Selling Fractals -- My experience is a bit different

Within a few months of working with UF, I was making images that I just loved. I gave them away to friends (not a great source of serious feedback as they all said they loved them), hung a couple in my doctor's waiting room, and finally decided to try putting them in some place they might sell. Now I look back at those early prints and cringe, but even then they seemed to be attractive to other people like they were to me.

While having one framed at a local frame shop for a special purpose, I got to talking to the owner about how to find a place to display them for sale, and he offered to let me leave some there. I gave him about 20 8x10 prints which he just laid in a stack on a corner of his table, and within 2 weeks, he had sold 6 of them for $20/each, and even called me to come in and see one that the buyer had him frame. This convinced me that I could sell them and so I set about finding art shows to try.

The first one was at our local indoor mall (Binghamton, NY), and I took the plunge and bought some free-standing display panels for hanging art and some lighting. I spent 5 days in the mall, selling a few things each day, mostly being bored, but it was very satisfying when someone bought one. In the end, I had sold a lot of prints, framed pieces, and had orders for 2 16x20 giclee prints and 43 greeting cards. And this was a show that wasn't advertised or promoted -- buyers were people who happened to walk by and see the art amongst the other dozen or so craft booths in the mall. I wrote a daily diary of this show and posted to the UF mail list so if you're really interested, you can find it in the archives.

After that, I applied and was accepted to a really major outdoor juried art show in Rochester, NY (Corn Hill Arts Festival). I again sold lots of prints, some framed pieces, and some greeting cards I had printed up. The third show was another juried outdoor show (Lafayette Apple Festival) near Syracuse, NY. Again I sold quite well, both prints and framed pieces. I'll be doing one more juried show in December (Syracuse Holiday Arts and Crafts Spectacular), and since it's indoors, I went for a 50% larger booth, to see if being less crowded helps.

I have my prints made at Kinkos, and mat and frame them in off-the-shelf mats and frames from places like Michaels and AC Moore. I keep them to 8x10, 11x14, and 8x16, which are standard frame sizes. I have a brochure that describes fractals and the difference between photoprints and giclee prints, and I have 2 giclees (one glossy and one canvas) hanging. To anyone interested, I offer any of my prints in giclee for an sizeable additional cost, and I've sold several.

I charge $65 for an 11x14 matted and framed to 16x20. The cost to me is $3 for the print, $5 for the mat, $6-10 for the frame, and about $3 for the backing board, adhesive, and tape to mount it. So each one of those nets me $44-48. I sell unframed prints 8x10 for $20 and 11x14 for $28. These prints cost me $2 and $3 plus about $1 for the packaging I use. So even an 8x10 nets me $17 and an 11x14 print nets $24.

Show fees are typically about $50-75 per day, and the equipment has to be covered, plus some inventory cost, but there is enough profit available to make it worthwhile. I'm told by experienced show artists and crafters that if you can gross 5 times the show fee, you have a good show. I've been able to do that every time.

I'm convinced that a lot of really good artists are missing the boat here. It takes some self-confidence and courage to invest a little money into the display panels and lights, plus a table and tent, but the opportunity is there. I know the guy in the frame shop gave me the opportunity to find out, and with a little success, the courage to try a real show, and now I'm having a blast selling my fractals.