Prices of Paintings
Dilettante
months and months on, put away, then worked on more. I value it more
for the imaginativeness of the image than its technique.
I have another canvas--about 60 cm by 70 cm (1-1/2 ft. by 2 ft.) that
took almost exactly one month, working an average of 3 hours a day
after work.
I am now starting another 40 by 60 cm. Most of the work has gone into
the planning. Composition, color, etc, were all worked out before the
canvas was bought.
I am wondering how to determine pricing for these canvases.
Dilettante
Peter H.M. Brooks
"Dilettante" <hu...@myself.com> wrote in message
news:ba63903f.03102...@posting.google.com...
have priced it higher. If nobody buys it it may not help to reduce the price
though!
That apart, there are a few directions you can approach the problem, if they
all lead to the same price then that is it, if they don't, take an average,
or choose the one that seems most reasonable:
Method 1: What is your daily salary? Say it is 50 jam scones a day, then, if
you consider yourself above average at art compared to your ability at your
job, make that 60 jam scones, if below average, make it 40. So you now have
three possible prices for your second painting 3000, 3600 or 2400 jam
scones.
Method 2: Go to an art gallery, look at five paintings that are about the
same size and of a similar colour tone to yours, take the average of their
prices, this might be, say, 7000 jam scones. Now consider that the gallery
dealer adds his cut 40-90%, say, then VAT, the price to the artist, if it
sells, is going to be 3000 jam scones.
Method 3: What did the materials cost you? Say, 100 jam scones. How much
money would you feel happy with? Say, 1000 jam scones would be great as you
would have enough to paint another ten pictures. Would you like to be able
to offer a discount if somebody said it was just a tad too expensive? If
yes, then you want to charge 1210 jam scones.
Now consider the above carefully. It looks as if the top price you have
considered 3600 is a bit high. If you are in no hurry to sell and interested
to test the market, put it on an exhibition priced at 4000 jam scones, if it
sells then you know always to charge more than you think you should. If it
doesn't, then try 3600 at the next exhibition, then 3000 at the next. Then,
in final desperation try 1210, if it sells then, maybe that is the price the
market can stand, and you are happy as that is what you wanted. If it
doesn't then maybe your picture is crap or the buyers have no taste or you
will be really famous for being a brilliant artist years after you are dead
having sold no pictures.
If, on the other hand, you are in a hurry because you need the money or you
need space to move in your studio and it is jammed with paintings, then
don't sell yourself short with the lowest price, but don't be unrealistic,
why not take the average between the lowest and the second lowest, this
gives you 2105 jam scones, this is a great price, it sounds reasonable and
it looks as if you've thought really hard about it (which, if you have
followed the above methods you have).
Using this method you may make nothing, end up with 2k profit if you are in
urgent need of money or, if you are dead lucky, make 4000 jam scones. For
your own good, lets hope you don't make the 4000, it will go to your head
and you'll hate it when nobody wants to buy overpriced paintings in future -
you may have just been lucky that a wealthy blind man had just that amount
of money he wanted to give away to an artist and he is using your painting
to block a draught in his flat.
--
Negotiation styles:
1. Say 'no', then negotiate.
2. Say 'yes', then prevaricate.
Babs Boone
says...
>I am wondering how to determine pricing for these canvases.
>
>Dilettante
Simple.
Set a price of so much per square centimeter.
That's the way carpet and fabrics are sold,
so why not paintings. In fact I've known artists
who priced their works just that way.
Dilettante
> Set a price of so much per square centimeter.
> ... In fact I've known artists
> who priced their works just that way.
This gives the artist an incentive to make paintings as large as
possible, even if their is no aesthetic or technical justification.
Dilettante
Miriam
There is an incentive to make paintings as large as possible for
moneyreasons, if one square centimeter in a large painting is worth
much MORE than one square centimeter in a small painting.
Not so few (among those sold, not stored) larger
paintings/sculptures/artworks are bought by/made for corporations,
public offices - at least historically, churches and castles - to be
displayed in larger rooms.
Miriam
Dilettante
> Not so few (among those sold, not stored) larger
> paintings/sculptures/artworks are bought by/made for corporations,
> public offices - at least historically, churches and castles - to be
> displayed in larger rooms.
>
> Miriam
Yes, but I would say this is the third reason for increased value for
large works. The three reasons would be:
1. Paintings are priced by size
2. Wealthy people want to buy big to brag about their wealth and
status.
3. Wealthy institutions, such as corporations or churches need larger
sizes because they own larger spaces in which to put them, and which
they need to fill with appropriately sized works.
Dilettante
Michael
courage to list my paintings on ebay, and I think this is a very helpful
response. Thank you very much Peter for taking the time to spell this out!
Michael
"Peter H.M. Brooks" <pe...@new.co.za> wrote in message
news:bn69cl$h3v$1...@ctb-nnrp2.saix.net...
Peter H.M. Brooks
"Michael" <please_do...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:bnd8qg$5dq$1...@news-reader5.wanadoo.fr
> I just want to say I've been wondering the same thing, building up the
> courage to list my paintings on ebay, and I think this is a very helpful
> response. Thank you very much Peter for taking the time to spell this
out!
>
That's no problem, I'm pleased if it has helped. Actually it was helping me
too to remind myself of the principles again - I have an exhibition opening
tonight and I have been getting it all ready, including, of course, pricing,
over the last few days. So your question came exactly when my mind was tuned
to that particular question!
If anybody happens to be in Cape Town over the next three weeks, by the way,
they can see my latest work in Observatory at the Obz Cafe Theatre gallery.
--
Hark, wretches! how I mean to martyr you. This one hand yet is left to cut
your throats, Whilst that Lavinia 'tween her stumps doth hold the baisin
that receives your guilty blood. -Titus Andronicus (Hastivibrax)
Matthew Parry
> Whatever price you set, if somebody buys it and is happy, you could probably
> have priced it higher. If nobody buys it it may not help to reduce the price
> though!
The advice I was given by a gallery owner was that when starting out
you should work out the cost of the materials that went into the painting
and double it. Then atleast you'll have enough to pay for the next
painting. Then you keep on raising the price untill you only sell
about half to one third of your pictures. That's supposedly your
true market value.
--
Matthew Parry, <me...@tpg.com.au> <URL:http://users.tpg.com.au/mettw/>
"Remember that early release of `rn' that prevented a posting
unless it contained more new lines than included lines? That
was actually a pretty good idea." - Peter van der Linden.
Michael
> you should work out the cost of the materials that went into the painting
> and double it. Then atleast you'll have enough to pay for the next
> painting. Then you keep on raising the price untill you only sell
> about half to one third of your pictures. That's supposedly your
> true market value.
I'm not sure I totally agree with this. People equate cost with quality,
and something that costs more is perceived to be better. For example,
generic cereals are the same as name brand, yet people will shell out big
bucks for Frosted Flakes. If you price your art too low, it can negatively
reflect upon your work.
I have a lot more work to do, but I hope to soon start listing some works on
ebay. It will be interesting to see how it goes.
Michael
Bob C
>
> I'm not sure I totally agree with this. People equate cost with quality,
> and something that costs more is perceived to be better. For example,
> generic cereals are the same as name brand, yet people will shell out big
> bucks for Frosted Flakes.
In retail sales, it's a well known effect that you can sell more of a
cheap item by putting it next to an over-priced deluxe version of the
same product by the same manufacturer. So maybe if you just price a few
of your art works at outrageously high prices, people will think that
you're a really successful artist and will feel better about buying the
inexpensively priced ones.
- Bob C.
Radio913
>sizes because they own larger spaces in which to put them, and which
>they need to fill with appropriately sized works.
I would add the obvious fact that sometimes a buyer might not buy a
painting because they don't have the space for it, regardless of the price.
There are more available places in people's homes for a smaller painting,
real estate wise.
Slick
DNALJM
>I just want to say I've been wondering the same thing, building up the
>courage to list my paintings on ebay, and I think this is a very helpful
>response.
I would strongly encourage you NOT to do this. Sometimes I give a painting a
go on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=3555243239&category=201
58&rd=1
This person gave me extra money because they felt sorry for me. Ebay keeps
jacking up their fees too which bitches me off and makes it impossible to be
satisfied with the end result. Put it on your website with a fair price and
wait. It may take a year but you won't feel ripped off. I've noticed if you
want to compromise your subject matter the following sell on ebay: paintings of
unicorns, fairies, or landscapes. "outsider" art of puppies or cats with
primary backgrounds.
The only thing that worked out for me on Ebay was doing inexpensive pencil
portraits that I worked on during the commute to work.
Jane
Chris
"DNALJM" <dna...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:20031026215212...@mb-m13.aol.com...
I have to disagree; I've sold a few (not a lot) of things on ebay, and not
for a lot of money; but buy putting stuff on there I have made some good
contacts elsewhere. It's a prety valuable resource up this way.
Cheers;
Chris
Current ebay stuff: http://tinyurl.com/shat (<--notice that even tinyURL
doesn't like my work :)
>
> Jane
>
>
> http://www.geocities.com/teslathemothgod
DNALJM
>for a lot of money; but buy putting stuff on there I have made some good
>contacts elsewhere. It's a prety valuable resource up this way.
>
>Cheers;
>
>Chris
I have to say that everyone I've dealt with except for one person has become
a good friend and very appreciative of what I've made, but I don't think that
you can get enough money to compensate you for you labor on E bay.
Jane
Chris
>
> I have to say that everyone I've dealt with except for one person has
become
> a good friend and very appreciative of what I've made, but I don't think
that
> you can get enough money to compensate you for you labor on E bay.
>
Your probably right (you've been at that alot longer than I have). But I do
know several artists who have done quite well supplementing their income off
eBay; and in my case it's given me contact to two dealers who are each
interested in very specific work. So it does help. But also think that
because of the distance involved, and the lack of face-to-face contact, to
make it work takes alot of effort outside of creating art.. But that's also
the case in terms of dealing person to person. (& I doubt I'm the only one
on this list that isn't real fond of hustling :)
Regards;
Chris
Current eBay stuff: http://tinyurl.com/shat (<--notice that even tinyURL
Apple Loosa
says...
>(& I doubt I'm the only one
>on this list that isn't real fond of hustling :)
Amen to that. But unless you're one of the lucky
few artists represented by a hard-working and
successful "artist's agent," hustling is the only
way you're going to succeed in the gallery art business.
Hustling: Energetic and aggressive sales effort.
Huckster: Something else an artist has to consider
while being a hustler.