Selling pictures in a gallery

[Lorek]

I have been contacted by a gallery to expose/sale some photos. The gallery wants 50% of the selling price as a commission. Is it not too much?
I would like to sell my pics (public price) at maximum 100 Euros (here in Poland, people are not used to buy photos so I have to stay below this price if I want to be competitive with the painting also sold in this shop).
But, 50% commission it means 50 euros for the gallery and the remaining for me. Unfortunately, I have to deduct the price of the picture itself and the price of the frame. So, in fact I will have only 20 to 25 Euro for my work.
That's why I am curious to know if the proposal I got is reasonable/acceptable?

[Blinky]

Originally Posted by Lorek

I have been contacted by a gallery to expose/sale some photos. The gallery wants 50% of the selling price as a commission. Is it not too much?
I would like to sell my pics (public price) at maximum 100 Euros (here in Poland, people are not used to buy photos so I have to stay below this price if I want to be competitive with the painting also sold in this shop).
But, 50% commission it means 50 euros for the gallery and the remaining for me. Unfortunately, I have to deduct the price of the picture itself and the price of the frame. So, in fact I will have only 20 to 25 Euro for my work.
That's why I am curious to know if the proposal I got is reasonable/acceptable?

In the US it's not uncommon for a gallery to take 60%. You should probably allow them to set the price. It's their business to know how to sell your work, and pricing is a key element. That's one of the ways they earn their cut. If the price is too low, you prints may not sell as well.

I can't say I think it's fair, but everyone I know who hangs and sells in galleries is getting 50% at most.

Chip.

[Lorek]

thanks!

[FocusingOnFlorida]

Our Gallery here is a coop of about thirty artists. We all put in say $100USD a month for rent, advertising, and miscellaneous expenses. Whatever we sell we get 100% return. We take turns opening the gallery once a month. We try to have live entertainment once a month with a reception involving wine and snacks. We all bring in a bottle of wine for that evening. I hope this helps. I don't know if that is an option for your location.

[Blinky]

Originally Posted by FocusingOnFlorida

Our Gallery here is a coop of about thirty artists. We all put in say $100USD a month for rent, advertising, and miscellaneous expenses. Whatever we sell we get 100% return. We take turns opening the gallery once a month. We try to have live entertainment once a month with a reception involving wine and snacks. We all bring in a bottle of wine for that evening. I hope this helps. I don't know if that is an option for your location.

I had forgotton about artisan coop galleries, we have several of those around here but mostly they sell pottery and glass. There is also an artist's guild that conducts studio tours twice a year and features one or two artists a month in the lobby gallery at a performing arts center. I've seen photography at the arts center several times. I don't know how the split works for pieces sold there.

Strangely enough, we have several farmer's markets around here and travel photographers have booths at them. They're mostly selling cards and small prints. Lorek's stuff wouldn't go over so well in a North Carolina Farmer's Market though! :

A coop would be an excellent way to go if you can find or arrange one. I also wonder if you could get local clubs... maybe even restaurants to hang some of your stuff. Is Warsaw pretty liberal about your kind of photography?

Chip

[FocusingOnFlorida]

I didn't think about restaurants and other public buildings and businesses, but I agree it is a good way to get your name out there. You could always post something more acceptable for the place you want to hang your stuff and have a business card that points to your website. People can always choose more from there.

[Lorek]

thank you very much indeed for your comments and suggestions!
I do appreciate a lot the "family spirit" on this forum.
You guys are great!

[Jim Jones]

Once a year I sell black & white photos at a local arts & crafts fair. 11x14 inch prints, archivally dry mounted and matted, sell for $20 US. (about 16 Euro). The price is $40 in a 16x20 inch aluminum frame. By doing all the work myself, the price is kept low enough for a rural market. It is mostly a hobby: I don't sell enough to make much money.

[Mark McCall]

Lorek,
I think 50% sounds great.

I met with a fine art broker last week who's asking price is 80% of the total sale.
He splits that with any gallery he signs an agreement with.
I'll get 20%, IF I sign the contract.
I'm still mulling this over.

The broker has one good point.
Most photographers do not have the time or connections to sell to the clientele that would make fine art photography a good income.
You'd actually make more by giving up the percentage, than you would if you did it yourself.

I've been researching this carefully. Galleries and brokers seem to be mainstream.

[Lorek]

thank you guys. I do appreciate to get a bit of your experience

[jayjay]

Get your name out there is #1, the exposure you can get out of a gallery can make up for the commission you pay. I only received 40% from my gallery when I started. now my work is moving very well, my cut has been raised to 60% and I get alot of the jobs from people seeing my work at the gallery. If your work is hanging and people are seeing it who other wise wouldn't, this is what it's about. You can be the best, but if know one see it what good is that. Get your work up on some walls and make the most of it.
JJ

[Lorek]

good point. Thank you

[pixelseeker]

Originally Posted by Mark McCall

Lorek,
I think 50% sounds great.

I met with a fine art broker last week who's asking price is 80% of the total sale.
He splits that with any gallery he signs an agreement with.
I'll get 20%, IF I sign the contract.
I'm still mulling this over.

The broker has one good point.
Most photographers do not have the time or connections to sell to the clientele that would make fine art photography a good income.
You'd actually make more by giving up the percentage, than you would if you did it yourself.

I've been researching this carefully. Galleries and brokers seem to be mainstream.

I run a photo agency representing fine art photographers. I charge 35% after the gallery get's their 50% commission. that will leave about 32% of the final selling price for the photographer. Printing limited editions will get you higher prices for your work. Also, I would suggest that you have a framed sample and sell the print only or just matted. That will keep your costs down and then the customer can choose their own framing.

MJ

[Mark McCall]

MJ,
Do you have a prospectus for fine art photographers to aid in marketing their works?

[grsphoto]

I am hanging my first show next week http://www.grsphoto.ca/contactphoto/. This is part of the Contact Photo Festival http://www.contactphoto.com/

I couldn't find a gallery interested so I am putting it into one of my studios.

What I hope to get out of it is enough interest in my work to move the show to another gallery, and maybe sell enough prints and calendars to cover my costs. I have much to learn from this excursion into the world of "fine art".

I would be happy to have someone take 50% in exchange for selling my work.


Glenn

[Lorek]

Thank you all for sharing your experience

[Jon]

I know I'm jumping in really late here, but do some research on the gallery. Talk to past exhibitors before you commit to a show.

A good friend of mine had a show recently that should have gone over very well, she's a spectacularly outstanding photographer, but she didn't sell didlly-boo because aside from the preview and the opening, the gallery was open "by appointment only."

What I'm getting at is that you need to make sure that whomever you're giving 50% (or whatever) to is actually going to work on selling for you.