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Author Topic: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?  (Read 42086 times)

Walt Roycraft

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Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« on: June 30, 2014, 06:59:22 am »

Thinking about using them to sell some of my work. Not sure about it.
Sales have been dismal at art fairs. Tons of "great work" comments but few sales. Not wanting to lower
my prices since it's a lot of work setting up, etc.  Thinking of lowering prices a bit and selling my work on a site like "FineArtAmerica"

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benchdog

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #1 on: June 30, 2014, 10:47:52 pm »

I seems to be a place for artist to hangout. People have found me there, it's boosted me on Google and I have sold a few prints through them. I haven't added any work in sometime because I have gone in a different direction but keep the free account going.
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Colorado David

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #2 on: July 01, 2014, 12:43:39 am »

I'll watch this topic to see if there are any more responses.  I looked at the website and quickly found two photographers I know.  One lives two houses down from me.  Everyone is a fine art photographer these days it seems.

Ellis Vener

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #3 on: July 01, 2014, 09:24:58 am »

At the fairs, are you collecting names to follow up with? Are you doing anything to encourage people to give you their contact information so that you can add them to your mailing list?  What kind of comments are you getting or overhearing?
« Last Edit: July 01, 2014, 09:26:52 am by Ellis Vener »
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Walt Roycraft

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #4 on: July 01, 2014, 09:50:23 am »

At the fairs, are you collecting names to follow up with? Are you doing anything to encourage people to give you their contact information so that you can add them to your mailing list?  What kind of comments are you getting or overhearing?

Background...I have been a commercial photographer and mostly architectural. I still do that but enjoy landscape photography. Selling at Art Fairs for the last 4 years. Typical print is a matted 18X24 for $175. US

I always feel awkward collecting names so I end up not doing it. I always get extremely positive comments. Even tho I don't collect names, I do engage the people that visit my booth. I ask questions, try to be helpful and sometimes even ask for the sale if I know the person is on the fence. Last fair I did, I had a lady stare and stare at a piece. She said she never had a photograph speak to her like that before. It was a $75 item. I asked her if she wanted me to ring it up. She said she would be back but never did make it. I really wanted her to have that piece to enjoy.

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Ellis Vener

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #5 on: July 01, 2014, 10:56:57 am »

"I really wanted her to have that piece to enjoy."

That seems like the right spirit to me. For most of us, the sales part of being a working photographer is the hardest and least enjoyable part of a career, especially when one is by nature a conscientious craftsmen. 
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LesPalenik

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #6 on: July 01, 2014, 08:13:44 pm »

The chances of making money by selling prints at FAA and at an art fair are about the same.
Of course, it depends on the location, type of the art fair, and your images.
According to FAA owner, their bestselling artists earn $10,000+ per month. But there are another 250,000 artists on the site earning considerably less. That would include also artists who can't break into the positive territory.
 
Selling a picture with a local theme should be easier at art fair, but with FAA there is no upfront investment in the frames (finished pictures), and you don't have to get up in wee hours to set up your booth.
 
« Last Edit: July 01, 2014, 08:33:20 pm by LesPalenik »
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Ellis Vener

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #7 on: July 01, 2014, 08:44:52 pm »

Thank you Les.
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LesPalenik

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #8 on: July 01, 2014, 10:00:58 pm »

You are most welcome, Ellis

Just a few days ago, FAA posted an interesting piece on selling art prints through FAA and Cafepress, and where the POD industry is going.
Bear in mind, that the article was written by the owner of FAA.

http://fineartamerica.com/newsletters/five-percent-commissions.html

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Colorado David

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #9 on: July 06, 2014, 06:20:57 pm »

Well, I opened a Fine Art America account.  I have uploaded the limit of images you are allowed with the free account and will probably upgrade to the premium level.  At $30 per year, it's kind of a no-brainer.  I posted a "Shameless Self-Promotion" topic on another forum I participate in and have gotten a real flurry of views.  I've even gotten threats that someone may purchase some prints, although it hasn't happened yet.  Here is a link to my page; http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-david-drew.html
I uploaded images that I thought might get some interest that were handy and already keyworded.  I've had views from around the world and the highest number of views has been on the image I would have predicted.  I know that for the site to make any money, they have to sell some images to print and some add-ons, so I'm sure people actually buy.  I just can't help thinking a lot of activity is from other account-holders looking around.  I will let you know if something sells.

Walt Roycraft

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #10 on: July 06, 2014, 08:45:13 pm »

  I just can't help thinking a lot of activity is from other account-holders looking around.  I will let you know if something sells.
When I was peeking around I noticed that on the artist sites that I looked at, ALL the comments were from other artists, not the public.

I am leaning to open an account as well.
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framah

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2014, 11:28:48 am »

Every month that I get a FAA statement that shows which of my images were looked at, how many times and from where,
all too often, the origin of the viewer is the Russian Federation or some other nefarious eastern European country.

I seriously doubt that I have THAT many fans of my work in  the Russian Federation! Makes me wonder how they can steal the image for their own use.
Still haven't had a buyer yet but it does allow me to make a gallery page for my regular website.
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Colorado David

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2014, 02:56:54 pm »

According to FAA owner, their bestselling artists earn $10,000+ per month.

Hello Les,

Where did you find this statistic?  I don't expect to do that kind of volume, but I would like to be able to see the work of people who do and what distinguishes them from the thousands who don't sell anything.

I posted my "Shameless Self-Promotion" topic on yet another forum and got an interesting response.  The poster said he thought he was going to get Mountain River Rock #1 as a computer screen background, but couldn't grab the image.  Obviously does not understand copyright.

Royce Howland

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #13 on: July 07, 2014, 05:19:40 pm »

I can tell you what distinguishes the people selling a lot on FAA, or any similar site, from those who don't sell. Mostly you won't see the evidence of the difference by looking at their galleries. True, in part it's the quality and nature of the work, and how well it suits the customers who frequent the site in question and what they're looking for. Perhaps it's a little to do with price point though not in the sense that "cheaper is better". (Advice -- don't necessarily lower your price if you're not selling. Instead, find out where the customers are who will buy the work you want to make at your asking price. If the answer is nobody, nowhere, then maybe you have a problem. Conversely if you find the right customers for your work, you can probably raise your prices, depending on where you've set them now.)

More than those things, the ones who sell a lot are the ones who don't confuse uploading an image to a print-on-demand service with marketing & selling work. Instead, they're the ones out there promoting, networking, marketing and selling in pretty much every way they can. And who are committed to investing the time needed to build the audience for their work, because for most of us it's not a 90-days-to-fame proposition. If you upload to FAA and sit back, you'll almost certainly sell little or nothing.

Your best bet is to treat FAA as a selling infrastructure service provider -- they host the gallery, provide the shopping tools, print, frame, package, ship, handle the financial transactions, deal with customer returns, connect through other online avenues like Google search & Amazon, etc. The free account is actually useful, and even the paid account is so cheap as to be next to free. But don't think it won't cost you something. It will cost you the effort to actively find & drive customers to your work. Just having a gallery on FAA won't promote, market or sell your work for you.

I'm on FAA myself, and like the service for several reasons. I sell enough to pay for the annual fees probably for the rest of my life if they stay at a reasonable level. But in all honesty it's not a scrap of the level of business I could be doing through the site if I was a lot more actively promoting my work showcased there and directly sending customers there to buy. :)
« Last Edit: July 07, 2014, 05:21:55 pm by Royce Howland »
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chez

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2014, 06:58:20 pm »

Yep, and people who view your images from North America would never think of stealing them. Time to open your eyes...you are on the net which knows no country boundaries.

Every month that I get a FAA statement that shows which of my images were looked at, how many times and from where,
all too often, the origin of the viewer is the Russian Federation or some other nefarious eastern European country.

I seriously doubt that I have THAT many fans of my work in  the Russian Federation! Makes me wonder how they can steal the image for their own use.
Still haven't had a buyer yet but it does allow me to make a gallery page for my regular website.
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Walt Roycraft

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #15 on: July 07, 2014, 08:29:37 pm »

Hello Les,

Where did you find this statistic? 

http://fineartamerica.com/newsletters/five-percent-commissions.html
"Right now, in 2014, you're living in the heyday of the print-on-demand industry.   It's a time when you can still earn thousands of dollars per month selling your prints online.   At FAA, our bestselling artists earn $10,000+ per month.   Yes - really!"
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Slobodan Blagojevic

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #16 on: July 08, 2014, 08:50:29 pm »

... the ones who sell a lot are the ones who don't confuse uploading an image to a print-on-demand service with marketing & selling work. Instead, they're the ones out there promoting, networking, marketing and selling in pretty much every way they can...

... Your best bet is to treat FAA as a selling infrastructure service provider -- they host the gallery, provide the shopping tools, print, frame, package, ship, handle the financial transactions, deal with customer returns, connect through other online avenues like Google search & Amazon, etc...

All very true.

So, the question remains, what is the advantage of the FAA over similar "infrastructure service providers," the likes of Photoshelter, SmugMug, Zenfolio, etc. They all also provide basically the same infrastructure. They all partner with print labs. They all provide social media integration. Are some clients more likely to go to FAA in search of what they need, rather than to the other sites? Is there some kind of inherent advantage of FAA? Or should FAA be seen as just another choice when it comes to choosing between Zenfolio, SmugMug, Photoshelter, etc.?

LesPalenik

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #17 on: July 09, 2014, 12:52:17 am »

The cost of FAA price admission is $30 per year. Exactly the same amount as the price for PSA test (in Canada).
In both cases, it's hard to tell whether it is worth the cost. The main difference is that registering at FAA is non invasive and can be done from the comfort of your home.

Another similarity is that in both situations a positive outcome will take care of the future costs. At FAA, just one large sold picture can pay for many years of future membership, whereas if the PSA test comes back with a positive result, the health insurance will be obliged to bear the costs for all subsequent tests.  However, in case of negative outcome, the clients will be stuck with the yearly fees.
 
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Hello Les,

Where did you find this statistic?  I don't expect to do that kind of volume, but I would like to be able to see the work of people who do and what distinguishes them from the thousands who don't sell anything.

Check the FAA Discussions. On FAA site, they publish also a Recently Sold list (with pictures). If you'll peruse this list for a few days, you'll see that there are some artists who are very good and know what to create. On the other hand, if you read some of the FAA forum threads, you'll find that many contributors with hundreds even thousands images are complaining that they never sold anything. The supply is definitely greater than the demand.
« Last Edit: July 09, 2014, 01:44:07 am by LesPalenik »
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jferrari

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #18 on: July 09, 2014, 08:19:13 am »

I am leaning to open an account as well.

(In a calming, sultry voice...) Yes, that's it. Just like that. Drink the Kool Aid... Now give us all of your hi-res files...
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framah

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Re: Has anyone had any experience with Fine Art America?
« Reply #19 on: July 09, 2014, 10:05:34 am »

Yep, and people who view your images from North America would never think of stealing them. Time to open your eyes...you are on the net which knows no country boundaries.


Lighten up a bit there. :) I fully understand what you said and, yes, theft comes from everywhere but I just found it  interesting how it is almost always the RF when it is a foreign country viewing.
Sheeesh!
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