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Author Topic: Use of popular fine art print as private wall mural and affect on value  (Read 7260 times)

nairb

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I've been selling fine art prints in my ski town for a year and a half now with some success. I recently had a request to use my most popular image as a 13' high wall mural in a private, local condo and am looking for opinions on how this may affect long term value of the image when I currently sell it only in 8x12, 12x18, 16x24, and 24x36. I sell numbered but unlimited quantities, and due to the success I'm having am considering limiting the numbers and increasing prices as well as making some investments to increase visibility and sales.

Also would be interested in hearing thoughts on pricing for this type of usage.

My current print prices for the sizes above are (8x12)$80, (12x18)$160, (16x24)$260, and (24x36)$560.

The image is the red train snowplow one on my website (which does need some content attention)
http://brianpollock.ca/

Thoughts?
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louoates

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Hard to come up with a price suggestion without knowing a lot more about what you'd be printing on, who would install it, framing, etc.
I don't see this big print affecting your pricing of other sizes at all.
I would take exception to any limiting of your printing. It's your work. Why restrict it? I'm sure you're familiar with all the dodges artists use to get around that limit. For example, making 8x10s limited but then make 8.2" x 10.4" sizes unlimited. I don't for a second buy the reasoning that it somehow makes your work more valuable. I see restrictions only benefitting some gallery wonks who use it mainly as a lame technique to limit competition.
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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... I don't for a second buy the reasoning that it somehow makes your work more valuable...

(Perceived) scarcity increases perceived value.

nairb

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Printing would likely be on Photo-Tex low tack adhesive vinyl or a similar new Epson product. Cost would likely be in the $800-$1000 range to print and another $500-$600 to install (though that number is likely based on local to Calgary and I'm 3 hours south in BC so perhaps double unless I find a local installer [numbers are rough and from my printer who gave me names of people who print and install this]). It would be adhered directly to the drywall in an unused entryway alcove with brick walls on either side leading into it. I just read somewhere in the printing forum that photo-tex requires a half inch printed margin to prevent pealing once installed so I suppose there could be a small trim board to cover that if required.

It was suggested to me by a collegue who does mostly stock/assignment work, to have the clients deal directly with the company that prints and installs ( I would just deliver the printer the digital file) so that they would deal with the installer in future if there were to be any warranty/repair issues. So I would charge for the one time usage (~$8000 or so???), and the client would pay directly to the printer/installer to minimize my costs.

As for limiting, I'm still unsure about this as I could, I suppose, create the same scarcity by charging prices in the same range as limited editions. What has me considering it is that with this particular image, I've had 2 people walk away in the last 10 months after asking if it were a limited edition. No interest in hearing more, they just turned and walk away, but were clearly very taken with the image.

I still haven't viewed the location and there are more details to find out as to what the client has in mind. She just stopped me at the post office to throw out the idea last week, so I'm researching and considering.

Thanks for the input, keep it coming...

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kevk

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I've had 2 people walk away in the last 10 months after asking if it were a limited edition. No interest in hearing more, they just turned and walk away, but were clearly very taken with the image.
OK - in that same 10 month period how many bought it, knowing it was not limited edition?

Kevin
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nairb

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In the 24x36 size I've sold 4 since getting it printed a year ago. I'm not sure of exact numbers at the moment of smaller sizes but off the top of my head since starting to sell that image in Dec 2010, probably 15-20 in each of the 3smaller sizes. Perhaps more like 10-12 of the 16x24's actually. At this rate it shouldn't take too long for the numbers to get relatively high I suspect.
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Fine_Art

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Your igloo is way cool.
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nairb

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Thank you very much. That one probably gets more comments and reactions then the others that are best sellers; the panorama of the ski hill, the snow plow, and the abandoned trucks with the green one in the foreground. Interestingly though it rarely sells. It gets a lot of attention from younger women. They'll often comment on how warm it feels, but don't have the disposible income to buy artwork.

Just a few moments after taking that image actually there was a small pack of wolves that crossed the lake in the distance. That image is on my site as well. They were taken in Banff.
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Colorwave

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Your igloo is way cool.
LOL
Until I visited his site, I thought this comment was some sort of euphemism on your part, Fine Art.  Nice work, BTW.
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nairb

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I still haven't viewed the condo location, however, it's come to light through a friend of the owner that she may want to change the colours of the image as well to suit her space. This doesn't really sit well with me but I'd like to hear others thoughts on this. Altering a piece of artwork to suit a clients desires. As well as the original question of the value of the image with regard to doing an installation like this.
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Ellis Vener

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I don't know how it might change the value but I bet it will increase sales of that image and may have a ripple effect on your overall perceived value.
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bill t.

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Images displayed in high profile locations and publications benefit greatly from it.  At the very least the image becomes iconic and embedded in peoples neural circuits, filed under "certified art."  If somebody went to all the trouble of making it big and prominent, it must be important.  It makes it easier for people in all kinds of positions take the buying step, even collectors.  And it makes it especially easy for corporate buyers to pick it up, since the buyer will be able to cite precidents for the image's desirability and pedigree, in the event of a challenge to his/her choice.

Don't know about collectors.  The ones I have just don't care about editions.  I am 100% open edition and if somebody asks I say it's because I want to stay an honest man.  The only buyers I have seen upset in this area were clients of a very famous local artist.  The artist licensed prints of original paintings the collectors owned to a not so prestigious furniture chain.  The worst part seemed to be the declasse issue, more than the licensing.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2012, 08:02:13 pm by bill t. »
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louoates

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Rule #1: Give the lady what she wants.

Customizing an image to suit seems like a good way to charge more.
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kevk

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Images displayed in high profile locations and publications benefit greatly from it.  At the very least the image becomes iconic and embedded in peoples neural circuits, filed under "certified art."  
This is only good for you if your name is identified with the art work.
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nairb

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*Update- the article I'd originally read and intended to post, which is much more relevent, is this one: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/lines-drawn-for-canadian-pacific-showdown/article2431359/ Thinking about it a little more, if there were to be some kind of national magazine story on this (Macleans?), my image might make a good cover which could be a good vehicle for getting my work in more peoples faces....



Hmmm. Somethings just occured to me reading this thread and then making my way to the Globe and Mail website. This could be a fairly iconic image for CP Rail who are currently going through a proxy battle with Pershing Square Capitol lead by Bill Ackman for a change of leadership to CN's former chairman. Or it could become an iconic Canadian image if used well in the coming days/weeks.....

Here's a couple quotes from the article:

"After four months of 24/7 campaigning for management and boardroom changes at Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd., (CP-T73.380.450.62%) Mr. Ackman is expected to win a proxy battle on May 17 that will likely see some of Canada’s most influential corporate directors replaced by a slate of seven low-profile consultants, entrepreneurs and retired businessmen."

And:
"Mr. Ackman’s legendary persistence is expected to deliver a boardroom coup that until recently would have been unthinkable in Canada."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/careers-leadership/the-lunch/bill-ackman-a-stake-in-the-ground/article2430424/

I had actually tried contacting CP last summer when I was selling this print to see if they might have any interest in purchasing prints for use as Employee christmas gifts or retirement gifts. I think I had contacted a marketing VP and was redirected to a P.R. person and though complimented on the image was told they only use sanctioned images from hired photographers and "would I please not trespass in the future".

Since then I've sold it to a few low level CP employees and actually had a close friend of Mr Cleghorn or Mr Green take my card to give to him should he like the print for his office.

So with this proxy battle coming to a head this week perhaps there's something I need to be doing with this image to maximize it's/my exposure ASAP....
« Last Edit: May 14, 2012, 02:29:03 am by nairb »
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