Title and Price Labels

I have just finished my first summer of art festivals and I am looking at how I want to approach the 2012 season. I definitely need to add bandaids and a nail file to my personal box, and more frozen bottled water in my cooler on those hot days. I broke a lot of nails and got a lot of cuts on my hands while setting up, and you can never have enough cold water.

One factor which has been in my thoughts all summer is how to present my prices to the public. Most of my paintings are on gallery wrapped canvas. Placing a label directly on the painting does not make sense. This past year I made labels which included the title, the price, and my name on 2”X3” white card stock with a double lined border glued to a 2.5”X3.5” black matt board hung on the wire grid with small black binder clips. These look professional and I used the same format for my gallery shows which showed no more than 10 pieces. I display approximately 70 pieces from size 5X5 to 16X48 at the art festivals. Obviously this becomes a bit cluttered with 70 little price labels. I tried to eliminate the number of labels by grouping the sizes together and using one label per size, but had many people asking about the price and in some cases a bit uneasy about asking. At my open studio I had a price list which I handed out to each person that included the title and price of each piece with a corresponding number next to the work. I am not sure that this makes sense at a festival/fair.

My question is how do you present your titles and prices to the public at the festivals/fairs while still maintaining a professional look?

Geri, that is why I asked for input on how other's present prices. At the most recent show in which I participated, there were a couple of painters, a photographer, and the woodworker next to me who did not have prices on their work. All of them had exceptional work and limited pieces (10-15) and the 2D works all were very large. I have always heard if you have to ask you can't afford it! Certainly puzzled me.

At one show I did make 3X5 cards and put one in the middle of the group of 5X5 paintings and one for the 6X6 paintings that stated the price for that specific size. More confusion. In my print bins I only have 2 sizes and seperate them into seperate bins with a good size sign that states size and price hanging on the front of the bin. People still pick them up, look on the back and say how much? Go figure!

Replies

Jacki Bilsborrow November 15, 2011 at 10:58pm

Hello Terry,

You should repost this as a blog. You may get more comments there. It looks like you already got some good ideas. In the blog you should be able to get more feedback and that will help you to make a decision.

Jacki B
Amy Perrier October 24, 2011 at 3:50pm

In the galleries I have a little business card sized piece of white mat board framed on a little larger black matboard with title, medium, price, and my name. Looks professional and not too cluttered. At the art fairs I just put a little white sticker in the lower right hand corner with the price. I'm there talking to all my customers and telling them about the medium and process so don't include that on the sticker. My work is all on glass, so the sticker comes right off. I think people would rather see the price without having to ask. I'm not sure I'd want to walk around with a price list in my hand at an art fair. I guess I like to keep things casual in my booth so having the prices on the paintings seems to work well for me.
Robert Wallis October 23, 2011 at 1:25pm

Attach a small piece of Velcro to the back of the piece. Make your tags taller than you do now, and attach the mating velcro to the top front of the tag. Stick the tag to the back of the stretcher bar, and you're done. The velcro can be peeled off the bar or the canvas in the back when the piece sells, or just leave it on there.
- Terry McCray > Robert Wallis October 23, 2011 at 9:45pm
  
  That sounds good Robert - I never would have thought of that!
geri a. wegner October 22, 2011 at 4:01pm

what about little dots on the side of the painting? don't stick them on too hard so they can be easily removed without damaging the picture.

or color code the dots on the paintings and hang a master price list.

please please please do give pricing though. just went to a festival today and a lot of the artists didn't have prices on their work.
- Terry McCray > geri a. wegner October 22, 2011 at 5:50pm
  
  Geri, that is why I asked for input on how other's present prices. At the most recent show in which I participated, there were a couple of painters, a photographer, and the woodworker next to me who did not have prices on their work. All of them had exceptional work and limited pieces (10-15) and the 2D works all were very large. I have always heard if you have to ask you can't afford it! Certainly puzzled me.
  
  At one show I did make 3X5 cards and put one in the middle of the group of 5X5 paintings and one for the 6X6 paintings that stated the price for that specific size. More confusion. In my print bins I only have 2 sizes and seperate them into seperate bins with a good size sign that states size and price hanging on the front of the bin. People still pick them up, look on the back and say how much? Go figure!
Larry Berman October 22, 2011 at 4:42am

If your work is framed use the back of business cards in the corner of the frames.

You probably should wear light work gloves when setting up.

Larry Berman
- Terry McCray > Larry Berman October 22, 2011 at 11:57am
  
  Thanks Larry - gloves would certainly make sense so I will add that to my list. Most of my paintings are on 1.5" gallery wrapped canvas with the image continuing around the edge so I do not use frames, but I do attach a card to the stretcher bars on the back of the painting.
  - Larry Berman > Terry McCray October 22, 2011 at 12:28pm
    
    70 pieces hanging in the booth sounds like no room for title and price cards. Do people get confused which card goes with which piece? What's your medium?
    
    Larry Berman
    http://BermanGraphics.com
    412-401-8100
    - Terry McCray > Larry Berman October 22, 2011 at 4:31pm
      
      You are absolutely right Larry! The clutterof all those 2.3X3.5 cards are confusing. I place them near the lower right corner of the painting but some people get confused.
      
      I paint pet portraits in acrylic on gallery wrap canvas 1.5" deep. My best sellers at art festivals are small pieces at 5X5, 6X6, 5X7, 8X8 and 8X10. These make up the bulk of my work, but I have about 15 medium to large pieces which draw people into the booth. Demographics of the shows I did this summer dictated lower prices. Paint small sell more! I have recently started painting larger works which were received well at my last couple of shows. I think I will limit the number of smaller pieces displayed next year.
      
      count on me.jpg

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