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[cynder12]

OK I need help figuring something out ...... How does one know what price is right for their own art???...for me my art is so personal I think its priceless, and yet I see other people selling their work for nothing and others who are no better or worse selling their work for 1,000's .... This is why I have never sold my work.... my husband says sell it for a lot, my brain says HA it wont sell for anything.... ...UGH!

[hawkwood]

very good question cynder, and one that I would like the answer to given that the deadline for the first arttrade members cataloge is rapidly aproaching
http://arttrade.net/forums/index.php?showt...t=15&#entry5156
just incase anybody has missed it
the only thing I can tell you about pricing is how I priced my figures when I started my business. I took the hourly rate i needed to live off and then added material costs and then devided by the number of figures I could paint in an hour (i paint toy soldiers for a living) this gave me a figure which undercut my former employer which I was quite happy about being fairly vindictive at the time unfortunatly I latter found that the hourly rate I had set gave me several problems like: too much work to cope with and not enough money when I stoped living alone. my prices have since more than doubled (in real terms) leving me about average for priceing in the industry but still great value for money. The purpose of this little ramble is to show how important it is to get pricing right the first time . I lost several good customers with my first price hike because though they would have paid the price if it had been what I started with when my pricing inreased by 100% they thought I was getting greedy.

so come on all you who have sold, tell us how to fix a price

[Neo_Art]

One non-artist's opinion ...

You must know that the price of your paintings
is also yourselve valuation of your talent!!!

Each one knows, that Art is unesteemable! You can't use the standard
methods to evaluate Art! The good paintings aren't only canvas and oils!

Just my opinion!

[Deco]

well, it's really interesting but and very complicated question ,
think the price mostly depends on yourself appreciation.
It's very difficult to find the right balance - too low price may be considered as
the artsist has defined the painting as not so bad or so-so, too high price may
beat the people off and make them thought that you're just greedy.
I think we should respect our work but to not deify it, so I think it's good
to be clearsighted about the others prices on the art market, as many arts
you see as easier you'll find your place and the value of your arts.

[cynder12]

That helps and that doesnt LOL ....whats this about a catalog for selling art? I'm most interested ...it would be a good platform to start from for a new seller. oh and I have read some posts on print making ....I would love to sell prints and keep the original or keep a print because well I painted this stuff for me but I need a bit more info on the price diff from an original and a print???? Ugh I know I'm such a sad case of newbie

[Deco]

cynder12, on May 5 2005, 08:43 PM, said:

oh and I have read some posts on print making ....I would love to sell prints and keep the original or keep a print because well I painted this stuff for me but I need a bit more info on the price diff from an original and a print????  Ugh I know I'm such a sad case of newbie   

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Have a look on this thread:
http://arttrade.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=49

and feel free to post your questions, I'm sure Brian will assist with some info.

[Graeme]

Just discovered this topic (Is arttrade getting bigger or is it just me?) and thought i'd give the way i do it.

For the materials I take the purchase cost and add a 40% mark up. I also include a cost for the depreciation of tools i.e. brushes, easels etc.
For time I have an hourly rate, which is ........ enough. This rate is also applicable to the time to go and get the materials and/or any research on a subject that is required.
The hardest part is probably the aesthetic value of a work. If its a commission thats easy enough; just charge the above. However, a work off your own back may be valued by one person as £2000, and by another as worthless, so I usually get a few trusted and honest chums to give an opinion on a work and take it from there. I would say there is no hard or fast rule when it comes to pricing other than don't sell yourself short.