I'd give the off-hand ballpark estimates to some folks, but more in the form of "probably more than you want to spend" and "not cheap, but worth it" just to save their time and yours. But you probably do that with the folks where it's obvious.
I wonder if you can make up a plaque with some 'examples':
'old sloppy guy work' = $X
'machine engraved' = $Y
'Custom work' = $XX
and use it to help direct people (and their expectations). Find someone just starting out in your area to do the 'entry level' example, hit a 'Things Remembered' for the machine example, and do the top end sample yourself.
It'd be a quick way to show the different levels available - and an easy way for you to send the folks who really only
want kiosk level machine cut lettering to the appropriate places so they don't waste their money and wind up unhappy.
Sometimes you get more work from turning down work then from taking it. I know that if someone tells me that they're overkill for what I'm looking for and steers me toward a someone who'll do a good job of what I want I make
sure to go back to them when I want something at their level - and I recommend them to others.
As to pricing, one thing I learned from photography (yeah, I do a lot of things) that it's better to be too high than too low. If someone has a budget of $2,000 for something and you say you can do it for $500 then they tend to think (even if they don't say) "We were looking for a professional." If you say $5,000 then they'll usually tell you their budget isn't that high and you can negotiate down to what they can afford - which is
really nice if you had privately estimated you
could do it for $500.
But only you know
your situtation and it's your livelyhood we're talking about so go with your gut, make small changes, and be prepared to re-adjust as needed.