I've had this conversation with an art broker before and thought I would post to get some discussion going. I would suppose the subject has been discussed before but I'm afraid I've missed that. At the same time it may be a cut and dried subject for many of the more experienced, long time, artist participants.

The topic is pricing your work in relation to galleries and at your art fair booth. With most galleries collecting 40 % on average, we of course set our pricing to recoup at least a part of that. My practice is that since I have also exhibited in galleries, I will not undercut those prices in my art fair booth. Many folks say that when a collector or buyer deals with you directly they might expect a lower price because of the lack of gallery commissions (dealing directly with the artist). This, in my mind, raises a very important question.

Let's say you sell a piece through a gallery at $ xxxx.xx. The buyer then sees you at a show a few weeks or months later with the same piece at a lower price. He is now not a happy camper. At the same time, if the gallery owner were to see you with a lower price, they will also be less than thrilled. It would probably end your relationship with that gallery. So do you keep your booth pricing consistent with your gallery pricing? It would certainly show a higher profit margin on those sold pieces. At the same time does that pricing effect your sales, at that higher price point, because of the different venue?

I am a photographer, but I would suppose that painters, and other forms of art deal with the same situation. I should also note that I do not do any of the major shows. I struggle, in my mind, with the thought that the attendees of the regional shows may not be the art collectors seen at those larger shows. This is in no way meant to be a put down for the wonderful customers at the shows that I do.

So what are your thoughts? Am I off the mark? Is there an unwritten rule? I'd love to hear how others handle this.

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  • Brian hit it best with separate bodies of work for galleries and the fairs. It saves a lot of grief. I've been through that nightmare and it cost the gallery a sale and a customer, and the gallery and I parted ways.

  • Well the way I see it, I keep everything the same prices. If you do a show what is the price that you are really selling it for after subtracting expenses just to bring it to your customers? Let the galleries have the pieces for the discounted prices, after all while they are dealing with buyers & paying the expenses to maintain a permanent gallery, you can kick back & work on whatever you want while they do your dirty work.
    • I agree. I've been doing both shows and galleries for many years, sometimes more of one and sometimes more of the other. There are also internet sales through my website. I keep my prices constant regardless of the venue because of the reasons stated above, although I have to say it hurts to lose the 40% (or sometimes 50%!) to the gallery. Sometimes I've counted on the gallery representation, though, so I like to keep my foot in that door. Also, I really don't begrudge their commission because I know how difficult it is to keep the doors open for a brick and mortar gallery.

  • I'm glad to see that I am not alone in my feelings about undercutting my galleries.  I do know some artists who will do just that, and I guess they just don't understand. When it all comes down to it, you are correct in that show expenses will even out the commission expense, or at least close to it in the level of shows I'm doing. As I said, I personally will not undercut the gallery price but do know of some others who have, with varying explanations. If I felt that those prices were hurting my booth sales I would have to make a decision on which way to go. I do appreciate the thoughts here and agree completely.

  •  I agree with Brian and Greg. Never under sell your galleries, if the price is $2000 at the gallery its $2000 in your booth.  I dont know what your expenses at a show are but for me when all is said and done its about the same profit level as selling in galleries. Commisions / expenses  about the same in the end. 

  • Galleries have overhead expenses that have to be met... but on the flipside we also have show expenses that have to be met. I have never heard of any shows that are expense-free.  The many expenses involved with doing shows can grow rather quickly and can easily surpass the gallery commissions.

    The best solution is to have only one-of-a-kind pieces and not anything that someone can say they saw elsewhere. I would imagine it is tempting to create reproductions ...but it is not advantageous in this case.

  • You should absolutely not undercut your galleries, you would just be asking for trouble. 20 years ago I think it would have been ok but now days with the internet, you can't take that chance. I'm a painter and I do shows and galleries. I would likely not be able to sell my large paintings at gallery prices at most art festivals. So, what I sell at the art festivals is different from what I give the galleries, this way the galleries don't feel any competition.

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