pricing framed prints

I am a simple amateur. But I've had a dozen framed images on display at a local (ish) country pub.

The landlord of the establishment has asked me for a larger version of one of the images. The originals had been taken off our walls at home so this is the first I've spent money buying the frame/mount etc. It has been requested because he has the prospect of a sale.

How do I go about deciding what to ask for it? The cost of the frame and mount are the easy bit, its the time spent shooting/printing/fram​ing etc thats my real problem. Do I ignore that side of it and hope future success will allow me to increase my "profits" or go for a realistic figure from the word go? I was thinking of asking £30 for this a3+ image in an A2 frame and mount, but the landlord tells me the customer was talking in terms of £25, which does (just) cover my immediate costs but thats it.

I need to be firmly led here. I don't need vague answers that avoid the basic question.

First of all Richard I have not sold any prints as I only do photos as a hobby.
However, I have just purchased a A3 printer (Canon Pro 9500 mk 2) and after friends seeing my efforts framed in A2 I have been asked about selling! With the time and effort in editing,ink, frames etc I am more inclined to say £50.00! Whether or not I am totally off the mark here, I dont know! I just think £25.00 is too little. Just my opinion!

Let us know how it goes!

Terry.

When I evaluated founding a ponotography business in the US, on the East Coast, I found a few facts you seem to need.

I found that a good 8x10 (inches) photo sold for personal display is about $180. I have sold five for that. No frame.

I found that any frame price is tripled, which means that the frame on my wall ($600 custom) with two wolves at 8x10 should be sold for $1,800 plus $300 for the prints, or $2,100.

The lightning photo on the other wall, which is a 20x20 square, $300 custom frame, is unique, as all lightning shots are, and it would break that rule above, and is probably worth around $3,000.

So, the odd part is the cost of the frame in the calculation. I never did quite understand why, but other than photos which are just astounding, which I have never taken myself, the cost of the frame drives the majority of price.

It could all be completely wrong, because I only have evidence from my local area, which may not apply to you at all.

Sam,

While I'd love to get that kind of money, my gut feeling is I'd just kill off the landlords efforts to ask anything like that.

Terry, you think like me. I put prices on everything because the landlord Mike asked me to and the A3+ images in A2 frames have a £50 tag on them.

Interestingly, I've just bought 3 20 x 16" frames for the princely sum of £7.99 each. Mounts I think I can get in bundles of 25 at £1 per mount. So if I stick to A3 prints, my ink and paper coming to less than £2 per print, then I'm up to around £11.

While we have not discussed it, I need to give the pub landlord something and was thinking of splitting the "profit" 2 ways equally, ignoring completely my "artistic" imput?

Richard,

I know it`s difficult deciding what`s best. I`ve looked at your photo site and I must say you have some lovely images. Do what`s your gut feeling but dont sell yourself short!

Greenjackets6202,

Thank you, thats very nice of you.

Plucking up the courage to display the images was difficult, this is a more "interesting" issue!

An old friend once told me "never negotiate with yourself"

By the way, I don't know what you pay for services where you live, but if my 20 minute repair bill for a small motor is $140 labor, and my minor roof repair is $1,000, and my attorney gets $400 an hour, print prices are not unreasonable.

Think about this -- the only reason I pay a repair bill is that I cannot do it myself.

Photographs, same thing. If they could do it, they wouldn't pay you for it.

So, if it would take them 12 hours plus skill plus a bit of luck to get the shot you have, it isn't worth less than 12 hours of their pay, plus the print, plus the framing. Can't be under 100 quid.

S.Horton wrote in post #14102284
An old friend once told me "never negotiate with yourself"

I have never been a good salesman. I ran a team of 50 electricians and associated staff in a past life. To do it I had sales staff but was expected to price and sell the larger contract stuff myself - I hated it and survived by being scupulously honest and gaining a reputation for delivering what I promised. I was eventually replaced by someone who operated entirely on a wing and a prayer with exactly the opposite phylosophy.

Ah, no. You're not in sales. You're fulfilling an order.

They saw the work, they ask how much, you quote, you wait.

You never had to 'sell' that.

I think the only thing you need to know is that when someone walks away, that's a WIN, because it saves you time. You'll know where you stand. If they keep coming back to negotiate, you have a sale, hold your price.

For what it's worth, I have sold framed 8x12's in 12x16 frames for $125 Cdn, 12x18 in 18x24 frames for $225, and 16x24's in 24x36 frames for $380 and the only comments I've ever received is that I am completely underselling myself. I can't keep the framed prints that I have, as they sell so quickly. As a result, my pricing has increased, and I haven't lost any sales. I am also in a very small town, definitely not an "artsy" place.

I feel your prices are way too low. That's from my experience as an amateur hobbyist, not (yet) a professional.

low-1 wrote in post #14118661
For what it's worth, I have sold framed 8x12's in 12x16 frames for $125 Cdn, 12x18 in 18x24 frames for $225, and 16x24's in 24x36 frames for $380 and the only comments I've ever received is that I am completely underselling myself. I can't keep the framed prints that I have, as they sell so quickly. As a result, my pricing has increased, and I haven't lost any sales. I am also in a very small town, definitely not an "artsy" place.

I feel your prices are way too low. That's from my experience as an amateur hobbyist, not (yet) a professional.

Many thanks for your input. I wish the UK was the same and if I "exhibit" my work in more of a gallery environment another time I might well try to get the kind of prices you quote. But this is very much a local pub landlord and a very quiet pub.

Lowner wrote in post #14119066
Many thanks for your input. I wish the UK was the same and if I "exhibit" my work in more of a gallery environment another time I might well try to get the kind of prices you quote. But this is very much a local pub landlord and a very quiet pub.

These are not exhibited works. These are pictures that I put on Facebook and people ask if they can buy them. I sell them from my home. To be honest, if they were hanging somewhere, I'd charge more yet. The worst they can do is say no thanks.

It really depends on what you want. If you just want your pictures hanging in everyone's home, keep your prices low. This does mean that you will be putting a lot of time and effort for little return, but some exposure.

If money is in any way your goal, it makes more sense to sell fewer prints at higher prices than lots of prints at lower prices. Even if you aren't assembling the frames yourself, you still have to mat them, clean the glass, put the backing on, etc, etc. It all takes time and I know from assembling frames, it can actually take a lot more time than you think when you are doing multiples.

I just picked up an additional order for three 16x24" framed canvases... $1080 was the total cost for them. Since it was a client who ordered six of these already, I chopped them a deal.

On the initial order it worked out to around $350 a piece.

I think there is a difference between selling a lot of the same photo or just selling it in limit numbers. The difference between a photo and art...

If you go down you local bargen store here in the u.k be it a "B&M" or "Pound Stretcher" you can walk away with a very nice large a3+ image framed or on canvas for around £20.

If you walk into a photographers gallery you could be looking at £100's per photo almost to the level where the cost of producing isnt a factor.

You can put your photos up in local bars and on walls in shops and ask for anything you would like. Decide if after it sells are you going to print another one and put it up for sale? are you going to have 20 in the backroom ready to go? or are you going to sell it in a small number.

Do not sell for less then your cost printing and framing even if its nice on your ego to sell a photo.

Then decide are you going to sell alot of this print or limit the numbers if you limit the numbers the cost will go up if your selling lots then asking for £30-£50 is about right. If its a limit number think how much you want to make and charge it.


This is just my view, I have never sold out of a bar or anything.

Alex

If you are selling your work at costs, or minimally over cost then you are giving away your art. There is nothing inherently wrong with that, but if the point of display was to generate sales rather than compliments then you need to build in a profit. The amount of profit you are comfortable with is a bit of a personal choice. Comparing to other works may be useful, but I realize I cant charge Peter Lik prices for my work of the same size. My advice, pick a price that would give you a sense of accomplishment, maybe the double the costs of the framed print to start.