I recently met an interior dec. at an art festival. She ordered $400 worth of commissions and paid me on the spot. She wanted a 20% discount. She just called me and ordered two more commissions. She is very successful and I am hoping this will continue. What do you think about the discount? Do I have to do this with each order? Is 20% "fair". I know several shops charge 30%-50% on top of my price, but she wants it the other way, where I take off my price. Thanks for your opinions and advice...
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Thanks for the information everyone. I'm may pursue this avenue eventually myself. I do think giving the discount to a reseller is fair and 20% sounds very reasonable.
Thank you all. It seems everyone is saying the same....go with it. Thanks. ff
She might be assuming that you're asking "retail" price at the fair, i.e. the same price as if she saw it at a shop. After all, at a fair you are being your own "gallery." You're doing the "gallery" work of setting up your site and babysitting it all day, and you have to factor "paying yourself" for this "other labor" when setting your prices.
A Denver gallery I have my work in caters to the design trade, and my understanding is that their standard discount to the trade is 10%. At least that's what I allow them to use for my work, but that's a different scenario because my work is there on consignment so I'm giving up 40% to the gallery anyway (I know, a 60-40 gallery split is almost unheard of these days and I'm happy to have been able to hang on to it), so that's different than your situation. I'd say it sounds like this could be a very good long term arrangement, and I'd keep giving her the 20%.
Being an artist as well as an interior Designer, I have been part of both worlds. Designers buy furniture and accessories at a discount from designer showrooms as well as from retail stores. They are used to getting a discount so they can sell it to their customers and make a profit.
I'd recommend you keep giving the discount. She may have many clients as well as word of mouth to other designers. Best thing for you would be for her to showcase some of your work in her home, or showroom should she have one. Designers use their homes as their sales tool.
Judy Hurd
Ok, thank you all so much. I will go with this deal and see where it takes us. ff
If you were wholesaling, Frances, you would sell the work for at least 50% less than your retail price. It is especially nice that she is following up and you don't have the additional expense of an art fair involved. Hope you can make this work.
It doesn't sound like such a bad deal, I have work in a gallery and they take 20% plus charge me $60 a month rent! Maybe you need to adjust the price of your work to include the discount. In any event, congratulations on this new business relationship, it sounds pretty cool.
Ok, thanks so much.
Robert said it perfectly.
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