What should your prices be for art? I do not want to undersell as I have always done that in the past. Your opinions please would be welcome on what I should charge.lol
Thereās no easy answer to this one, it depends entirely on so many different things. How big is the piece of art, what are the costs of the materials, how long did it take to produce, it is framed or mounted? Do you already have a following or are you only just starting out? Is the art original or a print. So many questions and no definite answers!
Iām an art collector by the way, so have bought a great many artworks in the last few years, though most of them are ACEOs, so quite small
I sell prints (not in my shop at the mo)with mount surround for £10 and £12, unfortunately the larger size is considered a small parcel so that pushes up the postage price which may be putting off sales.
If its a painted piece of art or mixed media Id have a much higher price than a print. Donāt undervalue your work,
Really difficult to answer as others have said.
I found it difficult deciding on a price for my artwork. When I was starting out I didnāt want to set some rediculous price but at the same time I didnāt want to undersell myself. I seem to have hit lucky though- and after working a few things out and trialing some prices including things like free delivery/not free delivery etc I seemed to reach a price for my artwork where people seem happy to pay.
All of my pieces are original Lino cuts and are of a limited print run- the cheapest I sell a piece for is Ā£15 unframed and the current most expensive I sell is Ā£45 unframed. If I sell with a frame I add the cost of that on- all the frames I use are custom made to fit the pieces but theyāre still just as reasonable as shop bought.
I like to keep my prices transparent- I sell for the same price no matter the platform. The places I sell take a range of commission from Folksyās 6% to 30% in other places but I still make sure my prices stay exactly the same- I think thatās important.
The gyotaku pieces I make sell for more as theyāre much more fiddly and the process takes a lot longer and itās not as simple as just getting as many prints as I like from them, so the price reflects that.
I realised when I was selling a fairly ok amount a month, and a range of different prints, that I was offering the right price.
Sorry thereās no simple āwell you just add x% onā I wish it was that simple too! Haha
Art is hugely subjective, what one person wouldnāt pay in a million years, another person will happily pay. And while you can have a piece of art for sale for quite some time and no one seems interested, it just takes one person to see if for the first time and fall in love and pay whatever price youāre asking.
I find it difficult pricing originals, I will make small, simple pieces for a ācheapā price- but I never sell an original for less than I sell a print. Whilst I believe that Art should be accessible to everyone- I believe this is what digital prints are for. It really is personal preference, I feel the best bet is to have a range of prices for different sizes etc, as there will be something for different customers budgets.
Yes I agree art should be for everyone. I may put this shop on holiday and just concentrate on pricing and things first,
The thing is my art takes ages it may look simple but it actually is notā¦hmmm.
I know!! I said earlier my art looks simple but it isnāt some pieces take a few months and weeks to do. I thought 37/38 pounds but my manager said no it must go for more as Im selling for more in the city. But this is online selling. Im going to put the shop on holiday till I get the right prices.
Deleted my message instead of editing it!
How about selling cards with copies of your art on them?
Thatās something I do too, I sell more cards than originals. I always think thatās a good way to spread the word too, pop your website address/shop address on the back of the card so anyone who gets a card off someone will be able to find you.
My cheaper originals are always a really small scale, if smaller pieces still take a lot of time for you- price them up fairly, donāt undervalue.
Like I said before, having a range of prices just opens it up for everyone- but the cheaper pieces donāt have to be originals, you can keep those high, cards or prints are ideal for covering smaller prices.
I know this doesnāt quite answer your original question, itās just general advice on things Iāve noticed selling art.
Yes I saw that I think cards are also a good option I used t make them when I was little I just came back from workā¦now having a hot coffee,.Sighā¦maybe I should do some later this evening. I used to sell quite a few cards.
I really would like to keep my prices down so all can enjoy some in the shops watercolor cards are around 7 pound I thought that was a bit much. The big ones thaāts what I saw them go for in the Garden center up in Lancashireā¦
I have sold literally thousands of paintings but after trying all different price levels I find I make far more money by selling as low a price as I can afford. Some people might not agree with that, but I am on my way to the bank while others are waiting for that ONE elusive sale.
I met a lovely artist at a fair last year,ā¦his paintings were fabulousā¦A4 and just Ā£70 but he hadnāt had a sniff of a sale in over a monthā¦I showed him some of my cheaper and smaller paintings and then told him how much money I had taken that particular monthā¦He was shocked.
I suppose that at the end of the day, the decision is yours but I found that higher prices hardly ever brought in the sales. This only seems to work if you have a ānameā that people recognizeā¦even if your art is far better!!
I am content to offer my work for a low price and it makes me happy that everyone can afford to buy.
Forgot to say that unless you really WANT to make cards, it is not something I would recommend unless you are talking about prints. It has always amused me that If I paint a picture say 7x5" I can get Ā£12 for it, but add an insert, add an envelope , and you would be lucky to get Ā£2-Ā£3 for itā¦
I have hand painted cards in my shop for £1.50 and not many sales for them.
You also mention how long it takes to do a painting??..I am puzzled that your ones take so longā¦
Are you talking about an hour a day and maybe then it takes a week or month to finish or are you talking about a week/ month in hour time? I did 8 aceo paintings yesterdayā¦all in under 2 hours. I appreciate that I am a prolific painter but weeks and months seems a very long time. If I do a 12" x 10" the longest it takes me is 3-4 hoursā¦tops.
I have been crafting/painting for over 60 years now and have sold all over the worldā¦and have not had a "normal " job since 1971, so I have seen people come and go in the crafting world. It is hard work but I love it. I have learnt it is better to sell loads at lower prices than over price and waitā¦
Hope none of this sounds rude or harsh, it isnāt meant to beā¦just trying to give my wealth of experience.
I agree with you on the printed cards comment, I buy photo prints of my art for cards and those go down really well but it wouldnāt be worth spending the time on an original piece of that size for how much people will spend on a greetings card.