Does running sales cheapen the value of my art?

No, the belief that running sales will cheapen your art is one of the biggest lies in the art industry. In reality, the more expensive pieces get discounted the most—sometimes 30%, 60%, or even 70% off, though this often happens privately. People who can afford high-end art didn’t get wealthy by paying retail for anything. Running strategic sales is playing three-dimensional chess, while refusing to run sales is playing checkers. Here’s how it works: your retail price sets the perceived value of your work, so you price it high knowing you’ll discount it strategically during holidays and sales periods. Your real price is 20-30% under retail, but pricing higher makes your work more valuable in perception. Smart artists understand that sales are part of how society shops—especially during fourth quarter, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and major holidays when everyone expects them. You can fight this reality and make less money, or you can play the game intelligently and win while still getting the money you wanted in your pocket.

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Asked by general teaching point · Answered by Patrick Shanahan and Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-03-04