Pricing stategy

[kengillam]

There have been several threads on other Forums about the low prices being obtained for our work. Many people feel that the 99cent or 99p UK listing is harming the perceived value of what we do. I am not going to list at that price as it means that I'm paying people to take my work. Lots of others also agree that we should up the start prices to a minimum of 4.99 . By the time you pay the fees plus postage particularly for me sending from the UK it just isn't worth it at silly prices. Anyone else agree with this? Ken

[katat0nik]

Bethy, thanks for your input, you have some really good points. It's great to hear things from a collector's point of view (many thanks!):) I saw in the other group a while back, someone had a fancy display case for ACEO's. I believe it was hung on a wall & had several shelves inside that held ACEOs. It was made of wood & had a glass door - looked really nice, and seemed quite big. I'm not exactly sure who owned it (maybe it was Jillian?) but I'm sure someone will come along with the answer :) Hey Judy K:x theme week requires a $0.99 starting price just like Nibblefest

[artistjillian]

No, wasn't me. I have photos of robarbs frame in the photo album as well as some other ideas. I love the robarbs one. (actually I've got 2, and probably will buy more.)

[otw_studios]

There was a question several posts back, about prices outside of eBay. I did a show around Christmas, offered ACEOs for 8.00-11.00 for prints; 18.00-25.00 for originals. I had no resistance AT ALL at those prices. Had a tri-fold brochure with the card mounted, and info handwritten on the front, with contact info on the inside fold and an ACEO spiel on the back, and showed several matted and framed. Loree

[gidignard]

When I first starting doing ACEOs I thought of an amount that would not make me want to cry if it sold for that price, and I came up with 8.99$. I spend at least 3 hours on each piece - OK... I'm slow ;)- and I'm not willing to just give them away, I would much rather keep them and give them to friends and family than sell them at 3$. Also, I'm on unemployment insurance (not sure how you call that in the U.S.), so out of a job for now. The revenues from ebay all go to pay the bills and I rely on them very much to get by these days. I agree with Jane, and I think that pricing it at 99 cents somehow cheapens it - if you don't respect what you do, who will? I'm always amazed when I see art starting at 99 cents... why pay people to collect your art? From my experience, when someone pays a little more for something he will tend to cherish it and take care of it more than if he bought it cheap. There are as many tastes in art as there are people out there. I sometimes see cards that, in my opinion, should have sold for much higher and it makes me sad for the artist that should have been recognized, and I sometimes see things that sell for much higher than what I would have paid... but hey! like I said, to each his own, and there is something out there for everybody. I agree that a good strategy is to bring your prices a little higher once in while and see how that goes. The important thing is to feel comfortable with that price and not to feel robbed or unappreciated when they go for the minimum bid. Have a great day! :) Ginette

[jmkmini]

I must have missed something then at the beginning. The weekly challenges (like this one is "Love") MUST start at .99? Makes me think twice then about entering it. I thought the .99 cent thing was just Nibblefest. Right now I am a collector... It is an addiction but I love it!! My friends saw the little clipper ship I bought from Ken Gillam and,they loved it and they think it should be framed. I agree, but at the rate I'm starting to collect I have to think of something easier. I like an album but I like to see my art out everyday and I want others to see it. I'll have to think about what I can do to display them. I'm sorry Jillian, I misunderstood theme week. I saw a very nice picture and it had a bid and it was .01 cent, it made me ill. I saw another very nice painting and it had I think 11 bids and it was all the way up to 5.99, than made me sad too. I will not start anything I make that low. I said it before in another group just like Ginette said and that is I'd rather give it away to a friend than sell it for $3. Of course I have to get off the computer and actually make something to be able to offer something for sale! LOL! Very sincerely, Judy K:x

[artistjillian]

No, the weekly challenge does NOT start at 99 cents. I have nothing to do with 'Nibblefest' or any of the 'Theme week's. They are run by other groups. I am not willing to dictate starting prices, and therefore definitely don't put one on the weekly challenges. The weekly challenge is just purely for fun, and to help any creative blocks, plus I love seeing what people create along a theme. There are no awards or prizes and so therefore, few rules - the word in the title, keeping on theme, and the Sunday to Saturday time in regards to listing during that week. Loree, I think those prices are more than reasonable, and also what I would expect to pay. Bravo to you! Thank you also for the reminder about showing them at least matted, and even framed. Bless you for that! Writing myself a reminder right now! :) Once someone mentioned that a certain mass-produced card company usually sells its cards for no less than $5 each - and here we are selling our unique OOAK hand-done cards at even less or around the same. Those store bought cards are probably rarely kept or even collected. Just doesn't seem right when you look at it that way, does it? Just another way of looking at it. I've felt 'guilty' paying low prices for ACEOs. Even though loved getting some cards at great prices. ~Jillian

[jmkmini]

Oh good! I'm glad to hear that about the weekly challange! Duhhh...figures I'd get it confused. Loree...do you have a picture of how you put your ACEOs in the brochure? Judy K :x

[sunshinesketches]

My idea for displaying my collection (once we get our own space to live in) will be as follows: I'm going to mount works of similar theme matter with clear plastic photo mounts into a poster-sized frame, as many as will fit. I'm thinking of say eight in a row one way and ten the other way. I've stopped participating in the .99 theme weeks (at least for now) because I haven't had much success at it. Although I'd probably join back in for the fun of it if a theme really tickled me. Right now, this is my only source of income. /karen

[artistjillian]

That's a great idea Karen, It certainly is an inexpensive way of displaying them. I daresay that similar could be done with clip art frames for art shows and such, as they could easily be disassembled, and so forth - even using labels below each work. Please do take photos when you do do it. Great! Something to look forward to, for sure. :) ~Jillian

[kengillam]

I sell my original watercolours (14x10) at the $200-$250 mark, which is also my guide for commissioned work. Sometimes I sell a bit cheaper than that, and ACEO's are a new venture for me, however I see no point in painting them for no profit at all. Postage from the UK to states is around $1.50 for something light like an ACEO. My larger shipping tubes cost me about $6.50 plus of course there are the actual packaging costs. I basically charge my costs for shipping. Ken

[october*moon]

Judy, that .99 price-set was for theme week in another group. That's why I only did it once. Several bids, but because of the teeny bid increments, still only got about $4. Just couldn't justify that. If I had only been doing it for the fun (and it was!) it would have been different, but I needed all my creative energies working toward paying bills! Anne >^..^<

[katat0nik]

Sorry JudyK for the confusion! The 99cent theme week thing has been explained above (thanks Anne) Jane

[perlino2000]

This issue is very frustrating for me. I have had some nice selling pieces then I have had some $1 per hour ones ;o) I think it is part of the art world. I think it is everyone's personal choice of how they price their work. I think the allure of getting an original for .99 can bring people in and this can be a good marketing thing. HOWEVER to sell an original for .99 is heartbreaking for the artist. I keep track of my hours now. I unfortunately paint pretty slowly and my initial thought was to keep track and start at $5 per hour. Realistically I have yet to do that. I now start at $2 to $3 per hour depending on how much I like the finished piece. I have tried putting a .99 starter with a reserve price around the $5 per hour. The Ebay fees are a bit higher but so far it has worked OK. I would love for the ACEO's to all fetch at least minimum wage for goodness sakes, and then much higher. The down side to this is that in order to gather the force to raise the value the group must grow, lots of promotion must be done. The down side is that there will be more competition and tons more artwork posted. To tell you the truth these little guys look absolutely gorgeous framed. I bought two romance works from a great artist and matted and framed the one I have gotten so far and I just get so many complements on it. I think perhaps if people could mat them it would help. I buy acid free black core mat board when it is on sale. Perhaps if people matted them in white or black they would give a more fine art presentation and bring more money. I just bought a sheet for $5 at a half price sale at our local craft store. I figure I can get 32 5x7's from that. That is under 20 cents per piece. I have a mat cutter so it is easy. People who do not may want to ask their local craft store that does framing how much it would cost to cut standard ACEO size windows out of one full sheet of mat board. Lynn

[kmcoriginals]

Lynn, thanks, you reminded me that I bought some black mat board a few weeks ago. Now I will add cutting it to my list of things to do this weekend.

[nechtan999_1]

I am puting this in several places because everyone keeps saying they want albums.... I have a store listing and an auction. the auction - hand made hand carved leather screw bounf album for ACEOs, one to a page, custome made cover. http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7385773449&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd... Album pictured in the auction is NOT fopr sale. It is mine for my Killer Teddies.