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Stacy took the words right outta my mouth. :) It's also a good idea to do some scouting around and gauge your market. What and where you're selling makes a difference on how much you might hope/expect to get, as does how you plan on selling it. Of course galleries fetch a high price but are hard to get into and charge commission- which you'll have to account for when pricing your work.
Ebay's easy to sell with and boasts a wide audience, but some things go largely unseen because of the huge market. (There are tools and tricks you can use to up your chances there though- both free and for various optional fees.) There are also pricing strategies for auction sites; like starting under what you'd like to get in hopes that a bidding war will up your take, or asking something higher to intrigue buyers as to the piece's notability, and assure you make enough for your work. :)
Etsy and ArtFire are nice places to feature your work w/a set asking price, but lots of folks (sadly) don't know they exist. Advertising your sales anywhere and everywhere you can on places like Twitter, LJ (+ its various communities), here on FB, MySpace and beyond can help to get the word out, though. :)
Subject matter is also another consideration. Lots of "fine" artists will tell you that anything even remotely fantastical in nature is purely illustrative, so that's affected how certain realms of art pay. (Particularly in a gallery arena, but also in other places. Fantasy, sci-fi, anime and SteamPunk stuff doesn't tend to be as well accepted as many other types of subjects, so it often fetches undeservedly low prices. ..Unless you're selling at a specialized convention, local event or craft arena- which is a whole other kettle of fish. And even then, on the whole, most people will pay more for a poorly done sunset scene than they will for a fabulously done giant robot. :\ I guess most folks just can't tell the difference- or don't care to try... :P)
Also, general item market has to be considered. For example they sell jewelry at the mall for super-cheap (because it's often made poorly, w/crap materials and by exploited, underpaid workers). But that's what most people see, so -most- people expect those cheap prices. Same goes w/2-D art. It's often hard to get a fair price on what most pieces are really worth, when someone who doesn't know what they're looking at compares them to mass-produced, machine-quality junk.
Often the same goes for vending at places like nightclubs, inside & outside storefronts, random non-art-related events, as well as lots of other places where people don't expect to encounter handmade art. Now these places may be wonderful particularly -because- of that very fact, so don't discount them off-hand. People may tend to reflexively compare your hand-made work w/stuff they've seen for $5 at Claire's, but that's not always the case. Sometimes you get people who came especially knowing that an art or craft vendor was scheduled to be there, and it's -amazing.- ^_^ They come in all smiles and tell you how excited they are to see your art there, and you feel like a total rock star. ^_^ (This also happens w/unsuspecting people too- who're just delighted to find new cool stuff by surprise, so again, don't discount traditionally non-art-related venues!!!) The people who came to see the knowing a place would have vending ahead of time often tend to pad their pocketbooks accordingly before arriving at your event (if they can), so they're always a valued market, and a total treat. :D Your chances of getting a sale go up exponentially w/these guys, plus they'll likely talk about you and your work elsewhere after the encounter. :)
(This also happens a lot w/people at conventions and specialty venues. Finding more places where you get this type of reaction is nearly invaluable, so treat these markets like the veritable pots of gold that they are! ;D)
But you'll also get a lot of people in those unsuspecting areas who didn't come prepared, or who, for various reasons, just ain't got jack for money. (Like I normally have been in the past. ;)) It's a hard economy, so that happens. For the most part, when folks are generally unsuspecting, they tend to not have enough money on them, or be (as odd as it may sound) emotionally equipped at the time to handle browsing for-and potentially acquiring-new art. (I know you've seen these people- and some of us have even BEEN these people. They walk into a place, get an eyeful of a bunch of cool, neat stuff they're being warmly invited to purchase, and then they freeze up. They get that deer-in-headlights look, maybe mutter "I'm sorry" a couple of times (often while shaking their heads gently), and then, while backing away slowly, stammer their way out of your general vicinity. Sometimes they'll lean in and browse, (sometimes chatting, sometimes not) and just drift silently away. And other times, you'll approach someone who's not ready to purchse w/a greeting and they'll nearly bark "JUST LOOKING." :P Sometimes it's just window-shopping, and sometimes people will approach fine goods and be tempted when they don't have the budget to actually purchase, so they wisely glide elsewhere. But you know what I'm getting at.. right?
Most often all of this due to a lack of funds. We've all drifted into a store just to window shop. and there's absolutely nothing wrong w/that. Be observant, though. Sometimes your prices might scare away a potential purchaser. Watch for interest, then sudden reactions resulting in an overall non-purchase. (Again, think of this scenario within reason. A person in rags isn't likely to walk into Tiffany's and suddenly flee due to unexpected sticker shock.) Watch for pocketeers (what I like to call shoplifters), and But how each person (both vendor and customer) handles it may differ wildly. I say: Be sweet and give 'em a card. Best-case scenario they'll love what they've seen of yours and come back to you later (either IP or online), and boom!, you have new customers. :) Or, worst-case scenario, they take your card and that's it. Either way, you still might build a good reputation, and get the word further out there about your awesome art. :)
But don't despair! There -are- places where Sci-Fi, Fantasy, SteamPunk and other like works are more accepted and more appreciatively sold. Cons for one is a great place to start. There you won't get the art snobs looking down their nose at more illustrative or whimsical works, and you've got an audience full of kindred spirits, who're expecting just exactly your kind of art. ^_^ (Or thereabouts. ;)) The same goes for places online like Etsy teams, DeviantArt and specialized LJ communities. People go there looking to buy and sell just that particular avenue of work, so aside from upping the actual group numbers and amount of general exposure, you're golden. :D
If you're pricing for a vendor's table or set of gallery panels, know the prices of comparable works at that con first, and price your pieces accordingly so you make enough back to -at least- cover the costs of your table- if not your admission to the con, your time the meals and expenses you've put out staying there, your travel costs, -and- the money spent on materials & time spent on production. :) Plus sometimes taking a little bit of a loss one year is worth it to get your name out there and advertise your work. Perhaps you'll make more in the long run, and be able to make a bundle the next time you vend- when your customers come looking for you. :)
If there's an art auction being held, do the same there as you would w/Ebay, accounting for the fact that your piece might be bid up to-or well over-where you want your final price to be. I've been told it's best to price the work that you plan to put up in auctions at the least you're willing to sell it for (w/o inciting the uncontrollable urge to kick yourself repeatedly after it goes). That way you can feel confident w/the sale price and make an amount you're okay with- no matter how many people bid on it after you've sent it onto the auction block. :) (Plus that way you eliminate overpricing your work, making it prohibitive to buyers, nor do you undercut yourself, making you regret having sold the piece at whatever price you selected.)
Plus there are sometimes local (or relatively local) art and craft events that feature groups of like-minded, similarly-interested people...
Ebay's easy to sell with and boasts a wide audience, but some things go largely unseen because of the huge market. (There are tools and tricks you can use to up your chances there though- both free and for various optional fees.) There are also pricing strategies for auction sites; like starting under what you'd like to get in hopes that a bidding war will up your take, or asking something higher to intrigue buyers as to the piece's notability, and assure you make enough for your work. :)
Etsy and ArtFire are nice places to feature your work w/a set asking price, but lots of folks (sadly) don't know they exist. Advertising your sales anywhere and everywhere you can on places like Twitter, LJ (+ its various communities), here on FB, MySpace and beyond can help to get the word out, though. :)
Subject matter is also another consideration. Lots of "fine" artists will tell you that anything even remotely fantastical in nature is purely illustrative, so that's affected how certain realms of art pay. (Particularly in a gallery arena, but also in other places. Fantasy, sci-fi, anime and SteamPunk stuff doesn't tend to be as well accepted as many other types of subjects, so it often fetches undeservedly low prices. ..Unless you're selling at a specialized convention, local event or craft arena- which is a whole other kettle of fish. And even then, on the whole, most people will pay more for a poorly done sunset scene than they will for a fabulously done giant robot. :\ I guess most folks just can't tell the difference- or don't care to try... :P)
Also, general item market has to be considered. For example they sell jewelry at the mall for super-cheap (because it's often made poorly, w/crap materials and by exploited, underpaid workers). But that's what most people see, so -most- people expect those cheap prices. Same goes w/2-D art. It's often hard to get a fair price on what most pieces are really worth, when someone who doesn't know what they're looking at compares them to mass-produced, machine-quality junk.
Often the same goes for vending at places like nightclubs, inside & outside storefronts, random non-art-related events, as well as lots of other places where people don't expect to encounter handmade art. Now these places may be wonderful particularly -because- of that very fact, so don't discount them off-hand. People may tend to reflexively compare your hand-made work w/stuff they've seen for $5 at Claire's, but that's not always the case. Sometimes you get people who came especially knowing that an art or craft vendor was scheduled to be there, and it's -amazing.- ^_^ They come in all smiles and tell you how excited they are to see your art there, and you feel like a total rock star. ^_^ (This also happens w/unsuspecting people too- who're just delighted to find new cool stuff by surprise, so again, don't discount traditionally non-art-related venues!!!) The people who came to see the knowing a place would have vending ahead of time often tend to pad their pocketbooks accordingly before arriving at your event (if they can), so they're always a valued market, and a total treat. :D Your chances of getting a sale go up exponentially w/these guys, plus they'll likely talk about you and your work elsewhere after the encounter. :)
(This also happens a lot w/people at conventions and specialty venues. Finding more places where you get this type of reaction is nearly invaluable, so treat these markets like the veritable pots of gold that they are! ;D)
But you'll also get a lot of people in those unsuspecting areas who didn't come prepared, or who, for various reasons, just ain't got jack for money. (Like I normally have been in the past. ;)) It's a hard economy, so that happens. For the most part, when folks are generally unsuspecting, they tend to not have enough money on them, or be (as odd as it may sound) emotionally equipped at the time to handle browsing for-and potentially acquiring-new art. (I know you've seen these people- and some of us have even BEEN these people. They walk into a place, get an eyeful of a bunch of cool, neat stuff they're being warmly invited to purchase, and then they freeze up. They get that deer-in-headlights look, maybe mutter "I'm sorry" a couple of times (often while shaking their heads gently), and then, while backing away slowly, stammer their way out of your general vicinity. Sometimes they'll lean in and browse, (sometimes chatting, sometimes not) and just drift silently away. And other times, you'll approach someone who's not ready to purchse w/a greeting and they'll nearly bark "JUST LOOKING." :P Sometimes it's just window-shopping, and sometimes people will approach fine goods and be tempted when they don't have the budget to actually purchase, so they wisely glide elsewhere. But you know what I'm getting at.. right?
Most often all of this due to a lack of funds. We've all drifted into a store just to window shop. and there's absolutely nothing wrong w/that. Be observant, though. Sometimes your prices might scare away a potential purchaser. Watch for interest, then sudden reactions resulting in an overall non-purchase. (Again, think of this scenario within reason. A person in rags isn't likely to walk into Tiffany's and suddenly flee due to unexpected sticker shock.) Watch for pocketeers (what I like to call shoplifters), and But how each person (both vendor and customer) handles it may differ wildly. I say: Be sweet and give 'em a card. Best-case scenario they'll love what they've seen of yours and come back to you later (either IP or online), and boom!, you have new customers. :) Or, worst-case scenario, they take your card and that's it. Either way, you still might build a good reputation, and get the word further out there about your awesome art. :)
But don't despair! There -are- places where Sci-Fi, Fantasy, SteamPunk and other like works are more accepted and more appreciatively sold. Cons for one is a great place to start. There you won't get the art snobs looking down their nose at more illustrative or whimsical works, and you've got an audience full of kindred spirits, who're expecting just exactly your kind of art. ^_^ (Or thereabouts. ;)) The same goes for places online like Etsy teams, DeviantArt and specialized LJ communities. People go there looking to buy and sell just that particular avenue of work, so aside from upping the actual group numbers and amount of general exposure, you're golden. :D
If you're pricing for a vendor's table or set of gallery panels, know the prices of comparable works at that con first, and price your pieces accordingly so you make enough back to -at least- cover the costs of your table- if not your admission to the con, your time the meals and expenses you've put out staying there, your travel costs, -and- the money spent on materials & time spent on production. :) Plus sometimes taking a little bit of a loss one year is worth it to get your name out there and advertise your work. Perhaps you'll make more in the long run, and be able to make a bundle the next time you vend- when your customers come looking for you. :)
If there's an art auction being held, do the same there as you would w/Ebay, accounting for the fact that your piece might be bid up to-or well over-where you want your final price to be. I've been told it's best to price the work that you plan to put up in auctions at the least you're willing to sell it for (w/o inciting the uncontrollable urge to kick yourself repeatedly after it goes). That way you can feel confident w/the sale price and make an amount you're okay with- no matter how many people bid on it after you've sent it onto the auction block. :) (Plus that way you eliminate overpricing your work, making it prohibitive to buyers, nor do you undercut yourself, making you regret having sold the piece at whatever price you selected.)
Plus there are sometimes local (or relatively local) art and craft events that feature groups of like-minded, similarly-interested people...
TBC
