Where Will Your Art Be Sold?

July 22nd, 2008 Daryle Dickens

This post is part of the discussion "How Do I Price My Art?" A common question for any new artist working in any medium. Often it is the last thought given to the idea of selling art. Here we are going to bring up some ideas and some ways on how an artist new to selling art can begin to price their art.

These days a lot of artists find their first opportunity to sell their art in places other than galleries. Coffee shops, restaurants, spas, doctor’s offices are becoming more and more common places to find art. And the wall that your art hangs on with its "For Sale" sign effects the price.

People do not walk into a coffee shop thinking about buying art. Coffee is the first thing on their mind. And that is why they are willing to pay $4 or $5 for some espresso diluted with steamed milk. And the next thing on the list after coffee is usual socialize or check my email. But while they do those things they just might notice the art on the wall.

But even if they notice the art and like the art most likely they are not in art buying mode. Art for the average person is a big purchase. And big purchases require forethought. Which is something people often have when walking into an art gallery.

And hopefully the shop or restaurant is not taking as high a percentage as an art gallery. Use that to make your art within reach of the patrons. It is a simple fact that art on a gallery wall has more value than art on the walls of a coffee shop. Price accordingly.

The experience is always good though. And those venues are great places to learn from when working toward gallery representation. And there is always the possibility that a gallery will notice your work in a restaurant and want to represent you. If you can get your art in front of the public it is a good thing. After all that is one of the reasons you created it isn’t it?

What do you think? What has been your experience selling art in non traditional locations?

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Have You Met Etsy?

July 9th, 2008 Daryle Dickens

If you make things by hand you may want to introduce yourself to Etsy. (Rhymes with Betsy.) Etsy.com is an online store for buying and selling handmade items as well as some of the supplies needed to make them. 

I am starting to see Etsy pop up in more and more places. And more and more artists are using it as their online store. And I can understand why. Etsy is more than just an online marketplace, it is a community. A place where the things you buy have people behind them. And a buyer and seller can make a connection.

The idea of bringing more handmade items into our lives is something I can appreciate. We live in a culture of manufactured products. Cheap disposable things made in far away places by people we will never know. Through a place like Etsy we can put a face on what we buy, make a connection that will stay with the item for as long as you use it. And also request custom made products if that is what you need.

You can be that face, that person making the sale. Many artists are making their living by being an Etsy seller. It cost only 20 cents to list an item for up to 4 months. And when the item sell Etsy takes only 3.5% of the sale. Not bad. At those rates the cost of taking Etsy for a test drive is very low.

Maybe this where I should let Etsy explain itself to you via this video:

I have not set up my Etsy account yet but I plan to. How about you? Is it a place to sell your art? If you have a set up a shop or have a shop let me know how it is working out for you.

Posted in Art on the Web, Business of Art, Resources for Artists | 2 Comments »

Time And Material

July 1st, 2008 Daryle Dickens

This post is part of the discussion "How Do I Price My Art?" A common question for any new artist working in any medium. Often it is the last thought given to the idea of selling art. Here we are going to bring up some ideas and some ways on how an artist new to selling art can begin to price their art.

Contractors and tradesmen are familiar with the term "time and material." It is when a job is priced out based on the amount of time it took to complete along with the cost of materials involved. For many new artists this is a good place to start when thinking about pricing their art.

Let’s cover materials first. Because you always want to make sure your materials are covered. This applies even to artist who really don’t like the idea of making money with their art. (I know your out there.) Even if your not seeking a profit you want to make enough to buy more materials to continue in your work. This requires paying attention or recording your expenses and how much went into the work you want to sell. Think about how much that canvas, clay, or photo paper cost. That will give you a foundation for your pricing. It is the beginning of making your work sustainable.

Time is a bit more tricky. Because you must determine how much your time is worth. How much is an hour of your working time worth? The more experience you have the more valuable your time is. If you are just beginning as an artist, or have never sold art and you are new to a market, you have not built up value yet. So even though you may have spent hours working on a piece you will have a difficult time demanding a high price for it.

Think of it as your internship into the art world. Your gaining experience and your meeting people but your not getting paid very well. This can be hard for an artist that is stepping into the world of selling their art. You see the dollar amount other work has next to it and you want the same. When you starting it is more important to get the sale.

A sale will do so much for you as a new artist. First it begins to hush that little voice in your head that is telling you you have no business selling art. Second it just feels good. It is a nice feeling when someone likes something that you created enough to pay you for it. And practically it means you have money to buy more materials to create more art..

This is how it starts. Small. Like so many things in life. But as you start to sell you can also start to raise you prices. You can do this because you have more experience. And if you selling that means you have demand, and demand equals value.

Keep in mind these are not rules. These are ideas. No two artists are the same. And this discussion is not for artists working with a gallery. A good gallery will help you with your pricing.

I believe when your starting out it is important to cover the cost of your supplies and to get the sale. Everything else will grow from that.

What do you believe?

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How Do I Price My Art? (Part One)

June 11th, 2008 Daryle Dickens

For this series of posts we are going to be talking about the process of selling your art for the first time.

You have been making your art for some time now but you have never displayed it anywhere. Then one day while grabbing a latte you see art up in your local coffee shop. On a whim you ask the manager how an artist goes about getting their art displayed in the shop. To your surprise she says next month she has a need for new art and offers you the chance to hang your stuff. In a moment of excitement you say you’d love to hang your art in the coffee shop.

Then as your getting ready for your first public display of art you realize you have to come up with a price for your art. The some strange and weird feeling creeps over you as you think about pricing your work. You’ve never had to put a price on your art and the thought of it is a bit scary. Relax. Through the process of asking yourself some questions and giving yourself some honest answers it is not that hard for an artist that is just getting started to price their art.

• What is the amount of time you have spent developing your art?
• What is the amount of time you invest in a given piece?
• Where will your art be sold?
• Who is your potential buyer?
• Why are you selling your art?
• When are you selling your art?

When an artist begins to sell their art they must become an entrepreneur. And as much as most artists hate to admit it, art is business. And to be successful at business you need to always be asking the right questions.

Sit down and take some time to think about these questions. Be honest with yourself even if it is not comfortable. Then be sure to come back to Art Palaver because we will be discussing these questions and what the answers mean to you.

Until then live to create,

Posted in Business of Art | 2 Comments »