Prices or Not?

I had all my paintings priced on my website. An artist friend pointed out that I had locked myself into prices that I might want to change one day as my work became more well-known. I also thought that if I wanted gallery representation, any commission from galleries would not have been worked into the prices.

So I got rid of the prices.

Then I read a piece in Fine Art Views that posited a different argument on web sales. How could I expect a potential buyer to 1) get in touch with the artist to ask a price, 2) wait for a reply, and 3) then buy the painting? Since a painting is, after all, a luxury, artists need to depend to some degree on impulse purchases.

(I could insert a whole article here on how necessary it is to have esthetics stir, stimulate, soothe and illuminate one's life -- it IS a necessity!)

Of course, price, to collectors who are on a budget, makes a real difference. Why would they want to ask the artist the price, and then back off and/or haggle if the painting was out of their financial reach?

I decided to settle it in a way that Art Collector Magazine uses: Price ranges for small, medium and large paintings. It's not a solid price, which is regrettable, but it gives a potential collector a gracious way to make an offer. I will soon post my current range on my website, along with several other paintings I haven't put up on the site yet. I hope this will encourage people to buy online, rather than have my website turn into an art museum!

Nancy
www.nancyparkart.com
paintslinger.blogspot.com