The Art of Pricing

The Art of Pricing by Stacy Rajab from Retro Modern Art. 


I believe that there is a true art to pricing products and goods, specifically handmade creations. I just have not mastered this art. There are so many things to take into account. Making art and then slapping a price tag on it seems simple enough. But you need to weigh so many things. Here is a list of things to take into account when pricing handmade items.

 - Cost of competitors items: the last thing that you want is to be much greater or much less than the competition. However, you need to stand behind your item and actually believe in what you sell is better than theirs.
 - Cost of goods: How much does it cost to make the item? How much are supplies? How much is shipping? How long does it take you to create your masterpiece and then take pictures and actually market the product? What is your time worth?
 - Cost of doing business: How much is your insurance? Gas? Electric in your studio? Internet/web hosting? Tax preparations?
 - What is the competition charging? Is it fair? Do they make a cheap product? Do they have a low cost of living where they are? Are they just starting out and giving their product away for positive reviews? Are they trying to lose money for "tax," purposes? Are they over charging?
- What you are doing to market the product? Paid advertising? Time on-line for promotions, craft shows? Business cards? Logo's and designs?
- What are you able to write-off as a home-based business? Square footage, phone, cable?

The next thing to consider is if you are just starting your business and you want to start off low. When do you finally say it is time to raise prices? Do you creep them up slowly or all at once? Do you lower your prices because you overvalued your item in the beginning?

These are all things that I have been considering with my own hand-carved, hand-pulled prints. It takes me about 4-6 hours to carve a single design into the lino. It used to take MUCH longer. All of those hours and the time to market, plus the cost of the ink, paper, supplies, etc. come together into my small price tag. Well, I have decided to raise my prices. Yes, you heard that correct. I am telling you upfront that I am raising my prices. By a dollar. Steep, maybe, but necessary to carry on my trade. When I began selling my art, I was basing my prices mostly on the competitors prices. Now that I am more established, I want to set myself apart and produce growth in my company. So with that, welcome a dollar increase.

Now, telling you that prices are increasing is probably not the most politically savoy thing to do, however it's the honest truth.

If you are an artist of any sort, how do you price items? What tricks can you share? Are you comfortable with where your prices are at or do you want to change them?

Online Plug-Ins for the Visual Artsit

Online Plug-ins for the Visual Artist

This post has been created by Brandy Cattoor, an artist form ETSY. Her shop is Fine Art Brandy Cattoor. Check out her shop and read what she has to say about ways to increase views and sales in the art world!

Online Art Galleries

Online galleries are becoming successful and popular. Artwork Network is a well known online gallery, which helps promote your work for a minimum monthly fee. Turning Art is another great site, and is free if the artist gets accepted. Many have also found success withFine Art America or Zatista. All these sites of course require a commission if your work is sold through their site.

Online Art Competitions

Art competitions can be a pain but if successful they can be a great reward both personal and professional. An excellent site I’ve found is Light Space & Time, which hosts regular art competitions online. There are numerous sites for art competitions online aside from this one.  

Online Art Markets:

Believe it or not Ebay has many art buyers. The trick with ebay is to learn how to get your work seen through thousands of sellers. Etsy has a well known web presence (known for its quality and unique products) many galleries search for artists here. I’ve been contacted by Turning Art, and been involved in some juried shows because my work was found on Etsy. If the selling is slow, keep at it. Other good things are bound to happen if your work is good.     

Craigslist

In my experience, as an artist in Colorado, I’ve found Craigslist to be helpful at times. Many galleries utilize this site to help promote juried shows, studio space, art competitions, etc. Some shows I’ve been involved in are attributed to a quick response to a Craigslist ad.

Helpful networks for promoting Art:

The following sites are especially good for promoting artwork because their ability to represent images is high quality and organized. This is a good feature when deciding what sites to be involved in and what not to for the visual artist. In my opinion the more your work is seen the better.

Pinterest

Wanelo

We Heart It

The Fancy

Highly Encouraged Personal Networks:

Personal Blog

Facebook Page

Twitter

Personal Website

Many people underestimate the purpose of an actual personal website when considering other networking sites like facebook, twitter, and a blog. In my experience having a personal website has provided various search results to find my work.

Most hosting sites will allow people to create free websites in order for their name to be part of the URL. For example my site is www.brandycattoor.weebly.com. There are various hosts that provide free websites among many are Weebly.com and wix.com.

The other sites are of course a must because they provide interaction with others and help build your following unlike your personal website can do.

A word on Followers

Give people the opportunity to follow you! Even if you feel slow in starting, it’s just another step in finding the right audience for your work and allowing them to keep tabs on you. Don’t compare the amount of followers you have with another person. Who knows how other blogs or sites got their followers, this could have been by multiple giveaways they hosted. Or some sites help you get more followers by paying a small fee. Just compare your current progress with your past progress and success.   

How to Lighten Images in Photo Shop

How to Lighten Images in Photo Shop

Thank you very much to Yuliyart! She has created this visual tutorial on how to "Make Photo's Look Brighter," in Photoshop. Her advice is priceless for any novice photographer to a shopkeeper trying to improve images. Please take a look and try out this easy technique to make your own photo's better. What do you think?

YuliyaArt has a shop on ETSY. Yuliya creates surreal illustrations, fine art prints, imaginative drawings, fantasy paintings, unique posters, handmade cards, dreamlike decorative wall hangings and stylized mythological home decor! Check out her amazing artwork! She is also at http://yuliyart.blogspot.com.   

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