Mini Prices??

[k9artist]

I hope I am not being too nosey...but...what kind of prices do you charge for your minis?? I know a store where I can put mine up for sale..but I am not sure what to charge.
Dana

[Lorijo]

I want to know too! I have been putting mine on ebay with a starting bid of $9.00. The best one went for was $42.00. This week I put two up with starting bids of $15.00, so far no bids on them yet.

I was thinking, I am spending a bit more on the photos for ebay, they raised their fees, paypal fees are there, shipping, I include a frame. Spend around 2 hours on the painting. So if it goes for the starting bid what am I getting besides a headache? Oh, and then taking the photo and writing about the painting too, that time!

Then I will get somebody who wins two paintings that week and wants me to give them a break on the shipping yet too.

It is cool when they fight over them and hopefully my name will get out there to a real dealer who will pay me big money. :music: Lori

[Minibrush]

I think you'll find prices vary greatly. Depending on the artist's reputation, the venue, and of course, the work itself. People like Wes & Rachelle Siegrist, (and other miniaturists with well established reputations) who paint marvelous wildlife subjects, get anywhere from $500 to near $1,000 per painting. My prices are mostly in the $200 range. Most of the juried shows request nothing priced less than $75. Of course, you're also paying anywhere from a 25% to a 50% commission at those shows, and your entry fee, and shipping-both directions, as well.

Miniatures normally are NOT priced by size. Keep this in mind. While in the "full sized" world, a larger canvas is going to cost more to the collector, this does not apply for miniatures.

The most important thing in pricing? Do not undervalue your work or yourself, try to stay consistant.

Minibrush

[wayfarer]

I'm selling on eBay and other auction venues. I regularly sell 2 sizes of minis, both with mats and no frames. The 1.25 x 1.75" start at $4.99, with a BIN of $9.99. The 2 x 4" start at $7.99, with a BIN of $11.99. I've sold many at the BIN prices, and some of the latter size with bids over $25.

All of the postings about casein have me intriqued. When I get to a point for selling those, the price will be much higher.

Chris

[k9artist]

Thanks for your input! Minibrush..I found Rachel and Wes's website a long time ago and was awed by their work! Chris and Lori..I think you are both selling way to cheap! I dont think I would want to part with any of mine for under 40$ I just dont think you can get very good prices on ebay anymore..I have sold a few reg size paintings on there..I was disapointed in it..like you said ..their prices have gone up too..maybe so should yours!
I want to try thr casiens as well..I have them in my wishlist on Dick Blick!
Dana

[wayfarer]

Thank you, Dana. My husband says the same thing.

Chris

[JamieWG]

Chris, why would you sell caseins for way more than your watercolors? (Just curious)

I think that in the fine art world of miniature collectors, it is possible to get very good prices for minis. Those who work long hours in minute detail need to get their time paid for! But for those of us who do big paintings and sell in regular exhibit venues, we can't really charge the same for a 2x3" mini that we charge for a 24x36. Everything is "more" with the larger work---more canvas, more paint, more expensive frames, bigger and more expensive brushes, more time...Even if a mini contains the same number of brushstrokes, they take longer on a big canvas. My longest time spent on a mini was less than my shortest time on an 18x24+ size, not to mention costs of materials and framing.

Since I started doing minis, my parents have been on the lookout in the antique shops and gift shops where they live (in Florida) and say nice looking minis are priced around $60-$75. That was a surprise to me; I figured they'd be much higher in those fancy shops, especially considering that they must be taking a hefty commission or buying them outright for far less.

Jamie

[Lorijo]

Thanks Dana, my husband agrees with you too! He was saying it gets to a point where it just isn't worth it. He thinks I am at that point now. Your mini paintings are worth every penny of $40. and I think really a lot more. They are exquisite.

Jamie, they might be buying those nice minis off ebay and putting them in their stores. Some I know are.

I am feeling pretty discouraged by the selling end of things, I am thinking I can do one of two things if I stay in ebay. Either raise my prices or lower my standards and churn out cheap, fast paintings. At the moment I snuck up the starting bids to $15.

The next plan is to put up a really nice 12 x 16 or larger on featured product and pray! Lori

[wayfarer]

why would you sell caseins for way more than your watercolors?

I guess that I'm looking at casein as a similiar medium to oils. My observation has been that oils in particular tend to fetch more than watercolors. The support maybe? The history? Being able to frame without glass? I don't know why. Maybe a combination of all three.

I use an average price per square inch to get an idea of how my paintings are doing value-wise. Nice thing about the minis is that I get a much higher price per square inch than my larger pieces.

Chris

[JamieWG]

Chris, FWIW....I sell my oils for more than my caseins. Because caseins dry so much faster, they are quicker to paint and to layer (as are acrylics), and I can get them out of the studio sooner. I price acrylics and caseins about the same, and oils about 25% more. I price pastels lower than oils too, because they also take me less time.

Jamie

[blondheim12]

I am selling the 3x3 inch minis for $25.00 and the 2x3 inch for $20.00
I've had no problem selling them for that price.
Love,
Linda

[wayfarer]

I always appreciate your perspective, Linda. Your minis are worth every penny!

Chris

[paintsplatter]

I've just taken my four mini's down to my gallery and we agreed to sell them for $75.00. I recieve $50.00 if the sale goes through. I think that is a reasonable price. I spend more time on my mini's because I'm such a slow poke. I'll let you know how it goes.

[karen m]

For mine....

They range in price from $175. - $600. CDN.
All are matted and framed when offered for sale.
Those which have won awards are listed at $400. - $500.
Those which have been reproduced and custom-framed are priced at $600.
A few of these (reproductions) were sold 'naked' for $300. US, actually prior to printing.

Someone mentioned the well-known miniaturists and their prices. The ones mentioned here are moderately priced in some venues. I have seen the lists of sales at several of the major exhibitions and prices up to $1400. are not that rare.

I do think that presentation, i.e. matting and framing can make the difference in being able to command a higher price. With the investment of time alone I want the maximum that the market will bear.

[Lorijo]

I looked at your website Karen, your paintings are magnificent. How do you find your buyers? If it isn't too nosy to ask? Lori

[karen m]

Thanks Lori. No, not too nosy.

I've been incredibly lucky. The people who have done my framing also have a lot of interior designers as clients....so several have been sold through them. In turn, a few of their clients decided to form a bit of a collection of them. So that accounts for several sales.

In addition, though not too recently, I sent them off to several of the Miniature Art Societies' exhibitions around the world, including the Miniature Art Society of Florida, btw. I have let that membership lapse but they seem to be a very high profile and active bunch there.

Have always displayed them at large local art shows among my other stuff and had fairly good sales.

Those that remain are currently in a little newly-opened originals-only gallery nearby.

I think with the miniatures, as much as with any other art you do, it's important to get them 'out there'. One little tip, too....whenever I was present with the miniatures I always provided several magnifying glasses on the display tables. That was an interest incentive right away. And now, the gallery owner who just took in my work has done the same thing because people really want to get into them. And apparently they do.

One other thing you should likely know about me....I am incredibly lazy. I would rather spend time creating a one-of-a-kind that sells for a good price than a bunch of things that end up selling for a lot less.

See, I don't think 'mini' should mean mini prices at all. After all, diamonds are mini. But they're precious. And treasures go for a price.

Just me though. Everybody's different. :cat:

[Minibrush]

karen m, See, I don't think 'mini' should mean mini prices at all. After all, diamonds are mini. But they're precious. And treasures go for a price.


elegantly said!

Minibrush

[Lorijo]

Thanks so much Karen!

That is great advice.

About the incredibly lazy part, I don't think you are! Getting the paintings out there to me is the work. The painting part is the fun.

I had to mail out three yesterday, write some emails to patrons, working hard to charm them into buying more paintings.

All that time could have been spent painting. If I was getting more money and I was more used to selling it would probably be easier. Lori

[karen m]

Thanks so much Karen!......I had to mail out three yesterday, write some emails to patrons, working hard to charm them into buying more paintings.

All that time could have been spent painting. If I was getting more money and I was more used to selling it would probably be easier. Lori

I know! Actually I haven't had much out there in front of the public for more than a year so the invitation from this little gallery is nice. I wanted to be freed up to concentrate on a new direction with the art and was a bit tired of the constant attention to marketing strategy.

But you are doing a good thing! I used to send out newsletters to quite a long client/prospective client list. Usually a couple of times per year when I was displaying work in group shows here. It really helps, I think, to do something like that where they feel a personal relationship to the artist, even if slight.

I dunno.....it would sure be nice sometimes to have a secretary, wouldn't it? :wink2:

[Lorijo]

I wish I had a secretary, especially today! I am totally swamped in paperwork! Lori