Posting a price list on website

[Linda Nelson]

HI all,

I am updating my website right now and am unsure of the best way to give info on prices. There are artists who show prices, some who don't show any. There are some who simply state "prices start at ____" and some who list specifics, usually categorized by head and shoulders, half, 3/4 and full length, and then some who add sizes on top of that.

I have several concerns. If I don't list prices (which, personally, drives me crazy when I go to someones site and find), I fear lost commissions, because people wont' take the time to call, or will be put off by the fact. If I list prices by specifics (head and shoulders, half body, etc) then I worry the prices will dictate the composition, and as a "young" artist, I don't want that - I'd rather the composition be dictated by what is the best solution to make a great outcome.
Lastly, I am hopefully going to be getting commissions from a gallery who specializes in providing art to homes and businesses, but who has not explored portraiture too much yet. So this to me means I have to account for their "cut"... but what happens if they don't sell much, or anything? They by the way are flexible on their commissions so that we have time to see what the market will bear.

At this point I've decided to simply say "prices start at $2500, please call to discuss." The market here in Minnesota is not spilling with $ for portraits, so I fear pricing myself out of potential work, and I don't think my talent or name is strong enough yet to be too cocky about the numbers.
I'd love opinions here of what you think. If you want to email and suggest actual dollar values of what you think I should be charging, I certainly wouldn't mind that also. Just so you know, the money DOES really matter to my household finances.

My husband thinks I should be higher on my prices (almost double them), list the prices in a price list (by head and shoulders, etc). and suffer through the dry period that it may cause.

Thanks for any input you may have.

[Joan Breckwoldt]

Hi Linda,

Whew, there is a lot to think about in your post . . .

Originally Posted by Linda Nelson

If I list prices by specifics (head and shoulders, half body, etc) then I worry the prices will dictate the composition, and as a "young" artist, I don't want that - I'd rather the composition be dictated by what is the best solution to make a great outcome.

I wouldn't be too concerned about the composition being dictated by specifics like 'head and shoulders', etc. because I think from seeing your work that when you sit down with a client and especially begin a photo session for the portrait, your natural talent for great compositions will shine through. I think the guidelines are okay because it gives people an idea about what you'll be charging for a half figure, for instance. I think people want to know if it's $3000 or $20,000 for example.

I am still thinking about the rest of your post and will add more later, but right now I need to get the kids fed and off to 'twilight camp' for the evening.

Joan

[Marvin Mattelson]

I rarely get commissions from my site, not that I ever expected to. My site functions as an easily accessible online portfolio. I don't actually think that many people would consider spending tens of thousands of dollars based on a 72dpi thumbnail image. Most of my commissions are either through referrals or through people seeing my original paintings.

I list my prices so that potential customers can see the consistency in my pricing and not get the feeling that I'm trying to take unfair advantage of them. I can tell anyone interested in commissioning me to check my website to verify my prices.

Also since I listed my prices I don't get any annoying requests for portraits from people looking to have a snapshot blown up into a painting for $150.

[Michele Rushworth]

As you can see from my website, I try to be quite specific about prices. I think it saves time and potential client embarassment later. Otherwise they have to ask on the phone and it can be a big surprise if they're unfamiliar with this type of work.

I have had clients who said to me "I really don't care what it costs" so I know that price didn't dictate a three quarter vs a full length composition for them. I've also had clients who really wanted a full length or three quarter but just couldn't afford it and went with a different composition because of that. Price will, by necessity, be a determining factor in choosing the composition for some clients.

Of course, if you decide to price by size of canvas, as some artists do, that would sidestep that issue. I wouldn't recommend pricing that way, though. As Peggy Baumgaertner said once, some clients would try to see how much stuff they could pack into a 20 x 24" canvas.

You shouldn't vary your prices based on where the business comes from. The gallery will be very upset if you price any commissions you find by yourself for less than what people pay through them. That's probably the number one pet peeve that galleries have about artists, and not just portrait artists. Don't undercut the gallery's pricing. Set a firm price structure for everyone and when it's time to raise the prices, do it for everyone, too.

I started my pricing quite low and raised the prices very quickly to get to my current level, as demand and my skills grew. To give you an idea, my prices are more than three times what they were three years ago. Your skill is way, way ahead of where I was then. My point, though, is that you can raise your prices as fast as you need to, given the demand. I have about a one-year backlog and I'll be raising my prices again this fall.

There is also such a thing as pricing one's work too low and having people attach a poor mental value to it because of that. Some potential clients would wonder what was wrong with an artist's work if it was priced too low.

Are there other portrait artists in your area? I didn't know of any around here until I started really looking. You can compare your prices to theirs, or to other SOG artists in your general region. One of the artists who does some work in Seattle starts a head and shoulders portrait at $8,000 but this artist has a top national reputation and a career spanning thirty years or so. Another artist who's just getting started here prices a head and shoulders at $1,700. In my opinion the work done by the newcomer is as good as the portraits done by the more experienced artist. The range is purely because of reputation.

I know this is a lot of vague generalities, but I hope it helps. To be more specific, in my opinion, your talent more than justifies a $2,500 starting price. I'd try out something in that range for six months and then feel free to raise it as quickly as demand would indicate. (I've heard some artists say they raise their prices if they have a six month or one year backlog.)

Good luck and keep posting your excellent work for us all to enjoy!

[Linda Nelson]

Joan,
thanks so much for your thoughts. It is ALOT that I've writtten, and alot more to really soak it all in so to have an opinion. If you have the chance to give more advice, I'd love to have it.

Marvin,
I never used to put much regard to my website ( so much so I haven't updated anything for a year, and never even hired someone to fix the typos- bad linda), but I've recently changed my mind. I talking with clients and prospects, I find people who have already seen my work, and have already expressed interest to work together, will visit the site nontheless. So it's got to not dissappoint. Additionally , I would like to look wider than the Mpls. market, and so the website takes on more importance again. I can see how listing prices is so advantageous. I think I'm going there, but I think I need another 6 months of testing the market to commit. I am probably overthinking this issue...

Michele,
Wow, thank you for taking the time to give me so much info. I know many of my clients could afford more, and If this issue came up at xmas whe I had 8 commissions yet to paint I would be more assured. As it stand now I have three or four, and so am being more intimidated.
Excellent point on the size trap.
Yes another concern in all this is actually losing business by pricing too low . I have a show in a month in a new area, and I thought I'd have a handout price sheet. I am going to list prices that are higher than I currently charge, to test raising my prices. If I see people are turned off by the $, I can always just not hand them out. If I get commissions from the show, then the new prices will become official.
I definitely will be consistent in pricing, it's only ethical business. Besides I really am impressed with this gallery , and would like them to feel the same.
The thing that I get encouraged by Michele is that you are raising your prices and doing fine in Seatlle, which I imagine is similar to my area. Thanks for your confidence in my work, and I will be sure to look harder for local artists and their prices.


Thanks you all again for taking the time - this is a topic that is hard to give a quick response to.

Linda

[Tom Edgerton]

Linda--

I would only add to all of this excellent advice that your pricing is under your control.

You can test occasional price increases on a couple of your most asked-for sizes, and see what the market will bear. If suddenly you've priced yourself too high (for the market you're in) on a particular size, you can tweak it back down, or somewhere in between. As Calvin Goodman once said, "Nobody is going to take out an ad in the paper and say 'Linda Nelson just lowered her prices.'"

But I would caution most artists on two things I've found consistently:

1) There is a perceived-value factor that comes in to play, as Michele stated.

and

2) Most artists, when left to themselves, will chronically underprice rather than the other way round.

Best--TE

[Linda Nelson]

Thank you Tom,
I have always appreciated your opinion, and I think you sum up the big points clearly.

I have a show in three weeks where I promise to test drive new prices without flinching when I speak.

[Stanka Kordic]

Hi Linda,

In addition to all the great advice, I'd like to add my own 2 cents.. I prefer the "prices starting at..." method. I have found that it opens the door to a conversation by phone or email which needs to happen in order to finalize the commission from a long distance. I was always concerned that people would go right to the prices and rule me out based on that only. Half my work comes from the website, so its worked out well thus far.

Your work is strong, and can certainly handle a price increase. Let go of fear!

All best,

Stanka

[Leslie Ficcaglia]

I post my prices on my website (and yes, they're too low) because it enables me to send prospective clients there and they don't have to deal with the embarrassment of expecting to pay around $200 for a commissioned portrait. And I also do get commissions from my site, but I mostly use it as a handy online portfolio.

[Linda Nelson]

Thank you Leslie for letting me know how your website works for you. I think I'll be doing the same as you and show a price list, but probably not til 2005.