Stone Carving Prices

["George Graham" <georgergraham@zzzzzzzzzzz>]

Marla,
Just thought I'd add my 2 cents to this subject, which falls into the
necessary evil catagory.
For me, the most important thing is to be creative first. Every time I have
tried to be "commercially" successful", I have failed. The lesson I've
learned is that people who love sculpture and buy it , will always shy away
 from contrived work. They want my best effort and are willing to pay for it.
The next thing is to price your work so you are comfortable , and then NOT
apologize for doing it. If you think the work is overpriced, the customer
will pick up on that instantly. Stand behind your own work, and  be prepared
to let a customer walk away. I've stuck with the idea that if someone wants
me to come down, I'll knock off 10%, but not a penny more. If that is not
enough , then the customer is just playing games.
Putting a value on your work is the thoughest thing to do. Take a look at
local galleries and see what they are asking for work that is similar to
yours. Look at web sites where prices are shown. Most galleries double what
the artists charges. In general, the biggest mistake new artists make is
underpricing their work. You will never get a fair price if you don't ask
for it.
I don't show prices on my web site because I sell a lot of work to one
gallery, and I don't want to be working against my best customer. My site is
an easy way for someone to get a broad overview of what I do. It helps a
potential customer to take me seriously. My site is in need of an update,
and tweaking, so some things will change in the future.
so Marla, keep doing your best , and don't be shy about promoting yourself!
Good luck,
George Graham
http://www.grahamsculpturestudio.com