I’m a wildlife photographer and I figured I’d ask some people who know about business.
My idea is to make my garage just like a typical art gallery. All artwork by me.
The advantage for me would be that I get to keep 100% of the profit. No dealing with middle men at all. I’m also very much so in the correct area to sell art.
The advantage to the customer is they get a private appointment. I was thinking of rolling out the red carpet and giving them a free non alcoholic drink just for showing up. VIP treatment. Some people like to meet the artist as well, they would get the opportunity because I’d be a one man band.
My issue is I don’t exactly know how people are going to find me or how to advertise something like this. I can’t think past the point of handing a business card to people who talk to me while I’m taking pictures. Seems like an impossible thing to get the word out locally.
In my opinion a home gallery only works if you are already a well known artist, uave a nice (like $1M+ nice) house, and lots of established repeat buyers
lol what you think is an advantage to the customer is not that at all. you need to reassess your own product’s value. the only benefit to having a gallery in your garage are benefits to YOU. there’s zero upside to the customer. if your wildlife is actually that good, having them in a gallery or selling at art fairs would not be a problem.
This kind of thing work best when artists team up. It’s way easier to promote a “Studio Tour” event with a bunch of artists in close proximity who can all pitch in to print posters and send out the invites to their own respective networks. Appointment only works when you have dedicated buyers. If you have plenty of those reaching out to you, go ahead. If what you need is for people to be able to casually peruse the work while thinking about buying, that is what your gallery does. Have an opening to chat with the clients for the VIP treatment.
Do you have any customers already?
If people already know you and wanna buy sure do it. If no one knows who it will just seem amateur
I would say it’s going to be pretty difficult to get something like this off the ground, for a myriad of reasons. Nosy neighbors are going to report you for using a residence as a retail front. Lots of people are going to be leary of going to someone’s home.
I’ve been pretty involved in a formal art gallery years ago. Most of the work is sold … what’s the word. Basically the artist pays nothing until the piece is sold. Once it’s sold, artist gets paid (minus the cut that the gallery takes). Brutally honest the trope about starving artists is VERY accurate and galleries know this. That’s why their business model is surrounded entirely by displaying art where the artist has $0 upfront cost.
Having people you find online come to your house to make a purchase vs running a retail store are two different things.
I sell art from where I live. If there’s demand that you can tap into and get them come by… it works great. Don’t need to make things complicated.
I was thinking of tryiing to keep everything under $300 and have framed, wood, metal, and acrylic prints. Basically double what I pay to get it made. Does this sound like a good plan?
I’d have to see what you’re offering and what your social media game is like.
If it was me, I’d probably do the garage little by little and make it a gallery / home office / place to store your equipment as just a cool/nice part of your home - and then the social media is where the focus needs to be to make sales.
I just created a facebook page. Hopefully I can spread it.
Are you in a city like Denver etc? Usually there’s a pretty active online community among the wildlife photographers. Probably gotta find the people doing well and see what they are doing…
I’d say the garage could be cool as a home office / nice place for your hobby but as far as making sales you’re going to have to put the work in online.
One free nonalcoholic beverage? For people in the market for original art/photography that’s not going to move the needle.
We have 6 clients and we just spent $2500 on holiday gifts for them…to think I could’ve just bought them an iced tea.
Have you considered Farmers Markets or vendor events where you purchase a table for the day/season? Might be easier at first. Gain some followers to get them over to next years garage gallery…
Marketing is a very difficult thing for small business owners. Your gut is already telling you that.
Are you already selling? What price ranges will this be in? Have you sold them online yet?
Putting myself in a potential customers shoes, I would not go to an antists home gallery unless I was already a big customer and well acquainted with them…eg know for several months/years and I would not go alone. Also, there is a lot of social pressure if I go to your gallery and you are watching me and only me…to feel like I have to buy something. In a gallery it’s a more professional setting and I would feel much more comfortable. The only time I’ve bought a painting in someone’s home gallery was in Myanmar and even then it took me almost an hour to decide what to buy.
At best, the artist leaves you alone and you feel awkward browsing in their house as the only customer for x time period. Would feel like a wasted time if you didn’t buy something. It all goes south from there. Gives “if you want to leave, buy something vibes”.
I think it could work if you built up a major following on social media and hold events…public and private.
What do you mean by garage though?
I have a HUGE, detached garage and could do a lot with it.