Standard commission of work

[Gary Chapman]

I have a studio that takes a 35% commission on my work for sales. It seems a bit high but maybe it isn't. What are most charges on work. Thanks.

 

[Steve Worcester]

%40-%60. If they move the product and promote your work, it's worth it.

 

[Ed Davidson]

Gary,

My experience is that mom and pop consignment shops and modest galleries charge an average of 40%, but I've paid as much as 45% to be in a high sales volume shop. Higher end galleries may want more. It all boils down to sales - if they are aggressively marketing and selling your stuff, I wouldn't begrudge the commission paid.

 

[waltben]

All mine are at 30%. Since they won't take responsibility for damage, I won't go higher.

 

[Rob Wallace]

One gallery where I sell some of my work has a commission of 35%, two other galleries I am in have 40%, and the one which provides the most merchandising and "sales presence" has a 50% rate. I think 35% is not particularly high; most are around 40%, as far as I've been able to ascertain. This likely varies by region/market too. Unfortunately, no one is buying very much artwork anywhere right now, (...not just woodturnings, either....so I've been told) in this economy. I am happy to have sold three of my pieces over the past few weeks!

Rob Wallace

 

[Bill Grumbine]

I have a studio that takes a 35% commission on my work for sales. It seems a bit high but maybe it isn't. What are most charges on work. Thanks.

This is actually pretty low. As has already been mentioned, 50% and more is not unusual. In fact, a lot of the retail world works on 50% until you get to really big ticket items. Keep in mind that the gallery is showing your work. For that they need a space, lights, heat, AC, water, employees, advertising, etc. By the time they make their profit, there often is not much left to be a profit. If you want to keep it all, you need to sell the stuff yourself out of your shop. But then there are all those expenses cropping up again. It's just your expense now instead of someone else's.

 

[Joe Gorman]

I can see I am in the minority here.

I tell the shop owner what I want for the items I put in her shop and let her price any where she wants above that. In some pieces she has doubled my price and on some she has only bumped 15%.

As long as I get what I want when she sells an item, I am happy; so far she has been happy also.

I charge the same as if I was doing a craft show and I agreed that I would refrain from doing craft shows local to her shop.

 

[WODAD]

I discount my items by 30% to galleries. Have had quite a few that have begged me to consign stuff but they want 40% plus, I decline. I make about 300 pieces a year and have no trouble selling them. I only have one shop that I consign to and she is local so I can babysit, and that's a whole other issue. Everyone else pays cash and I take care of them. They have no complaints and always come back for more!

Frank D

 

[Bernie Weishapl]

Both of the galleries my pieces are in get 30%.

 

[waltben]

Again, any gallery that won't insure pieces against damage by browsing folks doesn't deserve more than 30%. Wholesale at 50% is a different thing - they're buying them for resale. Any gallery that doesn't advertise is cutting their own throat, not mine or yours. If I have to give a higher commission, there's got to be a really compelling reason - and every time I've fallen for that argument, I've just talked myself into a pit.

 

[Robbie Graham]

Most galleries here in NZ put around 60% on, which is 40% off.
If they are actively selling your work it's worth it.
Robbie

 

[Odie]

Interesting some of the comments here.

Possibly an "attitude adjustment" for a few artists is in order......😀

Should the artist control the retail price?

I have an opinion about this......and that opinion is the artist should, in most cases, forget completely about the price your item fetches in the gallery. He should concern himself with what amount of money he gets, and leave the final price up to the gallery.

A gallery owner, or manager, will give you a percentage of retail figure.....and when he does, it binds you both to a price agreement based on percentage of retail price. For most galleries, this is simply the way things are done......and, whatever percentage they consider is their fair share of the sale is THEIR business, not yours. Some galleries have contracts they feel are mandatory, and if they do, that's that! .....sign the contract, and be done with it!

However, if you give the gallery some leeway to make big profits, they just might put a little more effort into selling your items. Some of you might be well advised to consider telling a high potential gallery that you just don't care what their mark-up is......but you need to price your items according to what you need to get for them. You NEED to be specific about this, and make no room for misunderstanding. They need to know, without any doubt, that they have this extra profit potential when taking your work.

Would you take 25% of the total price your item sells for, if that gallery is very enthusiastic about promoting you, gives you the money you ask for your work.....and, MOVES your items? That is a question that sounds like some of you would answer "no way" to.....but, one or two of you might say..........."hell yeah!" 😀

On a related note, I once had a gallery owner ask for me to sign an agreement that gave her the exclusive rights to my turned bowls for a specific region of territory. I did not sign that agreement, but I did promise her that if she were successful in selling the bowls I gave her....I would. (Turns out, she does not sell very many of my bowls, but does produce a few sales...........not worth signing any agreements, in my opinion.)

Bottom line.......forget about concerning yourself with what the final retail price is.....if they sell your items, and you get the money you ask for, that's all that matters!

ooc

 

[MichaelMouse]

I can see I am in the minority here.

I tell the shop owner what I want for the items I put in her shop and let her price any where she wants above that. In some pieces she has doubled my price and on some she has only bumped 15%.

Yep, me too. I charge by the hours invested, which takes into account the degree of difficulty involved. I then add a scarcity factor for highly figured, but difficult to find wood.

What they get for a piece has little meaning to me, because I can make another similar to it any time I run across a suitable chunk of wood.

 

[Odie]

Yep, me too. I charge by the hours invested, which takes into account the degree of difficulty involved. I then add a scarcity factor for highly figured, but difficult to find wood.

What they get for a piece has little meaning to me, because I can make another similar to it any time I run across a suitable chunk of wood.

Good morning, MM........



1.....Time invested

2.....Degree of difficulty involved

3.....scarcity factor



Good call! Yes, these things should all be taken into account. There are a couple more things that should be added to your list.......and, I'd be willing to bet they aren't things that you overlooked.



4.....cost

5.....artistic appeal



Cost. There are many woodturners who purchase bowl blanks from the various dealers that specialize in making them available to us.....including me. Although I've never purchased one as expensive as this, I've seen some mighty spectacular bowl blanks being offered for well over $200! Most of the blanks I use are in the $10 to $30 range, but I have paid $40, $50, $60, and as much as $70 for one. Materials like sandpaper, finish, glue, etc., generally doesn't amount to that much, but is a factor nonetheless. 😀

Artistic appeal. Now, here is something, that to my way of thinking, is the most important factor of all when pricing your work. All other factors being equal, there are special bowls that just turn out more beautiful than you could hope for. You can see it, it's hard to describe, but there are a few efforts that just have that "special something"......This is what makes the buyer pull out the ol' checkbook with the notion of scribbling some zeros in there! :cool2: You deserve a break, and get paid for that artistic appeal.

Of course, my idea of artistic appeal may not be exactly the same as everyone else......but, I can generally count on some overlap of the senses.....this is why it's art, right?

I also can think of a few of my efforts that were downright disappointing for artistic appeal! 🙁 These are worth zero, and I consider myself lucky to get a smile in return, if I decide to just give it away! NEVER, NEVER, NEVER attempt to sell one of these, just chalk it up to experience! 😱

ooc




.

 

[MichaelMouse]

Cost of wood is not really a concern for me, since I'm a firewood turner. I do figure five bucks for everything else for IRS purposes.

As to artistic value, I have learned one thing in my quarter-century of selling turnings - I have no clue, because there is a buyer for the most incredibly ugly things. The fact that SWMBO married me bears this out.