Should I offer merchandise like mugs, coasters, and calendars, or does that cheapen my fine art brand?

Many artists resist merchandise thinking it cheapens their brand, but this is a mistake. Have you ever been to a museum that doesn’t have a gift shop? They all have them, and they all sell merchandise. The key is doing it in a high-end, classy way. You can create limited edition sets - for example, 10 sets of signed coasters that you sell for $100-200 each instead of $30-40. When they’re gone, they’re gone. Merchandise items are impulse and gift items with lower price points that allow people to buy from you immediately without needing available wall space. If you’re only selling art that hangs on walls, you have no gift items. These sell faster than you’d expect and provide consistent monthly revenue. You can cherry-pick specific merchandise items and present them in a way that maintains your brand’s quality.

---

Asked by a fine art photographer concerned about brand · Answered by Nick Friend · art-marketing-podcast · 2022-02-27