I do a regular art sale (4 days a month) outdoors in a city Park, and I've managed to sell close to 200 pieces since the beginning of the year - but... I have a fairly huge problem. My son goes with me and we have no set pricing based on size - so someone will ask "how much is this 48"x48"?" and my son will give them one price, and then I'll walk over and have a completely different price. Prices are based on how good I think the art is, not on size, and neither of us have great memories. I'm about to take 2 months off to catch up on inventory (i.e. paint like crazy every day) but when I restart I want prices on each piece that can be clearly seen as people walk around (I'll also finally raise my prices)...

Whats the best way to have a price on a piece of art? I tried thick carboard price tags with a string and attached to the back frame and then placed over front - but outdoors the wind play havoc with them and when we load art back into trailer they get detached. I tried little round sticker labels but they also tend to get removed. I generally have 40 to 60 pieces. Ideas?

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  • Still struggling with this, 2 years later. I have an art festival in 4 days, and I'll have 65+ pieces under my 20x10 tent. Prices need to be on a canvas edge - I've tried outdoor post-its (not enough stick), 1" round labels (either too much stick and edge paint gets removed, or too little and they drop off in seconds), and recently cardboard protector corners with prices written on them (two different buyers switched corners to try and get a better deal). I'm going to try table cloth clips with little price sticks on them next. Surely someone else takes as many large pieces with them to shows and has conquered this. )

  • I use propanels and have found the most elegant method is to print my labels up in Photoshop using a business card size format, 2"x3.5". That gives enough room for a title, media, my name, size, and price.

    I start with a blank form of the card size and move each one to a letter size sheet where I can stack 12 of them on a sheet. I use glossy photo paper to print on for a crisp look. That's spray mounted onto a sheet of Foam-Cor, and sliced apart using a steel ruler and a razor knife. For the propanels, I stick a little piece of Velcro on the back.

    You could add hooks on the back with tape or some other method to attach to whatever you use to display your work on.

  • Hey Rick,

    I don't have this problem with my product, but maybe something you could use is: Use just 3-5 different prices. Tell your customers (and your son) that your paintings from this point to that point (could be a lamp post, a chair that you place on the ground, or whatever "thing" you may want to use) they are priced at $200. From that point to that point, they are all $300. And from that point over there to that other point over there, they are $400.

    At least your son would be on the same page as you.

    • holy cow why didn't I think of that! Yesterday I did a large chalk outline on the side walk of three sizes with a price inside of it, not one person understood what I was doing. brilliant

  • Hi Rick, this is my method for making Stay Put Labels after years of trial and error during outdoor shows.
    I print out labels on Avery postage stickers and attach them to foam board. You'll have to decide how large you like your labels. Using an Exacto knife and a ruler, I trim the foam board to fit the sticker. Finally, I attach a strip or two of the rough side of adhesive velcro to the back of my foam-backed labels. I like the strips but, they come in other forms. Let them cure overnight.

    Voila. Labels you can just stick on your pro-panels. They don't fly away or fall off. Also, once you sell a piece, carefully peel the label from the foam board and attach a new one.



    Materials:
    •Avery labels. (Walmart or any Office store)
    •Foam board (Dollar Tree or an Art Supply Store)
    •Adhesive velcro, rough side only. Discard the soft side. (Walmart, any sewing store or Dollar Tree)
    •Exacto knife (any Art store or Walmart)
    •Ruler. I prefer metal rulers.
    • I'm not using propanels at my current outdoor events since all my current work is canvas - but I think I can adapt your idea by cutting out foam board into strips taller than the label, and then score them twice and place on the top of the art (like an up-side-down C). Thanks. (I might do some art festivals this fall so I'll use your idea then)

  • Not really a safe way. This is in a downtown park and the wind gusts reach insane levels.The buildings funnel the wind into very strong gusts in unpredictable directions. We've tried low easels with sandbags (up to 20lbs) but when the wind hits a 48x48" canvas it will lift it off and toss across the park regardless of weight. It's challenging. We hung a few 24x24s on the white fence with S-clips and one lifted off and ended up on the balcony of the closed restaurant. 

  • I can't help with pricing but my question is ... Is there no way to hang  your art?  I personally feel it devalues such art to have it resting on the ground.  JMHO

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