I only want to sell original paintings, not prints. Why should I consider offering prints?

Offering only originals severely limits your market. Remember the socioeconomic bell curve—your followers span from people with very limited budgets to high-net-worth collectors. When you only sell originals at premium prices, you exclude everyone who would love to own your work but can’t afford thousands of dollars, and you miss the opportunity to build relationships with future collectors. Prints and reproductions give you price point variation and allow you to get your work into people’s homes at accessible prices. These buyers may become serious collectors later as their financial situation improves, but only if they already know and love your work. You’re playing the long game. Additionally, prints give you more flexibility to show your work, discuss it, and maintain inventory for quick delivery. Not offering prints is limiting your business based on an assumption about what collectors want rather than letting them choose.

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Asked by an artist selling only originals · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2021-10-20