We've moved into larger art pieces, kind if tied in with below. Anyone else doing so? Thought for sure we had our $4400 piece sold at last show, plus a strong bite on our $1400 item. Our top items in the past have been about $650, starts at $20. Anyone have any advice on selling larger pieces?
FM NAIA
The current economic climateArtists are really struggling as a demographic for a myriad of reasons. Yet I keep running into artists who are telling me they’re having the best year ever, simply because they have embraced change and done things differently. Some of them are working larger, which is a smart way to go. When I go to shows and galleries these days, almost everything on display is small scale. Too many artists are working small thinking they’re going to increase their sales because money is tight. The success stories are artists who are working bigger and making their work more expensive and more impressive. People who can afford to buy art live in large homes and often have more than one. These successful artists, in these tough economic times report to me that they are selling large scale art at higher price points over smaller pieces. It really makes sense that people who have money to buy art do not want small scale. The people who used to buy small art are so financially stressed they can no longer afford it.
Comments
of course it looked like a cheaply made piece to me but, hey, maybe its just my snotty attitude. and he got the sale and i didn't. but back to the point....most large sales i make are commissions from leads i get at shows. so i bring the large ones because they eventually generate business. and if i don't sell them in one season i just put them in a gallery.
Transport of larger work is a challenge, fortunately ours is in 5 pieces, so it all fits in a large plastic trunk. I've seen the contortions artists with large single piece work go through in unloading and setting up. Does not look fun.
Good question on if the "draw" of larger work actually puts money into your pocket.
We'll keep poking at it, and having experienced a number of serious interested potentials, keep at it until either it sells or we do the "this sucks" admission.
15 :-)
We moved into making larger pieces when my wife continued to hear customers say "love your work, but I have this large wall space and it would swallow it up." Thus, she has made larger work comprised of sections that all work together. But, we've also stayed with all her multi-price point work from $20 to $650 or so, and sales of that work has kept us going.
We continue to be encouraged by the interest and "near buys" of her larger works, providing photos with measurements for potential buyers, consideration of delivering and installing, etc. I suppose a next step is to get potential buyers phone numbers and do a follow-up call.
Another possible benefit of larger work is that folks may like and be impressed by a larger piece, but it's outside of their budget, so they buy something smaller, as I suppose photographers and painters experience with selling reproductions of their big stuff.
Seems most of the art shows we do in the Rocky Mnt. region have a nice mix of customers, both high end and upper middle to middle, so our range of prices seems to be working. Before too long, I'll hopefully be doing a yippy chi yaa announcing the sale of a big piece.
Larry Berman
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