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what do i charge for prints ?????? please give me an idea.

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Steve110587

Steve110587

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hi yall.

my barber just opened his own shop and asked if i wanted to put some prints up on the wall for sale.. Personally, i think only a few would appeal to the masses, but what the hell eh ?

i did some looking around on the net, and there is quite a range of pricing.. some amazing stuff selling (lets say 8x12) at $50 or more...

i'm not a pro, and would think maybe $20 or $25 ?

and how to sell them ? stick them in a cheap frame and they can cash and carry ? (add on frame cost of course)

or just have my guy take the number down and i just print off what people need and mail them the print..

(i get mine printed for $3 at that size.. (this processor is really great. they do professional stuff they dont advertise.. kind of a hidden secret photo processor only local pro photographers use.. i suppose they prefer large jobs, but they never turned me down yet)

thanks for chiming in ...

stephen

i suppose you can access my port here to get an idea of the crap i put in my photo albums on my coffee table...
 
Usually in a store, like that barber shop, they want framed prints. Unless the owner would allow you to put a print bin in his store as well. Or you could put a note that prints only are available at so and so price.

For prints sold from a bin, you need at minimum bags that fit, backer board. I don't mat my 11x14s but many people do. I figure they are smaller, cheaper, and the purchaser can use whatever mat they want, or none, when they frame.

As for price, look around locally. Is there a gallery or other place that photography is displayed and sold? It takes a while to set your price at a comfortable level that sells well enough yet is still worthwhile. It helps if you have a "community." Is there a photography club? An art league?
 
Great ideas to consider. I think he wants stuff to put on his walls.
 
steelhead3 said:
You are a pro if you sell your prints...whether you are a respected pro or not is dependent on your work.
Click to expand...
Sooooo true eh !!!!!!!!I shouldn't have brought that up.
 
JudyN said:
JudyN wrote:

Usually in a store, like that barber shop, they want framed prints. Unless the owner would allow you to put a print bin in his store as well. Or you could put a note that prints only are available at so and so price.

For prints sold from a bin, you need at minimum bags that fit, backer board. I don't mat my 11x14s but many people do. I figure they are smaller, cheaper, and the purchaser can use whatever mat they want, or none, when they frame.

As for price, look around locally. Is there a gallery or other place that photography is displayed and sold? It takes a while to set your price at a comfortable level that sells well enough yet is still worthwhile. It helps if you have a "community." Is there a photography club? An art league?
Click to expand...
 
Steve110587 said:
Steve wrote:

hi yall.

my barber just opened his own shop and asked if i wanted to put some prints up on the wall for sale.. Personally, i think only a few would appeal to the masses, but what the hell eh ?

i did some looking around on the net, and there is quite a range of pricing.. some amazing stuff selling (lets say 8x12) at $50 or more...

i'm not a pro, and would think maybe $20 or $25 ?

and how to sell them ? stick them in a cheap frame and they can cash and carry ? (add on frame cost of course)

or just have my guy take the number down and i just print off what people need and mail them the print..

(i get mine printed for $3 at that size.. (this processor is really great. they do professional stuff they dont advertise.. kind of a hidden secret photo processor only local pro photographers use.. i suppose they prefer large jobs, but they never turned me down yet)

thanks for chiming in ...

stephen

i suppose you can access my port here to get an idea of the crap i put in my photo albums on my coffee table...
Click to expand...
There are a million amateurs with cameras who now charge nothing for their prints, or worse still their images on disc. These amateurs are killing the industry.

Years ago (about twenty) my wife charged the equivalent of $25 per 10x8 We joined a group of pros in London who met every week and were laughed at. We doubled our prices and saw no reduction in sales. Today we charge $300 a 10x8 and don't sell smaller, or on disc unless they first order a larger size. We have a good business, of course backed up by good photography.

If you want to give your photos away for peanuts and supply images on disc so that you customers can make crappy prints, go ahead.but don't expect to make a decent living from photography.

My advice is charge a realistic price for the work involved, and if you are good, you can expect repeat business.
 
interesting.. maybe charge a modest (like $25 for 8x10) and if they sell, then up the price.. or decrease.. something i did once, now that i think of it... at dazzle...

the art world is tough.. i've been to markets where photographers were set up and didnt look too happy.. all the people were crowded around the other stalls of baked goods and carved bread boards...

or maybe i need the proper signage...

i just came back from Russia. THere was a boutique with the usual 'card' stand with local photography. The images were really bad.. no composition.. no rules.. sort of the before pics of a photography 101 course..

on top of the display with a note in English " all photos taken by a PROFESSIONAL photographer".

LOL.. i wonder how many people fell for that...

so that's what i need over my display...

thanks for your personal story.. will factor it in..

maybe this one could be a test.. it has been sold at zazzle and hundreds of sales on shuttertstock et al, used as a book cover image , and 2 artists have converted it to watercolors.. (although it looks too yellow or gold to me.. but it attracts attention)

f6ecceedb26b406c9849eb293e4a069d.jpg
 
If you think you are good, don't undersell yourself. Customers can sometimes associate price with quality...In a related field (painting) I've found that sometimes by raising my prices, I increased my sales...yeah I know weird...but true. I think it's because people want something they feel is special concerning any form of art, rather than a bargain basement deal, within reason.
 
Lights said:
Lights wrote:

If you think you are good, don't undersell yourself. Customers can sometimes associate price with quality...In a related field (painting) I've found that sometimes by raising my prices, I increased my sales...yeah I know weird...but true. I think it's because people want something they feel is special concerning any form of art, rather than a bargain basement deal, within reason.
Click to expand...
 
Lights said:
Lights wrote:

If you think you are good, don't undersell yourself. Customers can sometimes associate price with quality...In a related field (painting) I've found that sometimes by raising my prices, I increased my sales...yeah I know weird...but true. I think it's because people want something they feel is special concerning any form of art, rather than a bargain basement deal, within reason.
Click to expand...
You are quite right.
Lights said:
--
My Gallery is here -
http://www.pbase.com/madlights
Why so serious? :The Joker
Click to expand...
 
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