I read over some of the replies ,so here is my story
I started building as a hobby.....I have been doing this five plus years ,in the last three years I picked the archtop style as my guitar of choose.I spent a little over a year learning on my first build.....I sold it for $ 2600.00 ,my second build was started right after the first one ,it is solded for around $1500.00 ,but it is also in the process of tring to get a guitar legend to look at it.The price is less due to woods and not amplified .The one I am now building will go for at least $3000.00 or more.I get better each time I build one and the wood used gets better ,too.The one I am now building is Black walnut , cocobolo, mahogany ,ebony,zebra wood, and triple a spruse top.It will be acoustic electric with high end hardware .
I plan to build the same style guitar till I get $20,000.00 and up per guitar.Part of the equation of guitar building is to believe in yourself and knowing what your work is worth.My location is good for this ,too....I live in Thousand Oaks ,Ca.....I let any and everybody watch and look at my work and word of mouth has got a lot of people looking at and talking about my guitars and wanting to buy one .So far I have someone wanting to buy the one I am working on before it is finished.....this is my advertising so far.Right now ,I build at my own pace and pick everything that goes into the guitar .Soon I hope to let the buyer be evolved to a point .
Well this is my experience so far,hope it helps.I am not good with words, but will try to help WTH this thread.
All the best to you ,Roads