Saggy boobs.

This is one of those questions that is harder to crack than the meaning of life: when did our time, effort and expertise suddenly doesn't count for shit? How low can we go when pricing something? What of all those important details is worth less money?

Let me state the obvious again. If some douchebags out there keep working for an insane amount of money - insane meaning 50 bucks for a print ad, you get the picture - the rest of us will suffer for it. I've begged an begged. For the love of Ogilvy, DO NOT CHARGE A SHITTY AMOUNT FOR A JOB. But it seems that I'm screaming at the top of my lungs for nothing.

Seems that in this economy, there are shitbags who decided to work for water and bread. While they have the right to do so, they are not thinking that by doing this crap they endanger MANY small businesses. Granted, there are some pieces that don't deserve a huge price. But come on... 60 bucks for a flyer? Fuck you and the Mac you rode in on. How many hours will you spend on that fucker? Three? Four? Are you honestly charging 15 an hour? Jesus Christ.

The thing is, by idiots out there doing this crap, today I had the longest day of my life trying to bargain a monthly fee. I started at normal. Then it went down to decent. Then... I just opened my ass and let them see my lungs. Yeah, basically I stopped the number game just before I became just a prostitute, taking any money just for the job. Just to get by? No fucking way.

I'm so sorry but it's just not making any sense. While there are some decent graphic artists out there who can work a decent piece, there is something about experience, talent, creativity and quality control that you cannot buy for 200 bucks a pop. Trust me, I haven't got a thing about people who work from home and have never set foot inside an agency. I've seen many great creatives who decided not to go the agency route and deliver great ads. While they charge a small amount, they do that because they don't need anything more. Just enough to pay the rent, light, water, cable and sex bill. That's it.

But if a client wants a full agency service, by all means tell me how the fuck can I charge 5k a month for that. The astounding thing is, again I say it... If I go to my doctor, I don't tell him to lower his costs when cramming things up my butt. Yes, there are doctors who charge less. But... ok. Let me give you the basic example. Plastic Surgery.

Say you have saggy boobs. You look at them and you say... damn. Saggy. So one day you decide to save up. You save 4k. You go in your local Plastic Surgeon. The price for having them boobies all pointy again is? 6k. You read about the doctor. Oh yes, he's good. He has won many prizes and has a shitload of diplomas hanging around. He must be damn good. Boobies will not sag anymore. But you have 4k. Do you go get operated on with a cheaper doc, maybe ending up either with awful boobs - or dead - or do you save up some more and end up with the nicest pair of titties ever? See my point?

Yes. If my client wants some fucked up boobies, by all means call someone else. If you want them pointing north... call me. I'll do the job. For a decent amount of bucks.

Period.