Richard Sullivan (richsul@earthlink.net)
Wed, 21 Jul 1999 10:55:19 -0600
There are several art markets and market levels for photography. Priceing
is often determined by these markets and market levels.
One differential:
The photo ghetto vs big time art galleries
People like Serrano, Joel Peter Witkin, or Mapplethorpe (estate prints) can
sell in places like Mary Boone. Immediately prices jump to the plus
$3,000.00 side. You can't sell for less of 5th Avenue. These galleries sell
to "Art Collectors" Here the photography transcends itself and becomes
"Art." (Not my definition.)
The how's and why's of this dynamic might be a proper subject for a
dissertation or thesis. If you can make this leap, you'll probably get
rich. All of the work they sell is "BIG." No 4x5 prints in Mary Boone! In
Van Daren Coke's word "They can 'hold a wall.'"
Note also that there is both "collector" buying and "decorator" buying
going on here. By decorator I mean prints bought primarily for display
purposes. Most of the people buying for decorating will claim to be
collectors, however the big print mania in this realm proves otherwise.
Collector vs decorator:
Ok, now down to the "Photo Ghetto," the APAD crowd if you will. Here there
is also decorating and collector buying going on with considerable
crossing-over. Most folks who sell 4x5's - 8x10's are selling to
collectors. Larger prints bring in the decorators. Many like A. Adams sell
to both collectors and decorators. I suspect most Moonrises are in frames
on walls and not in drawers. Even hard core collectors hang a few. If I had
one I'd probably hang it. Not that I like it that much either, it's an icon
now and not art.
Here contemporary print prices are usually under the $3,000.00 price range.
Once you go above this you move uptown.
I suspect the majority sell to decorators. The real acid test is the
auction price of prints. I have seen contemporary work sold at auction for
less than 15% of the dealer price. You have become collectable when your
auction prices are running around half your dealer prices. Very few
contemporary photographers can pass this test.
When do you become a collector? When you have more prints than walls to
hang them on.
Of course, these categories and players and not absolutes but there are
definitely distinct groupings on the graph. Another issue is the fact that
many hard core collectors have focused -- and quite profitably so - on
vintage photography to the detriment of contemporary work.
Bottom line -- put some prints in the Butterfield, Sotheby, or Christie
auction -- if they'll take it. Dealer price is 2x.
--Dick Sullivan
At 08:19 AM 7/21/99 -0700, you wrote:
>I often wish I could sell for cheaper than my galleries. But, I
>think it would be unethical. Not only that, but I beleive I've
>twice been asked to sign gallery contracts stating I wouldn't do
>it!
>
>--
>Tom Ferguson
>tomf2468@pipeline.com
>http://www.thefstop.com/tf.html
>
>----------
> >From: FotoDave@aol.com
> >To: alt-photo-process-l@sask.usask.ca
> >Subject: Re: Pricing prints.
> >Date: Wed, Jul 21, 1999, 7:55 AM
> >
> > I am new to selling photgraphic prints (silver or alt. process)
>although
> > I
> > have sold some paintings. With painting, each one is an original. With
> > photograph or printmaking, one can make multiple prints.
> >
> > My question is suppose one sells through a gallery *and* through arts
> > fair
> > and/or other means like mail order, internet sales, etc., due to
> > different
> > overheads as mentioned above, can s/he price the same prints
> > differently?
> > That is, can s/he price a print for $1000 in a gallery, but price it
> > $700 if
> > purchased through his web site? Is it considered unfair competition or
> > unethical to the gallery? <SNIP>
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