5/8/2017 HowtoSellArtOnline:TheUltimateGuide

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How to Sell Art Online: The Ultimate
Guide
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by Dayna Winter Business Ideas

The Stockroom
Feb 1, 2017 14 minute read 16 comments

Enterprise

WhenIgraduatedfromartschool15yearsago,Ihadmasteredcolourtheoryand
watercolourtechniques,butdidntknowthefirstthingaboutbusiness.Asayear
endproject,welearnedtocreateaverybasicportfoliowebsite.Noecommerce
simplysamplesofourworkandacontactpage.

Myveryfirstweekasaproperadultandworkingartist,Ilearnedahardlesson:to
succeedinart,youmustalsosucceedinbusiness.AndmysadlittleFlash
websitewasntgoingtocutit.

I learned a hard lesson: to succeed in art, you must also

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5/8/2017 HowtoSellArtOnline:TheUltimateGuide

Isucceed
learned a hard lesson: to succeed in art, you must also
in business.
TWEET

Ecommercewasntasaccessible15yearsago,andsocialmediawasessentially
nonexistent.Forunknownartistslikeme,themoneywasincorporateand
advertisingcommissions.

Theabilitytoeasilysellyourownartonlinecompletelychangedthegame.

In2017,thestarvingartistisadyingbreed.Ecommerceandsocialsellinghave
becomeincreasinglyeffectivemeansforindependentartiststoselfsufficiently
fundtheircraft,andmostimportantly,togaintheindependencetosellthework
theywanttocreatedirectlytotheirnicheaudiences.

Forgalleries,theshiftinthelasttwodecadeshasallowedcuratorstorepresent
moreartistsandexpandintoaffordableprintstoreachlargeraudiences
worldwide.

How to Sell Art Online

Sincemyowncareerasanillustratorlastedmeremonths,IconsultedtwoShopify
merchantsanartistandagalleristactivelymakingtheirlivingbysellingart.

MariaQamar,theartistalsoknownasHatecopy,quitheradvertisingcareerto
focusonpaintingwhenherpopartAuntypaintingsbegantocatchfireon
Instagram.

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5/8/2017 HowtoSellArtOnline:TheUltimateGuide

photo:MariaQamarviaInstagram

KenHarmanisthegalleristresponsiblefortheSpokeArtempirethreegalleries
ontwocoasts,threeecommercestores,aprintshopandproductionfacility.

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photo:KenHarman,viaArtistaday

ThroughMariaandKen'spersonalexperiences,we'llwalkthroughtheinsand
outsofthebusinessofbeinganartist,sharingtheirtipstohelpyousellartonline.

Side Hustle vs Full Time

Manynewartistsgettheirbreakonsocial,growingadevoutfollowingbysharing
theirworkconsistentlyandengaginginonlineartistcommunities.

Mariapursuedherdreamofbecomingaworkingartistafterbeinglaidofffromher
advertisingjob,butthesuccessdidnthappenovernight,andshesupplemented
herincomeinthebeginning,whilegrowingherfanbaseonInstagram.

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Ididcontractworkhereandthere,obviously,becausewhenyou'restarting
out,you'reearningzerodollarsandzerocents.Maria

Herfulltimejob,however,taughtherbusinessskillsthatwerecriticalingetting
herstoreoffthegroundandmarketingherselfasanartist.

TIP:Tapintoemployerresourcesandlearningopportunitieswhileyourestill
working,growingyourartbusinessontheside.Whatknowledgeorexperience
canyougleanfromyourdayjob?

Theressomethingtobesaidalsofortakingtheplunge.WhenKen,unableto
secureatemporarypopupspace,signedatwoyearleaseonaspace,therisky
movedhelpedhimquithisjobwaitingtableswithinafewmonths.

"In2010,IcuratedanexhibitionwithanAustralianartist.Hemailedmea
bunchofwork.Irentedavenue.Heboughthisplanetickets,gothishotel,and
abouttwoweeksbeforehisshowwassettoopen,thepopupvenuewentout
ofbusinessandwasnolongeravailable.Thiswasbeforepopupsbecame
sortofaculturalthing.Icouldn'tfindagallerythatwouldletmeborrowtheir
spaceforashortamountoftime.EventuallyIcameacrossanemptyresale

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spacethatwastheperfectfitfortheexhibition.However,thelandlordwanted
atwoyearlease.Ireallydidn'thaveanyotheroptions.Ijustpulledthetrigger.
Ken

photo:RobWilliamsonforSpoke

Selling Your Own Work vs Selling Art by Other

Artists
Ifyourenotpersonallyanartist,youcanstillgetintothegameofsellingartasa
curator.Artistsdisinterestedinthebusinessaspectoftheircraftrelyonagents,
galleries,andothermerchantstodoitforthem.

Thereareseveralwaystoworkwithartists,fromsellingoriginalsorprints,to
licensingworkstobeprintedonmerchandise.Generallytheartistwouldmakea
setcommissiononsoldworks.

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"Mostgalleriesofferanindustrystandardfiftypercentconsignmentsplitfor
originalart.Theartistprovidestheartwork,wedoourbesttosellit,andthen
wesplittheproceedsfiftypercent.Forprints,weactuallyrunourownprint
shopinBerkeley,California.Wedoallofourownprintinginhouse.Typically
weofferafiftypercentsplitafterthecostofproduction.Ken

WhileMariarunsherownshop,whereshesellsprintsandmerchandise,
eliminatingthemiddlemanandkeepinghercostslow,sheleansonrelationships
withexperiencedgalleriestoexhibitandsellheroriginalart.

Galleriescanexposeyourworktonewaudiences,andhaveaccesstoresources
andprofessionalstohelppromote,handle,andshipartwork.

Free Reading List: Ecommerce Motivation

Havingtroublefocusingongrowingyoursmallbusiness?Getaccessto
ourfree,curatedlistofhighimpactproductivityarticles.

Get the free reading list

What to Sell: Original vs Reproduction

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Somemediumslikesculpturearemoredifficulttoreproduceorusefor
merchandiseapplications(butconsider3Dprintingorcollaborationswithtoy
manufacturers).Most2Dmediums,however,havemultipleoptionsforgenerating
unlimitedsalesonasinglework.

Considerthefollowing:

Originalfineart
Limitedoropeneditionprintsgiclee(framedorunframed)orcanvas
Digitaldownloadsdesktopwallpaper,stockphotos,inspirationalquoteprints,
etc.
Custom/commissionsoriginalworksintraditionalordigitalmediums
Merchandisehats,mugs,tshirts,enamelpins,etc.
Repeatprintsonfabricorwallpaper
Licensingworktootherecommercemerchants
Collaborationswithmerchantsandcreators

Inadditiontosellingprintsandothermerchonhersite,Mariacollaboratedwith
ShopifymerchantNuvangotoreproducesomeofherworksandprintsonclothing.

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photo:Nuvango

Your Online Store

First,takeafewminutestocreateyourstore.Goahead,I'llwait.Wellletyouplay
aroundfor14daysbeforecommittingtoaplan.

Email address

Password

Your store name

Create your store

Whensettingupyouronlineartstore,chooseathemethatletsyourartbreathe
largeimagesandlotsofwhite/negativespace.Addonappsthathelpyourunyour
storemoreeffortlessly,allowingyoutofocusonthecreativeaspectsofthe
business.

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HashimotoComtemporary

Themesuggestionsforartstores:

StartupArt
MosaicGesso
California
Morethemesforartstores

Appstohelprunyouronlineartbusiness:

Ifyousellyourartworkviaprintsandmerch,appslikeKite,Gooten,orPrintfulcan
syncwithyourstore,takingtheburdenofshippingandfulfillmentoutofthe
equation.

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Printfulcatalogofproducts

Iuseanapptodotheprintinganddelivering.AllIhavetodoisuploadandlet
itdotheworkforme.NowIcanfocusonactuallycreatingtheartworkrather
thanprinting,packaging,shippingeverysingleday,spendingatleastthree,
fourhoursjustdoingthat.Icannowusethattimetobrainstormandcomeup
withbetterthingsandconnectwithpeople."Maria

Now I can focus on actually creating the artwork rather

than printing, packaging, shipping every single day.
Maria Qamar

TryappslikeLookbookorPhotoGallerytofeaturepastoroutofstockworks
theycanserveasaportfolioforgalleriesforothermerchantslookingtoworkwith
you,andrequiringafullrepresentationofyourcatalog.

TIP:UsevariantsinShopifytoprovidecustomersnotonlywithsizeoptions,
butfinishandframingoptionsaswell.Variantscanbeeditedtoreflect
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unique/tieredprices.

SpokeArt

Photographing and Scanning Art

Photographingandrepresentingyourproductsclearlyandaccuratelyisimportant
acrosstheboardinecommerce,regardlessofindustry.Withouttheabilitytofeela
product,customersneedtogetthebestsenseofwhattheyrebuyingthrough
clearanddetailedimages.

Ultimatelywhenyou'resellingworksonline,it'sallabouttheimage.Ifyou
haveabadimageofyourwork,theimagethatyouhavedoesn'trepresentthe
workaccurately,you'regoingtohaveahardertimesellingit.Ken

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Free Video Guide: DIY Product Photography

Learnhowtotakebeautifulproductphotosonabudgetwithourfree,
comprehensivevideoguide.

Get the free video guide

Photographingartisalittletrickierthanshootingotherproducts,andabasiclight
setupmaystillcauseglareorcolourirregularities.Considerhiringaprofessional
toshootlargerworksorartwithanythreedimensionalelements.

For2Dworks,however,Kenrecommendsscanningasanaffordableandeffective
alternativetophotography:

"Wehaveaphotographysetupatourproductionfacility.However,theartists
providethescansoftheirownwork,becausescansaresomethingtheyneed
fortheirownarchives.Themostcosteffectivewaytodothatistogeta
desktopscannerandscantheworkinpartsandstitchittogetherin
Photoshop.Ifyou'vegotapiecethat'sgotahighglosscoatingoraresin,
that'salittletricker,butforthemajorityofworksoncanvasorpaper,it'spretty
easy.

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HeliceWen,viaSpokeArt

Open vs Limited Edition

Reproducingworkontshirtsormugsmeansthatasingleworkcanbearfruit
indefinitely.However,somegallerieslikeSpoke,optforalimitededitionmodelon
manyoftheworkstheyrepresent.

Theeffectismuchlikethatofalimitedtimeoffercreatingasenseofscarcityand
urgencyisanexcellentmarketingtactic.ForKen,however,thedecisiontolimit
printrunsgoesdeeper:

"Weworkreallyhardtofindthingsthatareveryspecialtosell.Thingsthatare
specialshouldbetreatedlikethey'respecial.Whilewemaybeabletomake
moremoneysellingthingsasanopeneditionandsellingasmanyaswe
possiblycan,Ithinkthatbyofferingourworksaslimitededitionsreallyhelps
addtothevalueoftheart.

Offering our works as limited editions really helps add

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Offering our works as limited editions really helps add

to the value of the art.
Ken Harman

Limitededitionhasitsdrawbacks,however.

Alotofthethingsthatwesellhavesecondarymarketvalues.Youcango
ontoawebsitelikeEbayandfindthoseworkssellingforinsomecases,
exponentiallymorethantheoriginalprice,becausethedemandissohigh.Its
certainlyalittlebitofabummer,becausewecan'tgiveallofourartto
everyonewhowantsit.Ken

Tohelpminimizereselling,Spokewilllimitquantitiesofcertainprintsper
customer.Theyvealsobuiltablacklistofknownresellers.

"Makingsurethattherealfansareactuallytheoneswhoareabletogetthe
thingsthatwesellisalwaysapriority.Ken

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ThePeople'sPrintShop

Printers and Printing

Itspossibletocreatequalityprintsyourselfwiththerightpaper,ink,andprinter.
Youcanalsoofferyourcustomersframedoptions,andDIYtheframing.Asanew
artist,thismethodcankeepcostslow,butitsnotsustainableorscalable.

"Inthebeginning,Iwouldprint,package,anddeliverbyhandeverysingle
posterthatwasordered.Ididthisforabout1,000orders.Everymorning,I
wouldgetup,gototheprintshop,packagealltheprints,gototheCanada
postoffice.AtsomepointthevolumebecamesomuchthatIcouldn'tmake
timetodrawortobeanartist.Iwasjustspendingallofmydaysdelivering,
andintransit.Maria

Alocaloronlineprintcompanycanreproduceyourworkenmasseatwholesale
prices,ifyouplantodoyourownshippingorwanttosellyourprintsoffline,too.

Try:

ArtinkPrint(Canada)
DStudio(UK)
FinerWorks(USA)

TIP:Foracompletelyhandsoffapproach,lookforaprintondemandand
dropshipcompany.MarianowusesPrintfulforheronlinestore.

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Gallery Shows, Pop-Ups, and Ofine Events

BecauseMariaworksfrequentlyintraditionalmediums,muchoftheimpactofthe
textureandscaleofherworkgetslostdigitally.

It'sactualphysicalwork,sowhenwedoexhibits,youcanwalkintoagallery
andseethatI'marealpersonthathastechnicalskillsthatcandopaintings
andlargescaleinstallations.Maria

Artistscanalsoconnectwithfansandfindnewaudiencesbytakingworkoffline.
Useinpersonexperiencestodrivepeoplebacktoyouronlinestore.

Considerthefollowing:

Partnerwithagallerytoexhibitwork
Lookintolocalartmarketsandevents,setupaonetimeorsemipermanent
booth
Consignworkthroughgiftorlifestylestores,orsetupasmallpopupwithin
anexistingstore
Openyourstudiotothepublicwhenyoulaunchyourwebsite,orkeep
consistentweeklyopenstudiohours
Runapopupshop(partnerwithotherartiststoreducecosts)

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photo:SpokeArt

TIP:SyncyouronlineandofflinesalesbyusingShopifyPOSforinperson
selling.

BeforeKenopenedhispermanentgallery,hedabbledinpopupsasameansto
buildhisreputationasagalleristandvalidatetheidea,buthasneverletgoofthe
physicalpartofthebusiness.

It'sveryraretofindasuccessfulartgallerythatfunctionsentirelyonline.That
reallydoesn'thappenmuchandIthinkthatalotofthereasonispeopledo
wanttoseeitinperson.Peoplealsowanttoknowthatit'sbeenseenin
personaswell.Ken

Working with Galleries

Ifyoureinterestedinhavingyourartrepresentedbyagalleryinadditiontoselling
printsonyourownsite,doyourhomeworkandbeprofessional,saysKen:

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DOcheckoutthegalleryssocialmediaaccounts:Ifyouhavemorefollowers
thanthatgallerydoesorthatgallerydoesn'thavealotoffollowers,thatmay
giveyoupause.
DONTapproachagalleryviasocialmedia:You'dbeamazedathowmany
peopletrytosubmittousviaFacebookMessengerortagusinaposton
Instagramandaskustolookattheirwork.Whilesocialmediaisamajorfocus
forus,that'sjustnotaveryprofessionalwaytocomeacrossifyou'reanartist.
DOyourresearchandcontactonlythosegallerieswhorepresentworkinline
withyourownstyle:Youcan'tsellstreetarttosomebodywhocollects
impressionism.

You can't sell street art to somebody who collects

impressionism.
Ken Harman

DONTsprayandpray:What'sreallyfrustratingissometimeswe'llgettagged
inapostonInstagramandanartistwho'shopingtocatchourattentiontagsus
andthentagstwentyothergalleriesallinthesamepost.
DOsendapersonalizedmessageinaprofessionalemail:"Ifyoucanfindout
thenameofthedirectorofthegalleryorthecuratorforthatgallery,beingable
topersonalizeanemailisagreatfirststepinthatprocess.

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photo:JoeRussoforSpoke

Packing and Shipping Art

Ifyouareshippingoriginalart,orelecttoshipprintsandcanvasesyourself,rather
thanthroughaprintandfulfilcompany,takeextraprecautionwithyourpacking.

Printsandpostersarebestshippedincardboardmailingtubes,andsmallerprints
inrigidcardboardmailingenvelopes.Useglassine(awaterandgreaseresistant
paper)orclearcellophanesleevestoprotectprintswithinthepackaging.

Framedworksandcanvasesrequireadditionalprecautions.TheUPSStoreand
packagingsupplyshopslikeUlineofferpackingandshippingmaterialslike
cardboardcornersandspecialtyboxsizesdesignedspecificallyforart.

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photo:TheShopifyStockroom

Resources:

HowtoSafelyPackYourPaintings
HowtoShipPaintings:AStepbyStepGuideforArtistsandGalleries
HowToCreateaMemorableandShareableUnboxingExperienceforYour
Brand
Shipping&Fulfillment101:AStepByStepGuideforGettingYourProductsto
YourCustomers

"Therearealotoflittletipsandtricksthatcanhelpkeepshippinglowerforart
collectors.Forexample,thecosttoshipalargepaintingthat'sstretchedona
canvascanbeprettysubstantial,especiallyifyou'regettingintooversized
dimensions.Sometimeswhatwedoisunstretchacanvas,rollitinatube,and
shipitthatway,whichdramaticallylowersthefreightcostsforthecustomers.
Thentheycanhavethecanvasstretchedlocally.Ken

ShippingInsurance

Insuranceisimportantwhenshippingoriginalworks,asalostordamaged
packagecantbesimplyreplaced.

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ManystandardcarrierslikeFedExandUSPSofferfairlybasicinsuranceonmost
packages,andmerchantsshouldlookintothespecificextracoveragecostsand
limitationsofeachcarriersinsuranceofferings.Forhighervaluepieces,Ken
takesadditionalmeasurestoensurethesafetyofthework.

Shippinganythingmorethanathousanddollarsisdefinitelytricky.Youre
lookingatsomethingthat'sprettyvaluableandgoingthroughaprivatefreight
companyorarthandlingcompanyfinanciallymakessense.Ken

Plagiarism Issues and Copyright Protection

ArtistTuesdayBassenwagedwaroncopycatslargechainstoreswhorippedoff
heroriginaldesignsbyhiringalawyerandtakingherstorytothemedia.

ForbothMariaandKen,however,copycatsandplagiarism,theysay,arejustan
unfortunaterealityofdoingbusiness.Mariatooklegalactiononlyonce,before
shiftingherperspective:

Attheendoftheday,ittookmemywholelifetolearnhowtodothis.Ittook
yearsandyearsofpracticeanddisciplineandacareerinadvertising,then
unemploymenttoshapemeintowhoIam.Thetechnicalskillthatsrequiredto
dowhatI'mdoingcan'tbelearnedovernight.Ifsomebodyiscopyingme,
they'regoingtohavetositdownandeventuallylearnforthemselvesbecause
soonerorlateryou'regoingtorunoutofideas.IfIdon'tputoutanything,
what'stheretocopy?

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Hatecopy

MariatakesHatecopyscopycatsasanindicationthatshesontosomething.

ItsasignthatI'minspiringothersandthatwhatI'mdoingisrightbecause
theywouldn'tcopymeotherwise.I'mnotoffendedorbotheredbyitanymore.
Maria

Its a sign that I'm inspiring others and that what I'm
doing is right because they wouldn't copy me
otherwise.
Maria Qamar

ForgallerieslikeSpokethatrepresentmultipleartistsandsellartonline,copycat
websitesareaconsistentproblem.

"Wedohaveanissuewithvariousonlinesitesjustbootleggingwhatwedo.
It'sactuallyreallybecomedepressing,especiallyinthelastfewmonths.It
happensinanyindustry,whetheritbeiPhonesorapparelorconcerttickets,

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soit'spartofthewaytheworldworksunfortunately.Wedodoourbest,butit
happens.Ken

TIP:Artistsdohavelegalrecourse,andshouldseektheadviceofacopyright
lawyertohelpprotectintellectualpropertybeforetheinfringementhappens.

The Artist as an Entrepreneur

Growingyourbusinessasanartistmeansconstantlycreatingnewworktokeep
yourfansasrepeatcustomers.Todothat,saysMaria,youhavetostayinspired:

It'sgoodtoseetheworldfromotherperspectives.Ithelpsyouformyourown
opinionsastowhatyoulike,whatyoudon'tlike.OneofthethingsIalwayslike
todoistakeapersontoanartgallerythatwouldn'tnormallyfeelcomfortable
goingontheirown.Everybodylooksatartdifferently.Alwaysbegoingtonew
exhibits,justtoopenyourmindandlookaroundandseehowsomebodyelse
looksattheworld.Itcanmakeyouthinkalittlebitdifferentlyaboutyourown
pointofview.

photo:Vice

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Ultimately,artistsareentrepreneursbydefault,andembracingthenoncreative
aspectsofthebusinessisessentialtosuccessandgrowth.

Youcouldknoweverythingaboutbusinessandyoucouldknoweverything
aboutart,butultimatelyit'sthecombinationofboththatreallymakesa
successfulstore,makesasuccessfulbrand.That'swhatIamobsessedwith
creating,isthatbalance,thatharmonybetweencreativityandbusiness.
Maria

That's what I am obsessed with creating, is that balance,

that harmony between creativity and business.
@Hatecopy

TWEET

About the Author

DaynaWinterisaStorytelleratShopify.ShefollowsmoredogsthanhumansonInstagramandisn'ta
realredhead.

Follow@nicecobra

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16Comments ShopifyBlog
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Recommend 2 Share SortbyBest

Jointhediscussion

regisErexleo3monthsago
inspiringandhelpfultopicthankxforsharingpreciouscontent...
1 Reply Share

Gooten3monthsago
Greatarticle,andthanksforthemention!Forartistsandcreatorsthere'sneverbeena
bettertimetobeabletoturnyourpassionintoprofit,andsupportyourselfthroughyour
artwork.Terrificjobshowingtheinsandoutsofhowtotakeyoursidehustleandmakeitinto
afulltimebusiness,alotofgreatinformation.
1 Reply Share

EmelyRuizM3monthsago
Excellentarticle,youhavehelpedmealotIwillrereaditseveraltimes!
1 Reply Share

HoracioDefago3monthsago
OneofthebestpostIhavereadaboutsellingyourartonline.Manythanksforshareallthis
sohelpfulinformation.
1 Reply Share

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5/8/2017 HowtoSellArtOnline:TheUltimateGuide

EmelyRuizM>HoracioDefago3monthsago
totallyagree!
2 Reply Share

WalterHowell3monthsago
Thisisextremelydiscouragingtome.Wefightdailytosellourartisanmadework.Why
shouldanybodypayanartistafairpricefororiginalworkwhenallyouhearis
encouragementtoreproduceandcopy.AlsoArtistifyouwillsearchyoucanfindgalleries
thatDoNotcharge50%.Ifwehave6monthsoflaborinasculptureyouaren'tgettinghalfof
themoney.Wesellgreatinseveralplacesthatcharge30%becausetheydonothaveto
inflateprices.Ihavealsohadabrickandmortargalleryandunderstandcostsinvolved.
Lookforsmallgalleriesingoodspotswhereyourworkwillfitwell.ManyofWalterspieces
arenatureinspiredsowedowellatconservation,educationandartshowsbasedarounda
certainsubject.LikeSandhillcranes.
Iloveshopifyanditsbeenaninvaluabletool.Stilllookingforbettertoolsforthosewhowant
tocreatemorethanbecomeamassproductionbusiness.Wehavebeenatthisalongtime.
Anddoneitall.Fairs,markets,competitions,storeandweb.Havedefinitelylearnedthatit
constantlychanges.Shopifyhelpsusnotgettoofarbehind.Putyournogginstogetherfor
microbusinesses.
1 Reply Share

DaynaWinter Mod >WalterHowell 3monthsago

HiWalter,Thanksforyourcomment.Sorryyoufeelthatway.You'reveryluckytobe
makingalivingonoriginalworkalone,butfrankly,veryfewfineartistscanachieve
this,especiallyintheearlystages.It'sdifficulttoscaleandjustnotsustainablefor
many.Merchandprintsallowmanynewartiststofundtheirart,andenjoyconsistent
incomewhilethey'recreatingnewwork.Idon'tfeellikereproducingitdiminishesthe
workinanyway,andmorepeoplecanenjoyit.Idon'tconsider"selling"tobe"selling
out".Keepinmindthatsomeofourpostsaredirectedata101audiencethosewho
haveneverrunabusinessandsomemaynotalwaysbehelpfulforestablished
businesseslikeyours.BestofluckgrowingyourbusinessonShopify,andthank
yousomuchforyourfeedback!
1 Reply Share

WalterHowell>DaynaWinter3monthsago
HiDayna,Ididn'tmeantoimplyanykindofsellingoutanddon'tthinkI
accusedanyoneofthat.Iunderstandthatplatformslikethisaregearedfirst
andforemostforscalablebusinesses.Idrawlotsofgoodadvicefromwriters
suchasyourselfandlotsfromcommentsback.Mywordingwasterrible.By
discouragingImeantthemarkettrendingmoreandmoretowards
reproductionsdoesputafewmorehurdlesinourroad.Ialsothoughtmy
viewfromtheperspectiveofamicromakermighthavesome"Youmighttry
thissuggestions".LookyouguysareexpertsatwhatyoudoandIvalueyour
input.MysiteneedsalotofworkandIhavespentthelast10months
watchingandreadinglotsoftutorialsinprepforatotaloverhaulsoon.
Couldn'tdoitwithoutyou!
1 Reply Share

NataliaStorm2monthsago
https://www.shopify.com/blog/211990409howtosellartonline?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digest&etid=14540972 27/30
5/8/2017 HowtoSellArtOnline:TheUltimateGuide
NataliaStorm2monthsago
Lovethemainpicture,looksfamiliar.
Reply Share

DavidRoddis2monthsago
Absolutelygreatadviceandinsightssinglemostimportantpieceofvalidationformewas..
.*"toselltheworktheywanttocreate.."*YES.Sure,it'sabusiness,butwithatwist:I'm
goingtocreatetheartanyway.I'mnotreallyevaluatingthecompetition,ordoingaSWOT
analysis,orfillingagaporsolvingaproblem.I'mnotgoingtochangetheartIcreateto
meetaperceivedneed.Thankyouforrecognizingthis.Ibelievethatsellingartonlinewill
dependonyourstoryandtherelationshipsyoubuild,muchmorethanwithother"products".
Andalsothatonlinemustbeinadditionto,notinsteadof,atangibleofflinepresence.

I'mnotagainstabitofmassmarketingorreproducingbutit'simportanttoknowyourtarget
audienceandsticktoyourgunsregardingyourbrand.CoffeemugsandTshirtsareafun
waytogetyourartinfrontofmoreeyesbutitmaybeatacost.Ifexclusivityispartofthe
allure,thinktwiceaboutdilutingthat.IalsoamintotalagreementwithMaria'sattitude
towardsimitationsthoughthere'salimit,somewhere,I'msure....
Reply Share

Logan3monthsago
Whatanawesomeguide.Sothoroughandinsightful.Thanksforsharing!

Iactuallyworkforanartpackagingcompanywww.clearbags.com(andfortheShopify
purists,IhavealsohadafewShopifysitesontheside:)).Onethingthatweseealotof
whenpackagingsmallersizedprintsforshipping(orwhentakingthemtoshows)is
packagingthemflatbetweentwopiecesofbackingboardthencovertheminacrystalclear
sleeveasmentionedinthepost(orjustoneplacedbehindtheartworkifyouwanttheextra
special"unboxing"experiencewhentheyfirstseetheirnewprint).Justrememberthatyou
needtoaccountfortheextrathicknessofthebackingandartworkwhenorderingthe
sleeve.Ageneralruleofthumbistoaddthethicknessofyourproducttothewidthofthe
sleeve,so,forexample,ifyouwanttopackageand8x10printthatisabout1/8inthickand
youputitbetweentwopiecesofbackingyouaddabout3/8tothewidthofthesleeveyou
wishtoputitin(83/8").Youmightevenconsidergoinguptoabout1/2inextrawidth(8
1/2").Weofferlotsofsizevariationstothestandardflapsealcellobagsoyougetthe
perfectfit.Wealsodon'thaveanyminimums,perfectfortheartistjuststartingoutselling
online.Ihopethathelps!
Reply Share

DeniseCunniff3monthsago
Ihavebeenconsideringashopifysiteforseveralyears,buttobehonest...thechoicesfor
artistthemesarepitiful.Includingtheoneslistedabove.That'sjustmyopinion,ofcourse.
I'vecontactedquiteafewdesignersthroughShopify,andthequotesIreceivedforacustom
designedsitestartedat$6,000.Notpracticalatall.
Reply Share

Tom>DeniseCunniff3monthsago
It'salotlessexpensivetofindathemeyoualmostlikeandcustomizeortweakit.
Greatimagesandcontentgoalongwaytoo.
Reply Share
https://www.shopify.com/blog/211990409howtosellartonline?utm_source=exacttarget&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=digest&etid=14540972 28/30
5/8/2017
HowtoSellArtOnline:TheUltimateGuide

DeniseCunniff>Tom3monthsago
Mypointwas...ifshopifyisgoingtoputtogetheranarticlelikethis,thenthey
shouldalsobeofferingthenumberonemostimportantthingtobackitup....
anexcellentartistwebsitetheme!Consumersexpectmuchmorethangreat
imagesandgreatcontent.AndifIwantedtocustomizeawebsitetothe
extentneededforanyofthosethemeslistedabove,oranythatI'almostlike',
I'dbeinadifferentbusiness.I'manartist,notawebmasteroratechgeek.
Reply Share

Ross3monthsago
It'sagoodpost,butundersellsabithowfeworiginalartpiecessellonline.Iownahighend
gallerywithtwolocationsandoversevenfiguresinyearlysales,butmyonlinegalleryonly
producesabout7%ofournetsales.Despitedecenttraffictooursite,wealmostneversella
piecesightunseen.Prettymucheverythingthatsellsonlineisfromoneartistwhomakes
inexpensive,collectiblepieces.Therestarepeoplewhohaveseentheworkinpersonat
oneofmygalleriesanddecidetobuyduringhoursthegalleriesareclosedorforthe
convenienceofasuperquicktransaction.Thankfullyforthesakeofgalleristsoutthere(and
thetownswhobenefitculturallybyhavinggalleries)mostmoderatelypricedandabove
originalartworkisstillandwillcontinuetobepurchasedinperson.Withthedollarfigures
(most)galleristsspendonrent,utilitiesandadvertising,the50/50splitismorethanfairfor
bothparties.Therearesomeshadygalleristsouttherethough,sobecarefulwhoyougo
intobusinesswithifyou'reabletogetrepresentedbyagallery.
Reply Share

DaynaWinter Mod >Ross 3monthsago

HiRoss,IagreewithyouandIhopedtoconveyexactlyyourpointthrough
emphasisonworkingwithgalleriesandpursuingofflineopportunitiesalongsideyour
ecommbusiness(seeKen'squoteabouthowgallerieswithoutaphysicallocation
rarelysucceed).Ken'ssuccessintheecommrealmhasreliedonprints,andMaria
onlysellsheroriginalartinpersoningalleries.Thanksforsharingyourperspective!
Reply Share

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