Making Money On The Street

Another example of how branding is everything.

How does your friend the photographer make out?

Danl,

Is that you? In the video?

Was the sandwich any good?

Dave

Edward-

I have several shutterbug friends. One is a full time street seller. Pays all his bills out of a week's take. The rest is fun-money. The other guys hit the streets on weekends. The Tower Eiffel shots are the biggest sellers. Some days ok. Others outstanding. You never know unless you try.

David-

Burp

We've got panhandlers on 4 corners of just about every major intersection...they set up shop, selling nothing but the idea of helping out the needy. Some make between $200-300 a day.
Who needs art?

Serious bucks as in the guy purchasing the Banksy art for resale, Mr. Danl? You're right: selling your art on the street is a tough place to begin.

David, well said.

No way. I couldn't do it. I can barely tolerate the idea of sitting in a booth at an art festival.

Danl,

You have something there. We all have seen the street vendors and of course a big town may be much different than small ones. I have a retail space in a smallish shopping center with not much walk by traffic however I think being there, being available is a big selling point. I will try standing or sitting out front of my shop to see if it makes a difference instead of waiting for some one to walk in. I'm optimistic. Time to experiment. Thanks for the thought.

Valerie,
I think you'd be pleasantly surprised....you will meet all kinds of people that will want to talk with you about your art....it is good practice in engaging the public and honing your verbal skills.
Art fairs are a blast..especially once you get to know the regulars.
Oh yeah and a glass of cold, hard lemonade is perfect on a nice day...liquid courage!

Me and my daughter took photo with the photographers front of the Louver with my camera. They wanted to take photo with us as soon as we got out of the cab.
I thought they were going to steal my camera. LOL Very wrong of me, they were very nice and apparently they are making really good money not only that they exhibit their work in the gallery as well. One more solid experience, it is not always what you see.

Marlene - I think that is performance art.

To sell art me thinks you need a steady flow of tourist traffic and a lot of sunscreen - and of course a permit.

Then there is this doctor who dances on the street and raises money for charity - http://abc.go.com/shows/2020/listing/2015-08/14-2020-081415-hunter-and-hunted

@Ed,
lol

It's a big problem here....the panhandlers hit the 'cross' buttons and stop traffic on purpose so that they can have stopped cars to approach. The police have finally taken a stand, but new ones pop up daily.

I think it was David king who said something to the effect of saying that this was another example of branding being everything. I was just wonderong if david himself or perhaps someone else could elaborate/expand and educate me further on what you mean by the term/concept branding?

I saw the video from youtube of that old man selling his art wares on the street. I assume the streets were the streets of New york. I was intrigued to discover that the woman from New Zealand was my ex-girlfriend. She had only just recently got out of prison and was doing her OE what a small world it is.

Publicity stunt is probably the better term. The PR story goes like this - What if a famous recluse street artists work was suddenly available for low prices on the street? Would anyone notice? It has all the earmarks of an episode of "What Would You Do?" or Candid Camera.

/

I loved that video thanx so much to the person who shared it. I resonated at a lot in the video but the one point I resonated most was watching/viewing the hugging. The hugging of the appreciative artist trying to get his wares sold and the relief wonder when it finally does get sold. There is always an element of relationship and human caring wherever there are humans around but so often and it is hammered home in business classes/education generally that it is really important to treat people who are your clients well especially if you want them to come back. It was nice to see what I interpreted as some nice warm human interaction happening during this whole art/business stuff. Hug your clients if it feels ok they might come back for more.

The artist was posing as an unknown but the art was actually made by Banksy but since his name wasn't attached to the art few pieces sold even at very low prices. If those pieces were being sold by Banksy himself with it being clear that the pieces were made by him they would have sold out in a New York minute even at ten times the price. When a name attached to a product is what sells it that is called branding.

Oh I see so the term/concept branding in this particular case/situation was about an artists name/reputation being the brand that helps make the art sell not necessarily what aesthetic quality of the art work/works itself. so for instance if John Lennon had a blank canvas and sold it for 5 dollars the likelyhood of someone buying it wood bee higher than if I treid to sell a blank canvass for 5 dollars.

I wonder how you know that it was work done by Banksy himself? does this mean my ex-crim girlfriend could be rich?

He looked perfectly normal out there, very impressive. I think part of it he looked properous like a retired professor or professional. He didn't look so casual that he looked out of place like he was going to play a sport, no tennis shoes here. I would love to sell my work on the street, I like interacting with people. I thought about staying in Venice and selling my art on the street.

I liked Venice quite an inspiration. I was there at peak season time and there were just too many tourists especially after you get hope I'm not exagerating but six or seven of those huge tourist boats with about 2,000 ppl torists on board flooding into the city filling it all up so you can barely move.

Let's just say the seller knew there was a market for the style of art he was selling, it seemed high to me for simple spray art but that is big city prices where everything costs more. Evidently people didn't know they were buying a famous artist's work and liked it anyway. I do know artwork that is contrasting and/or colorful is easier to sell. I wonder how much the artist sold next to him who appeared to be vacant from his booth?

Me too, Suzanne. I was thinking about doing it when we retire, move to seaside villages and sell my work on the street to tourist and meeting new people.
Get rid of my mini and use bicycle for transportation. living in a small home. That would be nice.

And that is how it's done! I have done this very thing, except not in a big city. I live in a small town and have set in in front of businesses asking permission first, and have sold my copper sculptures. I don't do all day though, I have set up at times and within 30 minutes made as much as $500.00 and then it's time to go home. I have also set a a table right in front of my house in a spot I can watch from inside my house as I sit in the air conditioning and watch TV and made sales. If you want to sell your art you have to be as creative in how it's sold as in how it's made.

David B, that was what I was getting at. People from all walks of life live in all kinds of ways. David S was relating his friend's personal experience, it may or not be accurate but it's not generalizing. A generalization would be to say "Most immigrants in the United States live ten+ to a house" Generally speaking I'm sure that statement would not be true, but it was true of the neighborhood block I lived on when I was 0-10 years old, so it could be true of street vendors on a certain New York street during a certain period of time, I don't know, I wasn't there. That's my last word on the subject, I promise.

In terms of illegal housing.

In NYC this is becoming a serious issue. You can google it if you like.

I live in a two family attached house, like a row house. The owner of the property next door rented the 2nd floor apartment to a young Indian couple with a young child. A few weeks later an older gentleman moved in. Then two 20ish men. Then a couple of guys in their 30's and 40's. Then some more. We couldn't keep track of who was who.They were all driving cabs, coming in at all hours. One guy would come in with a cab and another would jump in and drive off. Took 2 years of complaints to get someone to look into it. The apartment, same layout as mine had a 12x24 living room, a 12x18 master bedroom and 2 10x10 small bedrooms. After they were finally evicted, the landlord threw out 12 mattresses that had been laying directly on the floors.

To bring it back to the street vendors. One guy from Nepal I spoke to towards the end of my friends tenure was paying $25 a day to sleep in a shared bunk bed in an apartment in Brooklyn. My friend had served in the Navy aboard the Enterprise and said he knew what that felt like. First time I heard the term "hot racking" so called because when you got in at the end of your shift, the bed was still warm from the guy who just dot out of it.

I don't exactly live in a melting pot state like New York
David, K
Not just New York state is melting pot. The whole country is a melting pot. Where do you live? You look it up. I am pretty much sure you live in a melting pot as well.

Hyoye, yes indeed the whole country is a melting pot, some areas more than others though, New York especially, that is where Ellis Island and the statue of Liberty are after all, and many immigrants think that's the place to be. I knew one of those too, an engineer born in an area that became part of Pakistan, he was a Hindu, he and has family had to flee for their lives to India, he grew up there, got his engineering degree and left his small family behind to hopefully forge a better life for them in America....he started in New York. He spent a couple miserable years in NY not finding anybody willing to give him an engineering job, he started to believe America wasn't so great. He finally found a job in Chicago, spent a couple more miserable years there, doubting even more his move to America. Then he answered an ad for a job in Salt Lake City, saw what it was like here, immediately accepted the offer and moved his family here as soon as he could, he finally found the America he was looking for. Imagine that, an Indian Hindu feeling more at home in white Mormon land than in Chicago or New York. Utah is more of a melting pot than many people realize, but the stereotype is the opposite, that's why I said I don't live in a melting pot state, because most people that have never been here seem to believe that Utah is very homogenous. Unfortunately my Indian friend died too young from cancer, I miss him, he was a friend and my favorite coworker.

I am also a spray paint artist,and i took my art to another level,(Not just stencil work as in this video ) live spraypaint art to up beat music.Paintings could be done at a rate of approx 1 every 5 to 7 minuites, acording to demand ....yes the streets can hall a good amount :)

Waterfront and courtyard restaurants are many times open armed to artists selling their wares, But the art and the restaurant atmosphere must blend somewhat. Sidewalks in front of major tourist attractions can be another lucrative location. It is suggested that the art captures the aura of the surroundings. Busy commercial sidewalks like Champs Elysee or Broadway are also ideal for selling an array of subject matter. There is definitely a spot for every artist willing to sell art on the street.

Danl, assuming you don't get caught without a permit. lol In my area there really isn't any good places to sell art on the street, the closest thing is farmer's markets, and most of them require that you sell original art only, not a problem for me but a problem for photographers. But even farmers markets have become so popular you have to be juried in as a seller now.

David S.

I remember hearing about when NYC went to charge finally for water. The landlords in Chinatown got a heck of a shock.
It seems immigrants were sleeping, eating and showering in round the clock shifts. The beds were each used by three different people
eight hours each.

Dave

I had let this sidebar drop, but you just keep on goading...

I'm guessing if the Native Americans made up more than 1.0% of the current US population there would be quite a few stories on the internet about the weird practices of those they considered immigrants.

I guess it's all about perspective, Davids. (that's weird) ;-)

Time to calm down now. Let's get out the Led: https://youtu.be/rjJ4MKE0TM0

Richard Reeve (proud recent immigrant and US citizen through acceptance by US government)
ReevePhotos.com

Permits only cost money. And you can make it back plus some if you have the right art at the right place at the right time. There are over a billion plus miles of sidewalks worlwide . You just have to pick the right one. Sometimes it is just around the corner.

Educating someone on an issue that clearly they didn't realize existed is goading. Fine, enjoy your life in your bubble.

Busy life is better than no life. so busy i didn't get a chance to sit and read.
As i read though, I was just remembering the book Angels's ashes. sufferings of early immigrants. very poor and addiction, welfare, crime, etc.

David S
You mentioned educating someone, here it goes.
David, K
I knew one of those too,

You still didn't get the right answer about melting pot.
There is no such a thing as one state is more melting pot, then the other unless you are considering the caucasian are not part of melting pot.

I'll look it up for you if you are unable.
Utah ancestry group:
26.0% English 11.9% German 11.8% Scandinavian (5.4% Danish, 4.0% Swedish, 2.4% Norwegian) 9.0% Mexican 6.6% American 6.2% Irish 4.6% Scottish 2.7% Italian
2.4% Dutch 2.2% French 2.2% Welsh 1.4% Scotch Irish 1.3% Swiss
melting pot according to wikipedia:
The melting pot is a metaphor for a heterogeneous society becoming more homogeneous, the different elements "melting together" into a harmonious whole with a common culture. It is particularly used to describe the assimilation of immigrants to the United States.[1] The melting-together metaphor was in use by the 1780s.[2][3] The exact term "melting pot" came into general usage in the United States after it was used as a metaphor describing a fusion of nationalities, cultures and ethnicities in the 1908 play of the same name.
You are part of the melting pot unless you are an American Indian. meaning you are immigrant. We all are immigrants one point or the other. I wouldn't like it if someone calls me "one of those" If I knew that I am part of melting pot. Gosh, If we have a better understanding about American history, better words can come out of the mouth or finger.
Now this thread is about selling your work on the street.
Thanks Richard Reeve for your reminder.

Danl, I don't believe they issue permits to sell in the only high traffic touristy spot here, I could be wrong but I don't recall seeing any street vendors around Temple Square. I think trying to sell art in any other spot in downtown SLC would be a waste of time, I think the only street vendors we have here sell food, there's a reason for that. I do agree however, in the right place street vendors can do well, I don't think SLC is that place though.

A coworker of mine went on a service trip that took him close to San Francisco. He had a few hours to kill so he went to Fisherman's Wharf. He noticed there were a bunch of street performers out there. So he found a spot, set down his hat on the sidewalk upside down and proceeded to enthusiastically recite poetry and portions of Shakepeare's Mcbeth, (yes, he does have it memorized among many other things and he has a deep, booming voice). After an hour or so he had about a hundred dollars in the hat, he decided to quit before the permit police caught him.

I agree Hyoye and even said so, Utah is indeed a melting pot, but it's not perceived as such by most people that have never been here. Maybe we are getting hung up on the phrase "melting pot". Maybe it would be more clear to use "racially or culturally diverse".

My original posting was to emphasize the fact that your initial post told the story of your friend's very successful street art selling activity being undercut by other vendors who stole his work and produced it more cheaply. The origin of the people undercutting the prices of your friend was, in my opinion, not relevant to your story and was, again in my opinion, phrased in a generalized and offensive way to immigrants.

Clearly you didn't mean it, and I have already apologized on this public thread for that misunderstanding on my part.

I will add that we all live in own own "bubble." Some people (me included) are so comfortable that we can afford to waste our time arguing on websites. Others are not so fortunate.

Normal service will now be resumed

Richard Reeve
ReevePhotos.com

How many most people do you know? be careful when you are using words? You should be more open to new things.
You do know that English is my second language

Maybe it would be more clear to use "racially or culturally diverse".
I accept that as an apology.
End of this discussion.

Sorry, Hyoye, I thought we were having a civil discussion, I did not perceive you were upset with me. When I say "most people" I only speak from my own experience with seeing how Utah is portrayed in the media and popular culture and in my personal encounters with people that have little or no experience with Utah. Apparently you are an exception. Consider this my apology.

David-

I personally don't ever remember obtaining a permit. Back in the seventies I would haul an easel , canvas and paints to a busy traffic location. I would begin to paint the landscape.. The police would walk by on occasion to view my work. Nothing was ever said. I would have a few pieces that I would put out during the day to make it look like I had done the work that day.
My business card generated some hefty sales. If I sold a piece on the street, all it took was one glance around to see if the coast was clear. After all, there is no difference in taking a photo of an object or painting it on location.

That's one way to side step the permit thing Danl, won't work for photographers though. My issue with that is I generally don't care to paint urban/city subjects. I did have a good discussion with a farmer while painting a couple weeks ago though and did hand her my business cards.

Permits should not be required for artists to sell their own artwork on public property. Artists challenged NYC in the Appellate Court in the 80's and won under the 1st amendment, so there's precedent for anyone who wants to take it up in their own state. In addition one artist in NYC challenged a rule in NYC that required that the artwork being sold had to be that of the individual making the sale. He prevailed which lead to the current state of affairs which is that most of the current vendors in NYC buy images from a wholesaler and don't sell their own work.

David-

I take pictures while on vacation. No one has ever stopped me from snapping away. So why wouldn't it apply to photographers?

How could a photographer justify to a cop the several printed and mounted photos sitting by him while he sits for two hours photographing the same spot?

Perhaps there's a market for those old wooden full-plate cameras, David. Or at least a mock up one. That would certainly draw a crowd (pun intended)... :D

Richard Reeve
ReevePhotos.com

How about a long trench coat - open it up and expose people to your art.



Just close it up when the coppers come by.

I witnessed what David is talking about, just about every vendor in NYC around the museums was selling the same stuff. I even noticed a few works from FAA artists in the mix.

Hmmm. Combining sales with performance art. An interesting approach. Would be difficult with matted prints though.

Richard Reeve
ReevePhotos.com

David-

A simple explanation---"I use them as an inspirational format motif"

Chances are they would just scratch their heads and walk away.