Selling Reproductions

Hi all,

I plan to begin participating in shows next month. This is all very new to me and I'm super excited. I just purchased my tent, I'm working on my display and lighting, I have a table, etc. Sadly, the part I'm really struggling with is the ART; specifically reproductions.

As all this is very new to me I plan to begin with simple, small artwalks in surrounding communities and although I plan to display my canvases, I don't think the more expensive originals will sell very well. I think the people who attend these smaller events are looking more in the ten to fifty dollar range.

So in addition to the larger originals which I hope will bring traffic into my booth, I would like to sell reproductions.

Understanding that as a beginner I need to keep my cost low, what is the best way to offer reproductions? Simply with backerboard and bagged? Matted and bagged? Or even just rolled in a plastic sleeve?

Secondly, and this is where I really get lost, should I always sell the my images on a larger 8 x 10 sheet to accommodate a mat? And if so, does the same hold true for prints made from photographs?

My head hurts.

I've been offering my work online, http://karyn-robinson.artistwebsites.com/ but I'm really looking forward to the face to face contact with buyers. I hope I still feel that way after a couple shows.

Thanks for the help. This my first post. I look forward to getting to know you all better soon!

Karyn

Hi Karyn, I see were both in Gilbert! Good to see a neighbor on this site.

I rarely see originals sell at local shows unless their under priced around the $100 range. But those artists aren't doing themselves any favors by marking their work so low. Although you will sell prints and the advice above is right on! Matted prints in standard sizes will sell the best. I have one piece framed with the mat, so it gives them a good visual of what it looks like in a frame. I get my mats and bags at Jerry's Artarama in Tempe.

As far as shows go, I hear some do well in Chandler & First Friday in Phoenix but it has been on a decline over the past few years. I've tried Gilbert, Mesa & Chandler art walks and never did enough to make it worth my time, but it will give you good practice before you start applying to bigger shows.

If your looking for prints, there is a local guy that does canvas prints at very reasonable prices. I believe he also does prints on paper too. Let me know if your interested and I can give you his contact info.

Replies

Brian Billings January 15, 2013 at 11:25am

Hi Karyn, I see were both in Gilbert! Good to see a neighbor on this site.

I rarely see originals sell at local shows unless their under priced around the $100 range. But those artists aren't doing themselves any favors by marking their work so low. Although you will sell prints and the advice above is right on! Matted prints in standard sizes will sell the best. I have one piece framed with the mat, so it gives them a good visual of what it looks like in a frame. I get my mats and bags at Jerry's Artarama in Tempe.

As far as shows go, I hear some do well in Chandler & First Friday in Phoenix but it has been on a decline over the past few years. I've tried Gilbert, Mesa & Chandler art walks and never did enough to make it worth my time, but it will give you good practice before you start applying to bigger shows.

If your looking for prints, there is a local guy that does canvas prints at very reasonable prices. I believe he also does prints on paper too. Let me know if your interested and I can give you his contact info.
karyn robinson January 14, 2013 at 9:10pm

Thank you, ladies. I will try the matted art this go around and see how that works. Thank you for the information!
Larry Berman January 14, 2013 at 9:09pm

To answer your question, if the pieces need to be framed under glass, they should be over matted so the print doesn't touch the glass. Unless you want the mat to cover the edges of the artwork, leave space all the way around and cut the mats so an amount of that space shows and the rest is behind the mat. Then hinge at the top with acid free framers tape.

Your unframed work will sell much faster if you present it already matted to a standard frame size.

Larry Berman
http://BermanGraphics.com
412-401-8100
- karyn robinson > Larry Berman January 14, 2013 at 10:56pm
  
  Thanks, Larry.
geri a. wegner January 14, 2013 at 7:36pm

Karyn, Connie is right, matted or not, make your pieces in standard frame sizes. The cost of framing can be prohibitive yet standard size frames are very reasonable. Good luck to you.
Connie Mettler January 14, 2013 at 5:21pm

Welcome, Karyn. Good discussion topic and a common one for beginners. When we first started doing shows we attended LOTS of them and really looked over all the offerings. I'd expect you have been doing so also as this is the best place to find out what others are doing and what the shows look like. My husband, who had once done cost estimating as a job, made lists of how many pieces an artist had hanging on the walls, how many bins, how many pieces in each bin, price lists also.

So, what is your work? I went to the link. Are you a painter? Cool work. How are others in these artwalks offering their work? Seems to me you'd sell more of the small pieces if they were matted to a size that is a standard size, 8 x10 or 11 x 14 ... ready to frame is a good idea and a helpful selling tactic.
karyn robinson January 14, 2013 at 2:35pm

please disregard the reference to the 8 x 10 size. I haven't decided what sizes to offer yet, I just want to know if the image size should be smaller than the sheet to accommodate a mat?

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