I may not purchase enough fine art to be called a "Collector"...but I do purchase original pieces for myself and as gifts.
I found the perfect piece today for a friend. THERE WAS NO PRICE LISTED...I will not chase an artist down to find out the price of their work.
True, the price if listed, could have been more than I wanted to spend and the sale would have been lost anyway...but don't make me contact you and wait for an answer and don't make me embarrass my self if the price is more than I can afford. Pricing your work allows me to make this decision before I contact you.
Think about it. If you were car shopping and found what you thought to be the perfect vehicle...Would you want to chase down a salesman and then wait for him to contact you with the price.
How about those new shoes or the jacket you found at the boutique. Lets just say that the clerk said she would have to contact her boss to find out the price and would send you an email in a day or so.
Tell me, is this the way you would like to shop? The situation here is no different. If you are in the retail business...and want to sell your art...pleeeeease put a price on it.
- Do you still question whether you should post your prices? Are you having difficulty setting your prices? Check the links below.Allison Stanfield's Art Biz Blog...art pricing
Clint Watson's FineArtViews Blog...post your prices
Just so you know, I'm still shopping for that gift for my friend.
Links:
Website ...Marsha Robinett Fine Art
My Squidoo ...Drawing Techniques
PS...make a "Point"...leave a comment
8 comments:
I completely agree Marsha. Buying art is no different than buying potatoes. I want to know the price before I put the goods in my cart.
Its how the human psyche works. To spend time finding out the price, waiting for a response, then digesting whether or not you can afford it, lets you easily move on to something more accessible.
Of course then there's the matter of whether you can even find a way to contact the artist on the site... we won't go there right now :) Good luck with your search.
I have to agree that posting prices is an absolute must if you want to sell. Number one rule in retail sales is to make it easy for the customer. Number two, the customer is always right;-)
I agree, Marsha. I had often looked at artist's work that I admired, but hadn't wanted to contact the artist because I didn't want to embarrass myself. On the other hand, when I fall in love with a piece and I know what it costs, if it's a price I can manage, I want to snatch it up right away!
I've surprised myself and gotten some really nice pieces of artwork because I loved the work and KNEW WHAT IT COSTS... then and only then could I judge... is it worth it to me?
I'm pretty sure it wasn't me. I didn't lose a sale. But that is an excellent point.
Just a quick 'thank you' for leaving a comment on my blog. (And thx for writing the inspirational post that I linked.)
Hey Everyone...thanks for agreeing with me. The subject of this post made me just a little nervous.
It was a true experience. I see so many artists that do not post their prices. I've just never understood why, unless they aren't sure what to charge...or change their price depending on where they are selling at.
Anyway, it felt good to have my thoughts on the subject validated.
Hi Marsha!
Your topics are just like your artwork- very interesting!
I am glad you blogged about this topic. It's still a mystery to me as to how to decide what the price of our artwork should be. Should we put a price tag that just 'feels' right or are there certain criteria that we should follow?
Sumita,
Arriving at a suitable price for your art has always been controversial. You might want to take a look at the links I included in my post.
My self, I started low...with something I thought I could live with. I considered what others of the same quality and medium were charging for similar sized works.
I hope this helps.
I was told specifically NOT to publish my prices on my website by an artist coach. (not Alyson Stanfield) The reason behind it was that my site was set up as an online portfolio to try and get galleries interested in representing me. The logic behind this was that if a gallery sees that I am selling my work online.... what do I need a gallery for? It is being loyal to the gallery and letting them do the marketing and selling for the artist, not competing with them. I have to say that it made sense to me at the time as I was looking for a gallery to represent me. I have had my site this way for probably a year or more now and not only have I not had gallery representation but I have not had anyone contact me for a price list. Your article has made me rethink that maybe I should get the price list up and see what happens. With out it, nothing has happened...... so, it can't get any worse! Maybe now you have a logical answer to why some artists do not put up their prices. Not sure it is a good idea in this economical climate.
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