Selling Your Sculptures Locally
If you are not sure what the market will be for your sculptures or if you make very large sculptures that aren’t
able to be shipped very easily, then you should start out by selling your sculptures locally. That
is probably good advice for all beginning sculptors regardless of their specific style. There are lots of places
that you can sell your sculptures, but the vital thing is to get them to right kind of buyers.
In order to maximize your local selling potential you need to understand who your target customer
is and that depends on the type of sculpture you are making. Ask yourself these questions. Are you
making,
Each different type of sculpture would appeal to a different market. Depending on what type of sculpture
you make, here are some great ways to sell your sculptures locally.
Boutiques and Design Stores
If you sell wire sculpted jewelry, free-standing or wall sculpture then a fashion boutique that specializes in
high-end or handcrafted items would be an excellent place to sell. If you make furniture or other home design
elements then you can try to get a local design studio or home store to sell your items. Most of the time,
local stores are willing to carry your sculptures on consignment.
When you sell on consignment, you agree to give the store a certain percentage of the final price as payment for
them selling the item as commission. The standard rate for consignment is 20% of the final cost of the item.
Art galleries
Art galleries usually reserve a certain amount of their space for local artists. Therefore, it is
worth a trip to the gallery to discuss with the director and see if that gallery would consider displaying your
sculptures. Just like when you sell on consignment through a shop, most galleries will expect a commission if
your sculpture sells through that gallery.
Though selling art through an art gallery seems quite logical but the fact is that it may not
always the best place to sell your sculpture. Sounds contradicting? Art galleries tend to have light traffic
because they are not stores people go to often. In addition, art galleries also tend to have a very high price
markup so your work may be too expensive for many people to buy.
Coffee Shops and Cafes
There are many local coffee shops and cafes which have art on display from local artists. They
usually sell painting in this way but they may also be open to sculptures. It is definitely a win-win situation
because the coffee shop or café gets free decorations and the artists get free display for their art.
Arts and craft fairs
Most mid to large size cities hold arts and crafts fairs regularly. You can sign up to sell your items at these
fairs. The cost of a booth can start from as low as $10 to hundreds of dollars depending on the size
of the fair. Some art fairs are juried, meaning you have to submit slides of your work and be selected to
participate. Juried art shows are preferable to non juried ones as the former usually attract a higher end
type of customer that is willing to pay a higher price for art.
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