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Originally Posted by flake
I think you're selling them way too cheap Tazzers I make mine 16" x 10" mount and frame them, cut a window for a limited print number, and they go for £75 each. Maybe I don't sell as many, but I only have to sell one for every 10 you do.
Making prints limited edition adds value, and how many times are you going to reach the end of a print run of 100? If you find that does happen then make the next one 250. If you want an outlet to display then frame some up and find some local pubs where they display art for sale, you might have to give the landlord a little commision, nothing like a gallery though where they can ask more then 50% of the selling price. Add a little label on the back of the frame giving your details, then they can go look at your website and order more images to compliment the one they've bought.
You might also try grouping images together as 'sets' this can be as few as two images, but try to keep it to a maximum of six. People can then buy similar images to hang, some may wish to own the complete set, it's just a route to selling a few more.
You have some lovely images, please don't devalue them by letting them go so cheap, the market will easily bear £50 mounted £75 framed especially at 16 x 10, and a full print run returns £7500 !
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Thanks Flake you make very valid points and certainly ones that I have been mulling over. I had a feeling that I was selling cheap and in truth buyers have been surprised by how cheap.
My view at the moment is really about building up my own confidence. I have to be truthful, I'm a 'new photographer'. Yes I've had a Nikon F501 for a long time and took some good shots but the price of film and developing put me off taking it seriously. So I'm afraid I'm a digital age photographer and I know it's no bad thing but I really had to find out first if what I was producing was something people would buy and my mark up is still quite healthy. What I don't want to do is alienate myself from other photographers by any form of undercutting so my strategy is to slowly bring the prices up and also to cater differently to different audiences.
Once my website is up and functioning the prices will be higher, certainly £30 for an A4 print in a 16x12in mount for instance, these prices will be similar come my first proper craft fair. I want it to tick over like this until I feel properly established.
I am doing limited runs based on print size, an A4 at the moment is 100 and an A3 is 50. A5 is actually a nice sized print, I sold a few today so in order to carry on making money from my 'money shots' the A5s are unlimited but I am still selling on the grounds of originality, quality and in the case of the larger prints exclusivity.
As an aside I have a major job in hand which could net me many hundreds in the long run as this couple are redecorating and want me to hang their walls with my prints and this is the interesting bit. They like their tryptichs and they like them big. I have quoted £400 for the one they want including a one off proof to be sure the shots will enlarge satisfactorily as they want 16x12 prints on wrap around canvas and this is just one of the works they want. So in essence we are talking about a contract of sorts and if I price it right it might actually pay off most of my equipment.
But as you say, getting the prices right is all important and it is all part of the learning process which started when I took that first money shot not so many years ago. I will do it in steps but I promise you I will get to the kinds of prices you have suggested. For the short time being however I am shifting prints and that pushes me onward and upward.