Planning an art sale? Regardless of the holiday, there are a few key factors that will help make it successful.
If you’re like most artists, planning may tend to be the last thing you want to do. To be honest, many of us would rather be in our studios making art.
How Do You Successfully Sell Your Art?
The first thing you’ll need to decide on is what your art sale window will be.
Holidays occur on a certain day. You’ll want to create urgency for people to purchase soon enough to ensure their items arrive in time.
Work backward from the hard deadline and plan out mini task deadlines. Give yourself time to enjoy the process and not be overwhelmed when you’re in the middle of your sale.
What Will You Sell?
Look at your art inventory and what you create. From that, what will you sell for this holiday event? Do you want to make something special just for the holidays?
Consider having a variety of price tags as well as physically small, medium, and large pieces of art. A range of offerings will increase your success because there will be something for everyone.
New buyers who don’t know you well yet are more likely to buy something small the first time. At your next event, after getting to know you, they may buy something bigger.
Also, some people don’t have room for big items in their home and, since it’s a holiday-based selling event, your buyers are looking for items that are giftable.
Don't leave out larger pieces, though! Bigger, wow pieces of art encourage buyers to buy in all sizes and prices. This is because those bigger pieces are aspirational.
Decide if you want to match what you’re selling with the theme of the holiday you’re working toward.
For example, if you’re preparing for a Valentine’s Day art sale, consider including pieces that have red, pink, flowers, cupid, hearts, or common motifs associated with the holiday. Or if you’re preparing for winter holidays, does it fit to incorporate evergreens and snowflakes into your work or the merchandising of it?
Flesh Out Your Plan
Once you know what art you’re selling, confirm the last day you’ll be installing or shipping pieces.
Online or in-person, knowing the art sale date and details will make it easier to create a plan to promote your work.
Don’t forget to tell people about your art sale! This is the most important part. Your fans must know about it so they can buy from you.
Your promotional plan can include weekly emails and even daily social media posts.
Not sure what to write? Share the story of your pieces or body of work, and the benefits of purchasing your work. List the details of your offer and when the deadline to purchase is. Include the purchase details (how to buy, price, taxes, delivery fees and dates, etc.).
Planning more traditional in-person marketing such as posting fliers or passing out postcards? Be sure to also add the design, printing, and distribution deadlines to your outreach plan.
Embrace The Art Sale Experience
Selling doesn’t have to be a bad word. When you look at it as an opportunity to help others find the perfect gift for somone while sharing your passion and making money with your work, it can be a wonderful experience for you and your collectors.
Being and feeling prepared will give you more confidence and energy around a holiday season to enjoy the process of engaging with your fans instead of stressing about a long to-do list.
If you’re still feeling stressed about planning your art sale, check out my Artist’s Guide For Holiday Sales article.
Let me know what questions you have in the comments!
Cheers,
Kate