I just read Milon Townsend's Making and Marketing Better Artwork and wanted input from the WGers on the potential conflict between selling (at full retail) on your website and selling through galleries.
My preference is to use the site purely as a referral, but I do have retail prices listed. Has anyone been asked/told by the galleries to please not sell on the 'net?
Marty
website/gallery conflicts?
Moderator: Brad Walker
Re: website/gallery conflicts?
mornin' marty, i have not yet had a conflict even tho' the galleries i have sold thru have found me thru wholesalecrafts.com and my website is linked from my page there - but when i ship orders i don't have contact info included on my info cards that go with my items...Marty wrote:I just read Milon Townsend's Making and Marketing Better Artwork and wanted input from the WGers on the potential conflict between selling (at full retail) on your website and selling through galleries.
My preference is to use the site purely as a referral, but I do have retail prices listed. Has anyone been asked/told by the galleries to please not sell on the 'net?
Marty
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Phil Hoppes
- Posts: 298
- Joined: Wed Mar 12, 2003 2:20 pm
- Location: Overgaard, AZ
Don't see a problem as long as you don't undercut them. As long as the price is the same from you as in a Gallery it should not be a problem. Now if you sell in multiple gallaries across the country and you have regional pricing on specific items it could be a problem as you will conflict with one of those gallaries.
Phil
Phil
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ellen abbott
- Posts: 148
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 12:04 pm
- Location: Houston Tx
- Contact:
I have a gallery page on my web site called 'recent work'. It lists all the pieces I have available for sale either thru me directly or thru the gallery that has it with price and contact info. As Phil said, as long as you sell at the same price that gallery sells it at, there should be no complaints. Not that I get any sales off the web site from individuals. And I have no idea if the galleries are getting sales from it either.
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Kris Weber
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 9:57 pm
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Contact:
Yes.Has anyone been asked/told by the galleries to please not sell on the 'net?
The gallery which shows my work in AZ specifies this in their contract as well as state-wide exclusivity. After discussing the website issue with the gallery manager, it was agreed that referring interested parties to a gallery for specific pieces was acceptable practice once I managed to get a site up and running. We also negotiated an exception to the exclusivity clause that allows me to approach other galleries in the state with pieces that do not fit within the preview of this particular gallery.
I probably would not be ammenable to strict enforcement of the state-wide exclusivity clause or a "no website" clause if my circumstances were different. But given where things were at personally, it was a foot in the door (first gallery exposure) and I knew that the fit, in terms of restrictions, might be a little too tight some time in the future but worked well enough at that point in time.
A local MN gallery that is interested does not have the web restriction or exclusivity clause in their contract.
-- Kris
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Dick Ditore
- Posts: 58
- Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 12:56 pm
- Location: San Diego, Ca
- Contact:
My website has been active since 1995 and I've been selling with a secure server since 1996. My site is geared towards purchase, my new bead and findings site is the same. there hasn't been a problem with any of the galleries that sell my work. There is a retail side and a password protected wholesale side. I am bad and deleted my gallery page and never put it back, ouch.
Many galleries I've spoken with appreciate that they can order online and are not at all threatened by my selling my work retail as well as wholesale. The work is priced at more than keystone, using a 2.5 ratio. Regardless most galleries want to see the work in person and prefer to visit me at a show or see a paper catalog.
Some excellent new customers and orders have come through the website for wholesale and feel that this has become a legitimate way to sell. I have a self imposed zip code exclusive and in all the years of selling on-line have never had a conflict between retail and wholesale. Admittedly the percentage of websales is much lower than BMAC and/or other shows and mailings that I do. Are there very many who are making a living solely with glass over the web? Would love to hear some success stories.
Personally I would never enter into an agreement with a statewide exclusive unless they were purchasing a considerable amount and never if it was on consignment.
Now if I can only get my rear-end in gear and get my gallery site up and running . . .
Sara
p.s. whilst I designed my own website, Dee Janssen, who frequents this board does all the back end portion and also designs sites. check out her work!
Many galleries I've spoken with appreciate that they can order online and are not at all threatened by my selling my work retail as well as wholesale. The work is priced at more than keystone, using a 2.5 ratio. Regardless most galleries want to see the work in person and prefer to visit me at a show or see a paper catalog.
Some excellent new customers and orders have come through the website for wholesale and feel that this has become a legitimate way to sell. I have a self imposed zip code exclusive and in all the years of selling on-line have never had a conflict between retail and wholesale. Admittedly the percentage of websales is much lower than BMAC and/or other shows and mailings that I do. Are there very many who are making a living solely with glass over the web? Would love to hear some success stories.
Personally I would never enter into an agreement with a statewide exclusive unless they were purchasing a considerable amount and never if it was on consignment.
Now if I can only get my rear-end in gear and get my gallery site up and running . . .
Sara
p.s. whilst I designed my own website, Dee Janssen, who frequents this board does all the back end portion and also designs sites. check out her work!
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Kris Weber
- Posts: 16
- Joined: Mon Mar 10, 2003 9:57 pm
- Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
- Contact:
OT/tangential to initial thread topic-- state-wide exclusivity
Hi Sara,
Good point on state-wide exclusivity, but please consider one size may not fit all. Your points on the exclusivity, quantity, and commission are very, very valid and should be seriously considered by anyone entering into a business agreement with a gallery. Under normal circumstances I would not sign such an agreement either, and I doubt I would recommend it to anyone else. The situation is not optimal by any stretch, but here is why I decided to go with this:
In 1999, I was diagnosed with a blood malignancy (myeloproliferative disorder). It's chronic, but doable for a long life if you keep it managed. Up until two weeks ago I was taking a chemotheraputic agent to keep the blood counts in check. The problem was that the med. was also keeping my energy levels in serious check -- to the point of severe fatigue. To be quite honest, I really did not have the physical energy & mental acuity to produce great quanities of glass no matter how much I would love to, want to and need to. Carrying on a coherent conversation was a challenge, let alone attempting reasonable production levels in glass. The recent switch to a different medication has proven to be a tremendous boon and I am starting to feel like a semi-functional human being. (Been a while; feels soooo good not to drag & drool all day, then collapse in the early evening
)
Given the following, I decided to accept the invitation to show with that gallery:
1) I could not possibly produce enough work to exploit a state-wide revenue stream,
2) the gallery is at the high-end, and to be ruthelessly honest "looks good on the resume" considering I am just starting out in the realm of public exposure,
3) if my situation improves, I can terminate the relationship with the gallery given 30 days notice and move beyond such restrictive clauses,
4) the whole event of landing a first gallery was a tremedous boost in a very difficult time physically (gallery name was even ridiculously apropos: es Posible --- stupid, starry-eyed -- yes, but a good sign so to speak)
Will I be with them forever? Gut feeling and business sense says "no." But it was a positive thing at that point in time.
Sincerely,
Kris
OK -- back to the topic at hand: website/gallery conflicts?
Hi Sara,
Good point on state-wide exclusivity, but please consider one size may not fit all. Your points on the exclusivity, quantity, and commission are very, very valid and should be seriously considered by anyone entering into a business agreement with a gallery. Under normal circumstances I would not sign such an agreement either, and I doubt I would recommend it to anyone else. The situation is not optimal by any stretch, but here is why I decided to go with this:
In 1999, I was diagnosed with a blood malignancy (myeloproliferative disorder). It's chronic, but doable for a long life if you keep it managed. Up until two weeks ago I was taking a chemotheraputic agent to keep the blood counts in check. The problem was that the med. was also keeping my energy levels in serious check -- to the point of severe fatigue. To be quite honest, I really did not have the physical energy & mental acuity to produce great quanities of glass no matter how much I would love to, want to and need to. Carrying on a coherent conversation was a challenge, let alone attempting reasonable production levels in glass. The recent switch to a different medication has proven to be a tremendous boon and I am starting to feel like a semi-functional human being. (Been a while; feels soooo good not to drag & drool all day, then collapse in the early evening
)Given the following, I decided to accept the invitation to show with that gallery:
1) I could not possibly produce enough work to exploit a state-wide revenue stream,
2) the gallery is at the high-end, and to be ruthelessly honest "looks good on the resume" considering I am just starting out in the realm of public exposure,
3) if my situation improves, I can terminate the relationship with the gallery given 30 days notice and move beyond such restrictive clauses,
4) the whole event of landing a first gallery was a tremedous boost in a very difficult time physically (gallery name was even ridiculously apropos: es Posible --- stupid, starry-eyed -- yes, but a good sign so to speak)
Will I be with them forever? Gut feeling and business sense says "no." But it was a positive thing at that point in time.
Sincerely,
Kris
OK -- back to the topic at hand: website/gallery conflicts?
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Bert Weiss
- Posts: 2339
- Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2003 12:06 am
- Location: Chatham NH
- Contact:
One reason that a gallery might not be comfortable with published prices has to do with one of my pet peeves. Some galleries charge 300% of wholesale, but don't discuss this reality with the artist.
The other side of this peeve is that they receive the work on consignment, and take your money and buy another artisist's work for cash and don't pay the consigner. Triple whammy.
The other side of this peeve is that they receive the work on consignment, and take your money and buy another artisist's work for cash and don't pay the consigner. Triple whammy.
Bert
Bert Weiss Art Glass*
http://www.customartglass.com
Furniture Lighting Sculpture Tableware
Architectural Commissions
Bert Weiss Art Glass*
http://www.customartglass.com
Furniture Lighting Sculpture Tableware
Architectural Commissions