Advice re selling my images

[CanonChrissy]

I have recently launched my website and started taking steps to sell some of my wall art. I am in the process of building up a decent stock in prep for craft fairs to try to sell my images that way. I have no idea how much stock to have to take along, and was wondering if anyone has done similar in the past and can advise me.

 

I have an idea which of my images are the more popular, by which have sold best so far, so will take more of those to sell (I do limited edition prints), however I still want to maintain a decent selection.

 

How many framed prints do you think I may need for my 1st craft fair? I am keeping my priced quite low, to atract sales.

 

Thanks for reading this.

[Leon]

I can't offer any advice but I do wish you luck

[colinb]

 

How many framed prints do you think I may need for my 1st craft fair? I am keeping my priced quite low, to atract sales.

 

 

 

Hi Chrissy personally I would only take 1 framed print of each picture you intend to sell.

 

A frame costs you more money, raises your final print price (and maybe out of some buyers price range)  and your choice of frame might not suit every buyers home decor.

 

Supplying photos with a cardboard mount keeps your cost down, makes stock easier to handle, transport & display - and most of all helps keep your final price more reasonable.

 

Cardboard mounts also come in a range of sizes, colours, styles and are easily purchased via the web and with a roll of masking tape you can mount the picture yourself.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=picture+mounts&rlz=1C1KMZB_enGB519GB520&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QKvCU6eUDfLQ7AbX7oDgCw&ved=0CGkQ7Ak&biw=1680&bih=891#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=ipqgsCS0BAsLlM%253A%3BSN_H7MlGWKQf0M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cadremont.co.uk%252Fshop%252Fimages%252FP%252FFittedMount.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cadremont.co.uk%252Fshop%252Fpicture-frame-mounts.html%3B541%3B418

 

 

HTH

Colin

[CanonChrissy]

 I see what you are saying saying Colin and this had crossed my mind. If I have one of each image framed, this will show the buyer how it looks framed, then they can buy just the print and purchase their own frame later. Im guessing you mean using the mounts that go inside of the frame? I hadn't thought of that. I was originally only going to offer the prints but they look much more stunning framed.

 

I bought some clip frames for £1.89 each and this holds the image safely and securely and looks a little more professional for dispaly purposes. I could use this idea along side the mounts.

 

Thanks

[FUJI]

Hi, Chrissy,

I did the Cotswolds and Warwickshire craft fair circuit for over fifteen years, but making and selling traditional wooden toys not prints.

Colin's advice above is spot on, a maximum of three framed prints plus a reasonable stock of ready mounted ones that require framing, most photographers, painters and print makers did this.

Having sold in everything from Stately Homes, to a small marquee, you will need to find out in advance what wall or hanging space you will have.......if in Hall, you might get six to eight feet, but that may have a window or even a door.

Hanging framed Graphics could be problematic if you cant use certain hangers, hooks etc, you need to know in advance.....many crafters built their own portable hanging frames, suitable for all venues, plus at least one V shaped rack for mounted prints, then plastic boxes for smaller ones.

Greetings Cards and other small prints can pay your stall rent, so have plenty available at reasonable prices.........

I envy you, I really miss, the camaraderie of Craft Fairs, the help and very real frienship of the fellow crafters and the quirkiness of the British Public......watch out for loose, destructive kids, dogs that might pee up your low down items, folk that mess up your stall then walk away..........in your case, hang your prints safely and well......I say this because I once witnessed the whole of a side of a marquee blow about in a sudden gale, that prints, pottery, glass and other hand crafted stock was damaged or destroyed.

I always said if I am reincanated as a Crafter it will be as a Silversmith or Jeweler, because they used to arrive with a few velvet lined briefcases, filled with stock, then at the end of the event, walk out with briefcases filled with money, or, jewelry still retaining value;-)

I really wish you well with your venture.

FUJI

Edited July 13, 2014 by FUJI

[CanonChrissy]

Thanks Fuji for the well wishes and your knowledge from experience. Not sure yet when 1st one will be, but september I hope.

[CanonChrissy]

Fuji, I cant find this kind of rack anywhere online

[Leon]

http://www.displaycentre.co.uk/Stock---Display-Systems-and-Shop-Shelving/White-Wire-Display-Stands/Standard-Racks-and-Spinners/Standard-Postcard--A6-Leaflet-Rack

 

this any good?

[CanonChrissy]

Sorry no thats notquite what I need but thanks for the link. Much appreciate the interest in my thread.

[CanonChrissy]

I have found this.....

 

http://www.greatart.co.uk/Honsell-Print-Rack.html?force_sid=ns5qnehl7kpf3bmb9kmcfl52j7

[JamWheel]

On an indirectly related note, being unable to offer advice on the specific detail above, please remember to bear in mind the insurance of your photographic gear.

If your home insurance firm can find evidence that you are trying to sell your photos (you needn't have sold any) they won't cover your stuff and you will need specific equipment insurance.

Hopefully you already have this but it doesn't occur to people that this would be the case. Your car insurance might suffer also.

[jeremy rundle]

Oh dear

 

1.  HATE the bold typeface, it is sooooooo  IN your face

 

2.  Telling people you are new and almost apologising is a very bad move

 

3.  I assume, and I am sorry if this sounds harsh, from your site and the design, you are aiming at the small home market, why, the site looks extremely "beginner".

 

I know we all have to start somewhere but when you are a business "selling", then you really need to spend a lot of time designing your site, I have three under construction right now, as well as my "front line" facebook

 

Search engine optimisation

 

You also need to spend much more time on the deeper site, metawords, optimisation, targeting it for GOOGLE, Target phrases (Google), 

 

You have a "jug" and title "combined"  and no "separate" title, Google will not pick this up.

 

I spend many hours optimising my site.

Edited August 2, 2014 by jeremy rundle

[Leon]

On an indirectly related note, being unable to offer advice on the specific detail above, please remember to bear in mind the insurance of your photographic gear.

If your home insurance firm can find evidence that you are trying to sell your photos (you needn't have sold any) they won't cover your stuff and you will need specific equipment insurance.

Hopefully you already have this but it doesn't occur to people that this would be the case. Your car insurance might suffer also.

you have me worried a little about this... I understand the house insurance but car insurance is affected too?   got me thinking..

[jeremy rundle]

On an indirectly related note, being unable to offer advice on the specific detail above, please remember to bear in mind the insurance of your photographic gear.

If your home insurance firm can find evidence that you are trying to sell your photos (you needn't have sold any) they won't cover your stuff and you will need specific equipment insurance.

Hopefully you already have this but it doesn't occur to people that this would be the case. Your car insurance might suffer also.

 

 

100%, you WILL need it.

 

Mine costs me £500 a year, then there is public liability insurance if you are shooting for a business/work, minimum these days is really £5m

[jeremy rundle]

Oh another thing, 

 

CAR

 

The second you place an ad on the car as I have, and as many do then unless you change your insurance to "business use" you are driving illegally, even if the signs are magnetic.

 

Many people are now using the cheap vistaprint signs, on their cars, without business insurance they are driving illegally.

 

And yes 100% again, even have a website, facebook page selling or working and your car insurance is invalid, unless you state WORK

 

Edited August 2, 2014 by jeremy rundle

[jeremy rundle]

you have me worried a little about this... I understand the house insurance but car insurance is affected too?   got me thinking..

 

Wot no business car insurance, come on my friend

 

Specific camera insurance 

 

Public Liability,

 

Commissioned work public indemnity

 

:)

 

You have an accident, your fault or some idiot hits you, you (or they claim) claim for damage, they find you are a photographer using the car place to place, NO insurance and possible in fact almost inevitable legal action,

 

Also as a by the buy, people need to remember if road tax is out of date your car insurance is VOID

 

Or your gear is stolen from car, "yes sir, and what business are you in, is it stated on the policy"

Edited August 2, 2014 by jeremy rundle

[jeremy rundle]

For info, the additional car insurance on mine with More Than is £10 a year for business

[Leon]

hobbyist selling a few images, nowhere near what you would class as a "PRO"....

 

I'll just close the website, damn site cheaper...

[ChrisLumix]

hobbyist selling a few images, nowhere near what you would class as a "PRO"....

 

I'll just close the website, damn site cheaper...

 

I'm sure Jeremy didn't mean to sound so unfriendly (he wasn't in the Diplomatic Corps, that's for sure ) - but he made some good points. However, at the end of the day, it's YOUR site and YOUR decisions that count, so don't be put off by one person's opinion, baldly expressed. You must decide on its worth to you, and who knows where it may lead if you persist?

[jeremy rundle]

Sorry, 

 

I'm sure Jeremy didn't mean to sound so unfriendly (he wasn't in the Diplomatic Corps, that's for sure ) - but he made some good points. However, at the end of the day, it's YOUR site and YOUR decisions that count, so don't be put off by one person's opinion, baldly expressed. You must decide on its worth to you, and who knows where it may lead if you persist?

 

Sorry, yes, people who DO know me know I am not the best at expressing myself, and I apologize for that.

 

I am just stating the pitfalls.

 

More importantly the legal stuff as I don't want anyone to fall foul of the law.

Edited August 2, 2014 by jeremy rundle

[FUJI]

No matter how small a business is, insurance covering anything that matters is very important......by a strange coincidence, my son bought small, used van yesterday........We discussed how having a few tools in the back might affect his domestic use insurance..........he has horses and works for someone else, so a few bales of hay plus a tool or two in the back wouldnt be unusual.

I had recently watched a TV policing program when a similar van was classed as not having business insurance because it contained tools.......a bit of a grey area.......get it wrong and it could prove very expensive.

Likewise, if you work in and around the general public at shows and events then Public Liability insurance is a must and its common sense to check your equipment cover ......... Not being covered or having the wrong cover could prove expensive , better safe than sorry.

A golden rule of business is that all your costs should be included in your pricing or you wont make a profit....... I speak from over twenty years experience of running my tiny crafts orientated business at shows and events all over the country.......never made vast profits but loved every minute of it.

One eyed FUJI

[jeremy rundle]

No matter how small a business is, insurance covering anything that matters is very important......by a strange coincidence, my son bought small, used van yesterday........We discussed how having a few tools in the back might affect his domestic use insurance..........he has horses and works for someone else, so a few bales of hay plus a tool or two in the back wouldnt be unusual.

I had recently watched a TV policing program when a similar van was classed as not having business insurance because it contained tools.......a bit of a grey area.......get it wrong and it could prove very expensive.

Likewise, if you work in and around the general public at shows and events then Public Liability insurance is a must and its common sense to check your equipment cover ......... Not being covered or having the wrong cover could prove expensive , better safe than sorry.

A golden rule of business is that all your costs should be included in your pricing or you wont make a profit....... I speak from over twenty years experience of running my tiny crafts orientated business at shows and events all over the country.......never made vast profits but loved every minute of it.

One eyed FUJI

Very good advice

[chorleyjeff]

Hi Chrissy personally I would only take 1 framed print of each picture you intend to sell.

 

A frame costs you more money, raises your final print price (and maybe out of some buyers price range)  and your choice of frame might not suit every buyers home decor.

 

Supplying photos with a cardboard mount keeps your cost down, makes stock easier to handle, transport & display - and most of all helps keep your final price more reasonable.

 

Cardboard mounts also come in a range of sizes, colours, styles and are easily purchased via the web and with a roll of masking tape you can mount the picture yourself.

 

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=picture+mounts&rlz=1C1KMZB_enGB519GB520&espv=2&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QKvCU6eUDfLQ7AbX7oDgCw&ved=0CGkQ7Ak&biw=1680&bih=891#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=ipqgsCS0BAsLlM%3A%3BSN_H7MlGWKQf0M%3Bhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.cadremont.co.uk%2Fshop%2Fimages%2FP%2FFittedMount.jpg%3Bhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.cadremont.co.uk%2Fshop%2Fpicture-frame-mounts.html%3B541%3B418

 

 

HTH

Colin

I agree with your comments about cost etc and choosing not to frame. But my experience is that framed photos have more presence and show off pictures to best advantage and thus impress potential purchasers as quality products. So maybe have a few framed pictures to show off but offer prints in mats at low prices as well. Also postcards and calendars can sell quite well.

Cheers

Jeff

[CanonChrissy]

Thanks all for the advice. Jeremy, I have never made a website, have no one to help me, have no idea how to and did the best I could from the time I had. However, I havent even had 1 enquiry so its pointless spending time and money on it. Im gonna use my spare cash to build stock and start selling at fairs and markets rather than pay someone to improve my site..

 

I have realised asking for advice is great and results in some positive ideas however for everything 1 person suggests, someone else says the opposite. Some say don't frame, some say do. Some say keep prices down others say dont.

 

Think I will have to take a suck it and see approach and yes, framed prints look much better and as such, I am building a stock from sale and used frames. I work full time so my 'venture' has to fit in and it's gonna be a long, hard slog.

[Leon]

do you have somethink like Bottany bay up in the NE.

basically from as little as £25 a week you hire a space, pricetag all your pictures and they take a %age, may be worth a look?

 

personally I think I would frame, I have done quite a few prints for people in the last few weeks, the unframed ones get shoved in a cupboard, the framed ones tend to be put on show straight away.

 

as for pricing I can't comment, I'm to tight to buy anything, good job fresh air is free