How should I price my art when I'm just starting out?

Pricing is a completely reversible decision, so don’t overthink it. If you’re really stressed about it, you could literally write ten prices on a dartboard and throw a dart—whatever you hit, price it there. The key point is that you won’t know if you’re priced too high or too low until you actually price your work and try to sell it. You can set a high price today, and if you get crickets, you can lower it tomorrow. Or set a low price and adjust upward based on demand. Early on, your main goal is to validate that your artwork will sell at all. The best way to do that is to set a price and attempt to sell. When someone shows interest but hesitates on price, learn this phrase: ‘Let’s make a deal. What are you willing to pay for it?’ Then be quiet and listen. This gives you valuable feedback about whether they’re truly interested or just being polite. If they counter with a lower number, you can decide whether to accept it. Early on, it’s often better to make the sale and get your work moving than to hold firm on pricing.

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Asked by an artist concerned about initial pricing · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-07-27