as far as price fluctuation, I see that on all precious matels some
dealers have that current pricing depends on the precious metal
standars, However NOT being in any of ya’ll’s calliber yet, I will
tell you from a consumer stand point (the movie, confessions of a
shopoholic, was about me, lol) I like a price because if I go online
I usually am looking at a buy right then, and also from a major
background in sales and marketing in all avenues you can imagine, the
majority of purchases are impulse, this is a fact based statistic
driven in my head, by my media mentors. IMHO, I have approached
sales for what I make, the same as clothing (my adopted family are a
line of ranchers and farmers) all markets whether it be cooton, corn,
metal or precious or otherwise I have a set price that hopefully
copes with a foreseeable rise in materials, but not one that chokes
the client. This just how I approach it.
I got burned badly in one view of a charitable event that I had
donated to last year. I also got feelings hurt and very scottishly
mad. I made (now remember I am rehabilitating a hand during all this
too after 2 hours long surgeries, and this was known and used by the
organization) I know there are people from my area on here, but they
surely will appreciate what happened. This is an organization that
benifits children.
Ok, I made a pair of drop Byzantine earrings with garnet at the
bottom and a matching 7 1/2 in bracelet all metal in everything was
either 18 kt plated or rhodium plated sterling. I pair of simple
maille drop gold earring, both sets of earrings were almost shoulder
level( they were formal) I had some raw smoothed, for lack of a
better description, turquoise laying around and made a necklace
earring set out of this that had one person ask " you’re just gonna
give this to us?"
It was elegant, triple stranded to the pendent of blue and green
major matrixed turquoise, I didn’t skimp but went all out, cause I
will do anything for kids. they had collectable art being raffled
and silent auctioned as well as a regular auction and I was told,
they werent gona silent auction OR raffle my stuff it was way too
good for that (well yeah) NOW the whole idea was I wanted to help
them bring some money for these kids, I would have sold this set
alone for at least $1500 at least. To make a long story short, we
went as benefactors, and watched all this we got there my jewelry was
in the silent part with bird houses and clocks and irons (first slap)
starting bid $5. 00 (2nd slap) ALL pieces lumped together (hair now
on fire) we drove it up as best we could, but David said “honey this
is a lesson, you have to let it go we aren’t buying back your
stuff”. We had bought a bunch of art to begin with in the live
auction where they drove prices well over several hundred dollars for
each piece (that too was well…)
I will say this I got some wall art I really am happy with, but was
so sorely disappointed in the way they lost money on what I had
donated and a woman walked away with it all for $75. she was the
presidents girlfriend. I am NOT saying anything, just something I
noticed…am I being catty? no, mad and scottish. will never
forget. will never donate to them again. BUT I learned a really good
lesson theres nothing wrong with being a control freak as an artist,
its your baby. just remember alot of the great painters starved to
death from lack of sales, the greatest one of all Modigliani, was
killed for debts. I won’t allow prices to stress me anymore because
it takes the fun from all of this. I start out on a piece and let my
mind just go, when I finish and price it, I have to kill my maternal
instincts over it and approach it as a business person, Fine art
prices fluctuate worse than our economy, are you in it for the art?
OR to make a living? thats my final question.
I dont have my website up yet because of all the physical stuff AND
it looks like I may have to fight for my name back. What we do is
art, I myself need an income when my husband retires, CYA is the
standard all business sales mentors I have had have drilled into my
head, never paint yourself into a corner, in todays times it isn’t
easy to guess what to price, but I myself always CMA and leave a
small opening to reinvest to make more pieces. I guess this long long
winded email is asking you to ask yourself, can you afford the sales
delay? If your site is marketed properly as far as exposure then
maybe, I don’t know your finances. I am always going to go for the
sale the close (that’s me) a hesitant salesman is a broke salesman.
That’s just IMHO… hope nobody is mad at me.