More Thoughts on Having a Sale on Your Art

Carol L. Myers, Shield #25
Carol L. Myers, Shield #25. Graphite on paper, 6 x 8 inches. ©The Artist

Yesterday I shared some tips for having a sale of your art. Now it's time to clarify some things.

  • Sales aren't for everyone.
  • If you are an artist who has work in a gallery or a number of galleries, you ought to think thrice about having a sale. You could do a lot of damage to your relationship with galleries.
  • Certain things lend themselves better to sales. I'll call them “art products.” It's more appropriate to slap a discount on reproductions, greeting cards, T-shirts, and other functional items than to do the same for higher-priced fine art.
  • Never put your best and newest stuff on sale! This is devaluing what you do.
  • Having a sale just because you need money fast is never a good idea. As was noted in the comments yesterday, sales of desperation are rarely successful.

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1 thought on “More Thoughts on Having a Sale on Your Art”

  1. Meltemi/TheMeltemi

    A limited one-off sale of early career artworks is beneficial it clears the space. It generates some income. It frees studio space. It removes the emotional clutter. It allows one to concentrate on what they do best by not reminding them of avenues once travelled. Ebay fits the bill….

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Get a transcript of episode 182 of The Art Biz (Rethinking Mailing Lists for Artists) followed by a 3-page worksheet to evaluate the overall health and usage of the 3 types of artist lists.

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