Why should I offer prints if I personally don't like them and only collect originals?

Don’t assume you’re smarter than your customers. Prints are a massive market. Your customers would love prints—you’ve just never offered them. You need to separate your personal preferences from business decisions. Every museum has a gift shop. If you want to have an art business rather than just maintain an ego and image, you need to acquire as many new customers per year as possible. The dollar amount of that first purchase doesn’t matter—a new customer is acquired whether they spend 10 cents or $10,000. It’s about getting their contact information and starting a relationship. Let your customers tell you what they want, and be ready to course-correct as you go. The numbers show fundamental ways of doing business that many artists ignore to their detriment. Even if you don’t depend on art income financially, you’ll be creating until you’re 90, and offering a full range of products creates a real, growing business you could eventually pass on.

---

Asked by a painter in their 70s who only buys originals · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-10