Why should I offer prints and merchandise if I sell high-priced originals?

Prints and merch are beachheads. Not everyone is ready to buy a high-priced original at any given time. Lower-priced items (under $100) allow you to acquire customers you wouldn’t otherwise get. Once someone owns your print or mug, your art is in their home, in front of their eyes daily. It builds the relationship. Then, at year-end, instead of 24 customers, you have 200—and those people are far more likely to buy an original later.

---

Asked by artist focused on originals · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2025-05-09