Price On Request

If you have to ask, you can't afford it.

Obviously they are printing more Euros.

Dave

Dave,

That's the funniest thing I've seen this morning. I think your right.

maybe there should be an art currency, apples, bananas and chests of gold

I personally think it is a good way to have a potential buyer contact the artist. Perhaps a negotiation over price will ensue. The artist will have the ability to provide other works that may be of interest.

Instead of a cold $ sign that says buy me.

It tells me not to bother.

The old "playing hard to get" strategy. If anything it tells me the artist will take the best offer that comes along.

I you have a piece on FAA or anywhere else that isn't selling and hasn't sold because it has a $ sign that makes it looks like it is not negotiable...perhaps by stating "Price On Request" will open the door to a negotiable sale.

The $ sign is such a final no negotiation (don't bother me with an offer) statement.

Even a selling price with a $ sign and best offer combo would work.

Danl,

I am not sure anyone can read your last post.

KISS

It is an American saying.

Dave

Perhaps it would make sense to sell such a piece somewhere other than on a POD site. People come here ready and willing to purchase artwork not to play games like "Guess the Price" or "Let's Make a Deal".

"The $ sign is such a final no negotiation (don't bother me with an offer) statement. "

I have never found that it was difficult for people to "make and offer" no matter how you worded an ad. People are not usually that bashful compared to how cheap they are and want to chisel if they can. lol

The stats of placing advertising for products for sale are something like 30% more likely to see if you state the price in the ad. That was for all products and it came from the National Newspaper Association. That was some years back but I doubt it has changed much.

There are a few reasons why people put Price on Request or other versions of the same.

Some think it weeds out the none serious buyers, thinking only people that are interested will bother to call. Not sure I agree with unless the caller somehow knows he is not supposed to call for the price unless he is serious. It always makes me want to call just to be a pain in the butt because they did not put the price. But I never do.

Others think that it makes the piece more desirable by adding a bit of mystic. Not too sure of that either.

Then there are those that think by making them call, they get all the contact information and then they can follow up if they are qualified but undecided. Or just to call them for the rest of their life and be a pain in the butt.

I never list a piece without the price prominently displayed. Even in the gallery, everything had the price for all to see.

I think it is always better to have a price and let the customer negotiate it with you if she feels like it. Not having a price may put off a lot of people making them think the price is too high which it may not be. The price may be entirely within a buyer's range and she should be able to see it. Unless the piece is sold by some exclusive posh gallery that wants to make a point of catering to "exclusive" clientele I do not see why the price should be a mystery. It is just like with some restaurants that serve you the same food but do not include prices in their menus.

Raisa

I never purchase "market price" items at a restaurant. If they are embarrassed by their prices then they shouldn't serve that item.

....

One more reason to use "ask for the price" - its called bait and switch. You ask about a certain piece and they say its already been sold but they have a few others for your consideration.

"I never purchase "market price" items at a restaurant.

In a restaurant, market price is a necessity of life. Prince on fresh fish for instance will fluctuate daily and it would be hard to print a new menu daily.

When I want lobster, I go to one or two different family owned restaurants and I order lobster. And it is not Red Lobster. I don't even ask the price, let alone look at the menu. I don't even look at the bill. If I did, I may end up denying myself one of my great pleasures in life. lol

Try it some time Ed. You may want to know what you are missing.

Floyd-

"Some think it weeds out the none serious buyers, thinking only people that are interested will bother to call..."

A few months ago I was searching the web for a signed and numbered Oswaldo Guayasamin's "Mother 1980". The asking price was $2,500 to $3,500 on most of the gallery sites I visited. One galley site listed it without a price and the words: "Make An Offer". I put in an offer. After a few rejections they accepted $1,400 with papers.

The other $ sign galleries didn't come close to my closing offer.

Hopefully it will help you sale more :)!

Floyd - every hear of a chalkboard? Easy enough to post the price or to have the waitress recite the price to the customer.

When I want lobster I ask my friend to put a few aside. Boat price.

Floyd-

When at home....Drop one in the pot and save a lot

Or best offer = you never ever get your asking price.

JC-

Agree....so it FAA would allow an artist to enter their price and select "Or Best Offer" below the price, do you think that this would motivate potential buyers? Making them feel that they got a good deal.

The piece sells for $100. They make an offer for $80. They accept $90. It makes them feel good. And there is nothing better than a happy customer....and an artist with money.

I'm not much of a wheeler or a dealer. If I'm offering a product or a service I set a price, and people can take it or leave it.

I'm the same way when I set out to buy something. If someone wants a certain price for something, and I think it's worth it I buy it...if I don't think it's worth it, I'll find one elsewhere. If I have to ask for a price, I usually don't bother either.

Someone has totally missed the concept of this site. There is no middeman involved in private sales. I.e. no motivation to add features to facilitate private sales.

Now what FAA could do is add a fee for listing originals only. Maybe 70% of the asking price. Seems fair, at least that is what MD as proposed recently.

Dani, I think some high end galleries don't put up the prices on certain art works because they don't wanted to attract the robbers. Often, break in at galleries with million dollar art works stolen are not reported in the news.

Edward-

Artists sell directly every day. No middleman. But when they have some pieces that aren't getting any attention, they need an instrument to motivate people to buy. Without reducing their prices, they can make it evident that a deal can be had at the right price.

Alfred-

Collecting the insurance money is a lot easier than selling a mega million dollar painting.

I think "Best Offer" sounds like a garage sale item.

"Price Upon Request".....I wouldn't bother.

Okay, so how much is it?

Danl, "Price on Request" doesn't apply to POD sellers. Direct your question directly to the galleries who work that way.


Dan Turner
Dan Turner's Seven Keys to Selling Art Online

"When at home....Drop one in the pot and save a lot"

Oh my, what a wonderful way to ruin a good lobster.

BB-Q.... that is the only way to go. Anything else is just blasphemy! lol

Sharon-

If a gallery is offering a piece you want for $1,000 and another gallery offers "Price On Request" for the same piece , are you just going to pay the $1,000 without checking the other gallery?

I personally have saved mega money by checking.

I sell a hell of a lot of art with the Make An Offer feature on it.

Of course I also practice a the Gypsy Rose Lee method of pricing. :-) (Look it up if you don't get it)

You have to do what you have to do.

If you are selling all the art you want to sell, fine, keep doing what you are doing. But it amazed me that how many people that are always in these threads (not necessarily in this one) complaining about no sales, and shooting down every idea that some people come up with.

You have to start thinking, is it the market? Is it too much competition? Is it the search? Is it really any of the most often mentioned reasons for not selling? Or is it your resistance to enter the market the way you have to enter the market to make decent sales?

This is not aimed at anyone but just a general statement.

Dan-

"Price On Request" can be applied to any item. Buyers like the idea of getting a good deal (or thinking they got a good deal). And if they think they got one, they're happy.

Or would you prefer to pay full price all the time?

Danl, they won't be offering the same piece if they are originals.

Andy-

I should have clarified....signed and numbered, signed and unsigned pieces of work.

I am not suggesting FAA should have a "Make Offer" feature.

But it would be okay with me if they did.

But it would have to be optional.

If you do sell with a Make Offer feature like both Amazon and eBay allow, you need to price accordingly and you need to make sure you have a minimum acceptable number in there so they don't make offers of $10 on a $1000 piece. They will do that, all day long.

A lot of buyers just want something off, they don't care what it is. And yes that is kind of "garagesaleish", but most buyers don't think of reproductions with anywhere near the high regard that most artist do. That is the horrible buy yet truth of the matter.

And as mentioned before, I have never found too many people that were to bashful to ask for a discount of some sort when looking at an original.

Actually, I bet that a Make Offer feature would sell a hell of a lot more art for FAA.

If you have to ask the price, you cannot afford it. That is the saying I was brought up with.

If we are talking online sales here most people expect to see a price tag, if they don't see it they aren't going to bother, I know I don't. People expect quick and easy on the internet, not "email me and wait for me to get back to you with a price.". Coincidentally I read a blog post on the subject today;

http://faso.com/fineartviews/97168/intimidation-summer-weight-walking-shoes-and-trouble-shooting-the-front-door-of-your-website

Make Offer....Makes me cringe...Ebay...ebay!!!! Nooooooooooo