass producing anything merits you a Member of the Trade (or whatever it is now) status.

I have given away two of my cables, but I am very much in the for fun camp of DIY. However, should I buy or sell, I would expect to pay for costs, time and the P&P. So there is no profit as such, but no loss either.

I agree drummerdimitri. If I was to sell one of my cables and to cover cost, UK postage and time I would look for about £16 for a metre.

WOW ... What an interesting thread. Let me first say this : Someone asked why anyone would want to buy DIY cables ?  My own DIY cables sound better than ANY of the big manufacturer's cables do. How do I know this ?  After owning a high end audio store for several years, I have heard and owned ALL of the best cables at VERY expensive prices. I have been able to compare my cables head to head with the best from Tara, JPS, Crystal, Kimber, Synergistic, Nordost, etc, etc ....  When a DIY'er becomes obsessed with experimenting for over 20 years building his own cables, he will learn what does, and does not work ... what different spacing, conductor size, conductor type, conductor count, construction technique, dielectric, etc does, and how best to optimize it.  Since I do not sell my cables to people who will be constantly plugging and unplugging the cables, I do not have to use extremely strong, dynamics robbing outer jackets on my cables, which means my cables sound vastly more open, transparent, and dynamic. And this is only one example.

So the answer is : Many DIY designs smoke what the manufacturer's offer.

But if I were to sell my cables at a profit, I would have to figure in the cost of conductor material, heat shrink, terminations, outer jacket material, cryo costs if applicable, silver solder, contact enhancers ( Furutech Nanofluid is damned expensive ), etc .... For my interconnects for example ... I also have to figure in the cost of the special Techflex I use that retains a set shape while bending, and the cost of the professional seamstress who sews my channels for my conductor spacing in to that Techflex.

Only then could I figure in any labor costs. You can't go with what the big manufacturer;s charge, because they have TONS of hidden costs the average DIY'er will never have. I know for a FACT that many cable companies charge $500 meter for a cable that costs them $40 to make ... I have toured their factories, and know what is involved, AFTER the set up costs of their machines is paid for, or their costs to the manufacturer's who make their products for them.

But I love to make my own DIY cables for people for only the cost of materials. It gives me the greatest joy when they call me back telling me my DIY cable just smoked their $10,000 cable !   And several well known members on this site use some of my cables, and HAVE replaced their mega buck cables with my designs ..... That knowledge is my "profit"

Selling DIY for profit on head-fi is against the rules, including through the pm system, and you can be banned for repeated offenses.  Charging for time would be a violation of the rules. If you want to make a profit, you can become a MoT, but head-fi is a community for hobbyists.  It's not here so somebody can set up a little side business for themselves unless they want to do it legit.