After the sale, if you're an artist selling painting or any kind of flat art, how are you packaging them so your customers can carry them away? Are there any special bags or tips?
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Last year I had some custom sized foam pouches made to store and transport my paintings. l paint on board and the paintings can scratch. The pouches are made from 1/4 inch foam and protect the paintings pretty well. Also it keeps them from sliding around during transport. When I sell a painting I give put it in the pouch and give it to the buyer. I figure the extra expense is worth it to help the buyer from damaging the painting. Unfortunately you can't see through the foam.
In the very first reply to this thread Jim Parker mentioned that United Manufactures has cardboard corners. I think I am going to use large shopping bags with handles. Most of my paintings are in the 11x14 , 12x16, 14x18 and 16x20 sizes. I have a some 8x10's which I sell as small studies, as I don't sell prints.
You do have a point Sam but your thinking is a bit old school. It may be different because you sell only originals ( I assume high end) and I sell large originals and prints on canvas (giclees). It's all about branding, but I do agree with you that you should not spend too much time or money on packaging. The bags I get are $10 for 100 and labels I print are about $5 for 250 and takes me just a few minutes to do since my labels are the same design as my business cards.. So not a lot of effort or money but it has awarded me. I had a lady from California that bought a print but a year later decided to buy an original, she had lost my card and didn't know how to get a hold of me. I always put a business card sticker on the back of my pieces, she saw that and I made a sale. Yeah this might only happen once but it was worth it for a sale that would not have ever happen. Also, when I put the cardboard protective corners on an original for a client it makes them feel like I take extra care of my clients and my work. When doing this people come in because their curious, I have made sales because of it. Sometimes just a little extra effort can make a sale.
My paintings are all on glass, so I wrap them in bubble wrap that comes on 300 ft rolls. I think it protects the glass, but I would prefer not to wrap them at all. I like the idea of buyers parading my work around the art fair a couple of times before putting it in their car. Some of my work is very large, but I still wrap it.
My business cards net me several sales each year and for the price I think it's good to hand them to anyone who wants one. I leave them sitting out and probably hand out a thousand over the summer. For the $175 bucks or so, it's totally worth it. I don't have a website either. I could keep my facebook better updated, but I'm not very good at that. Websites, facebook, weebley, wobbley, etsy, ugh...too much. I'd rather be painting. I need an 8 year old to keep me organized I guess.
Sam using your same logic, I guess business cards are also money not well spent? I think the idea is to put your name out in front of them so they know WHO to buy from again.
Thanks you Jim, Brian and Julia for your answers. I have some questions, if you use kraft or butcher paper do you have a dispenser in your tent for the paper? The 2 mil bags seem a little thin. I love the idea of showing the art off when they walk to their car. I was going to use large shopping bags with handles with a brand label on the bags.
The paper usually comes in a roll so it's easy to take along. As far as bags, I use handle retail bags, they come in all kinds of sizes. http://www.clearbags.com/8x10-frost-reinforced-handle-bags-1-75-mil...
Their thicker and work great, not bad for the price either. I print a sticker with my logo & info and stick it on the bag.
You can also stick a label with Logo and contact to your bag or butcher paper for extra branding and exposure. The bigger the better. So people at the Art Festival can see your info and your name is also in front of the customer when unwrapping your painting. It is extra cost but can lead to future sales.
I put my prints in clear bags, I think it's a plus that people can see the art that their carrying around. For my large paintings there really isn't away to carry in a bag. I put cardboard corners on the painting and then wrap it in butcher paper. I like butcher paper better than bubble wrap because it won't stick, that's definetely a problem out here in AZ. Unfortunately people can't see the painting while their carrying it out to their car but it protects the painting.
We bag framed work in clear poly bags from United Manufacturers. They come on rolls. Then cardboard corners fastened with roll saran wrap. Secure, and you can see the art through the bag.
Matted prints go in smaller poly bags, also from United on rolls. A postcard goes in the back, face out, along with the sales slip and COA.