Painting To Be Displayed For Sale At Local Mall, How Should I Price It?

how much is the final price here? do you have to print it? if so increase it that much more.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

The original piece is going to be on display and the original piece is what will be for sale. Although, prints of this piece are available here at FAA.

The final price is what I'm kinda hoping fellow artists here could help me with. Like I said I could see it selling for 100 dollars, however I think it would be more likely for around 60 or so..I'd rather sell it and make less money than not sell it at all. What do you think?

if your comfortable with the price then go for it. it sounds low though especially if its the original. but of course if there are other low prices around you, you'll stick out if its way higher than the others.

on this site, your charging way too low as well btw. how long did it take to make and what is your time worth? and even if you put $5 on it, someone will want to have it for their wall, the price usually isn't the issue, someone will want to have it.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Well, the art market where I live in Maine is absolutely nonexistent. That's not to say people wouldnt pay a fair price for it though.

How do you think I should split the profits? 70% for me and 30% for the other guy sound good?

What would you charge if it was your painting, how would you do it? $80, $90? More?

And also whats wrong with my print prices would you please explain?

Thanks, Mike, you've got to be one of the most helpful and inspiring people on this site.

Also it's an acrylic painting I think I put around 4 or 5 hours into it.

your print prices are too low and the prices step up very small. the original would be more than than the print (be sure to sign it and number it?) and once its gone its gone, so make sure you have a large scan of it just in case. i don't have originals so its hard to know off hand, but if you take a min wage whatever that is and times it by 5. i think it's around $8 - so that's $40, but you shouldn't have to work cheap. i'd probably go for more because it's the only one, and once its signed and shown that it's a limited edition - (though i don't know if that's kosher or not), you can ramp the price up.

find out what the other prices are over there and get a ball park that way. prices will fluctuate depending on where you sell it. you can also ask how much he wants in the split, he would have a better idea than you.

---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

If this were mine, it'd be priced at $225.00 and looking at it I think it's done well enough for you to put such a price on it. Art is expensive no matter where you are (at least good art is). Don't sell yourself short. Good luck :)

I agree with Cody. It's nice work. The pricing rule of thumb I use: Price whatever you are willing to let it go for and won't be kicking yourself afterward for if it does sell.

Why do people think art is sold like a bag of potato chips? Why would art be more likely to sell for $60 then $100? Someone either sees it and has to have it or not.

The idea that Maine doesn't have an art market is absurd. There are artist all over Maine and plenty of rich summer people with large second and third homes that need art as well as their apartments back in Boston, New York and Philly.

Max,

Is the piece framed and matted? Professionally? If so, I would say $250 and then give the owner of the store the ability to sell for as low as $200. I would also offer prints of this piece,matted and bagged and signed for $35 or so, and the chances are, you'll sell these before the original. And they are getting a "signed" piece of artwork,cheap!

You can also have a small sign saying "Prints Only available"

Don't be quick to sell originals,cheaply,since you've only got that one and if that's cheap, then the buyer will think ALL your work is cheap.........

Rich

and you don't want to look desperate either, because then they will low ball you for even less. and if you do say yes, you will have a hard time increasing those prices.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

Hmm, thanks a lot for your input guys. I'm reconsidering my prices now. I don't think I could sell this for 200 but maybe 110, plus the cost of the frame. Do you think that a contract with the guy who owns this business is a good idea, or is it unnecessary?
Thanks again.

when you can, always work with a contract. like what happens if it's stolen? damaged? etc. agreed pricing and so on should be covered.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

If it sells that's an incentive for more future sales of your work, so I would think he will want to give you your share without the need for a contract at this early date. Maybe to begin with, ask him what share of the sale he is interested in.

Well if there is a contract I don't know what I would put for it being stolen or damaged, if someone damages it and he has to pay for it he may not want to sign. If there is a contract I think it will just be about payment terms.

it would be a matter of insurance, who would pay it? the idea behind a contract is, if the image is destroyed, or the place goes out of business etc - where does the art go? i was in a consignment shop and i didn't have any such contract. and things broken she never paid, and one day she closed without warning. luckily i pulled my stuff out of there in the nick of time. i still do wonder what happened to the pieces that were still there. during that time i had a lot of stuff "stolen" and she said it as a matter of fact thing (i think she stole the money from the sale). so if this is a store your going too, it then becomes their responsibility if it's damaged and such. you may want to ask this person.


---Mike Savad
MikeSavad.com

I wouldn't bother the owner with a contract, easier for him to tell you never mind and for a few bucks, he's not going to sign a made up contract,

Rich

Ask for $200, give him half, but start promoting his business now.

RE: A contract with the store owner. I've worked with about 5 different art galleries/gift stores, over time. Every one of them has required me to sign a contract. If this store owner doesn't have a standard contract, things could get messy. At the very least you need *something* in writing showing that your work was in the store, the price, and your/his split, and a clear arrangement covering how/when you get your art back if it doesn't sell. Worst case scenario you could send him a short email, thanking him for letting you do this, recapping the business arrangement (price, split, when/where you pick up unsold art) and asking him to confirm. Print out & save the email. If there is no written record that your art was ever in the store, it sells, and he decides to keep all the money, you could have difficulty proving that he owes you anything.

Just a heads' up: store owners who are sloppy about one thing (not having an art contract is a very sloppy business practice) are usually sloppy about lots of things. Artists who deal with sloppy business owners sooner or later usually end up angry about something. I know a lot of artists who have stories about galleries / other businesses where they will never show their art again... There was one art gallery in particular that was having financial difficulties, and stopped paying its artists (including me... fortunately I didn't have a lot of work in the store, there were others who lost a lot of art that was sold & the artists never saw a penny. Eventually, it went out of business, but there are a number of local artists who are still angry about that to this day.

As far as the split goes... is this an art store or gallery, or is this in a restaurant or some other kind of store? If it's a hand-made gift store or art gallery, the standard split here in Colorado is 50/50. If you're hanging art in a restaurant, or a business where the main line of work is not art, then the split is all over the map - usually the artist keeps a larger percentage because the restaurant usually doesn't do anything to market your art. Some places will let you keep 100%, they see it as getting to display original art on their walls for free.

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I didn't read carefully... this isn't a store, it's a display booth. Probably he doesn't have a standard contract. Just shoot him an email (as described above), so you have a record of what you both agree on.