Page 103 - Casting of Angels- Dave Parvin

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Pricing For Beginners

by David E. Parvin, A.L.I.

One of the questions that I am your time, materials, model fees, matter if the artist is a photographer, a
most often asked is, "How should I price utilities, studio rent, etc. spent while painter, or a sculptor. When he or she
my work?" Obviously this is more often sculpting the piece. However, after finishes a likeness of old Uncle Fred, it
asked by a beginning artist since it is several sales, things start looking up. is highly unlikely that anyone outside of
unlikely that an established one could Once you have recouped your start-up the family would be interested. In the
have "made it" without having figured costs for a particular creation, pretty same way a commission could be so site
out a reasonable pricing strategy. If one much whatever money you receive specific that it will not fit anywhere else.
takes a serious look at the art would, he minus the actual foundry cost is yours. It is also possible that the person
or she might come to the conclusion that If you have a competent foundry, almost commissioning the work specifies that
there must not be any real objective all you will have to do is call up and there only be one copy ever made. If I
method to pricing when a blank canvas order another copy of "Ontogeny were asked for advise on to how to price
or a basketball enclosed within a Recapitulates Phylogeny" and inspect it it, I would tell the artist, add to any
Plexiglas box sells for the price of a when it's finished. Your one fourth for a expenses enough so that he or she
luxury automobile. Fortunately there are few hours work can be pretty good receives adequate compensation
tow simple methods that a new artist can wages. considering all the facts.
determine a reasonable price until he or But what about a one of a kind
she becomes so famous that the sky is piece such as a commission? Now it is Sadly, I suspect that there are too many
the limit. possible that you could receive a starving artists, but a better pricing
The standard formula for a bronze commission for a piece that would have strategy might bring some of them out of
piece is the foundry cost times four an appeal to collectors other than the the darkness where there is the weeping';
becomes the retail price. This, times commissioner. If so, treat it as above. and the gnashing of teeth and into the
four figure, is bro ken down as follows: But let's say that the work is so specific light where there is the joy of the master.
one fourth for production, one fourth for that there is no likelihood of additional
the artist, and one half for the gallery. In sales. I had a case once when a collector A few general thoughts on pricing:
other words, if it costs $1,000.00 to have of mine handed me photographs of a 1. The ultimate judge of correct pricing
the foundry cast it; the artist would get dog and of a cat. He explained to me is the marketplace. It is essential that the
another $1,000.00 passing it along to a that his beloved pets had both died work be appealing if it is to sell at a
gallery for $2,000.00. The gallery in recently he wanted me to sculpt price derived by either of these two
turn would sell it for $4,000.00. memorial plaques complete with methods. Just because an artist has put
I don't know how many times. I sculpted has relief's of their likenesses in in a significant number of hours and run
have heard an artist complain that a everlasting bronze, per omnia saecula up a big foundry bill doesn't assure that
particular gallery "takes half my saeculorem. Amen. What I did was he or she hasn't just made a very
money." Remember, that money isn't the estimate how many hours it would take expensive "boat anchor." On the other
artist's; it's the gallery's. It is very me to sculpt the plaques and make the hand, if the pieces fly out of the galleries
expensive to run a quality gallery and molds. I chose an hourly rate that made as quickly as they arrive, one might
few are making killings in today's art it at least worthwhile and told the consider raising the prices.
market. One of the galleries with which collector that the cost would be so much 2. In the real world, the value of a piece
I deal had up until recently, rent of plus the actual foundry expenses. If he of art is based more on how well known
twenty-eight thousand dollars per month had been a stranger I doubt if I would the artist is than anything else.
in a seasonal location with about six not have taken the commission since in 3. It is important that if you sell work
active months per year. Though the the same time frame, I could have directly to collectors that your pieces
gallery now has a somewhat better deal, sculpted something that I could have are the same price as your galleries; do
it still requires a commitment that I sold over and over. But because of our not under price the galleries or you
wouldn't want hanging over me. It is previous relationship, I agreed. As it may find yourself gallery-less. There
important to remember that we artists turns out, I now have another was a time in my long lost youth that
are the manufactures and we are paid the commission from this same collector for "getting lucky" had a very different
wholesale price unless we "get lucky" a life size figure that I am confident that meaning that now which is selling
(see below). will be a successful edition as well. It something for full price!
The big returns come in as you sell appears that my gamble will have paid 4. Pricing is very subjective since indi-
additional pieces of the edition. The one off. vidual goals differ. On one end of the
fourth that you received for the first sale One of a kind pieces are what spectrum, a particular artist may only
certainly doesn't repay you much for portrait artists do all the time. It doesn't
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