gallery commissions

Re: gallery commissions

John Scheideman

It seems that 40-50% is the going rate around here. I prefer to stay away from galleries that take 50% unless they do a lot to promote their artists. John

Re: gallery commissions

john lucas

30 to 50 is what I hear when talking to all my artist friends.

Re: gallery commissions

Roger Chandler

The gallery I am at has a 50/50 commission rate, unless one actually works a couple of shifts a month which equals about 10 hours total, then it is 80/20 with the gallery getting 20%.

This is a co-op gallery on Main St at the busiest part of our city. All 40 artists have to pay $40/month rent as well for display space.

The gallery that I was at last year closed, but I had 70/30 rate there, and did not have to work any as a docent.

Re: gallery commissions

Dick Coers

A high end gallery that actively promotes the artists is well worth the 50%. 35% is about the cheapest you will get, and often reflects their effort. More importantly, is the contract you sign. Who is responsible for damage or loss and what is the pay out schedule. The gallery I am in now has been really slow with payouts. The owner has health issues, and I'm starting to get nervous. It feels like it's time to collect back my work.

Re: gallery commissions

John C Lucas

What Dick said is really important.. if you get everything in writing about damage, loss or stolen items, how ofte they write a check and anythig else you can think of it solves lots of problems later. I had huge problems with a gallery in Atlanta and a lot of it would have either not been a problem or would have helped me if it had gone far enough to go to court.

Re: gallery commissions

dave long

50-50 is a common split in most galleries unless it is a co-op where artist work out various deals. Along with the others have mentioned to get in writing, make to get in the contract who pays shipping an item which is sold and what carrier to use when shipping

Re: gallery commissions

Peter Hyde

MMmmmmmm.

A couple of years ago Charlie Rose did a program about a famous New York art gallery and in the interview the subject of commissions reared it's ugly head. The gallery owner explained that they were always looking for new artists and would sign them up exclusively and then go about promoting their work with advertising and tours to the point where they could maximize prices. Sometimes it would take several years of campaigning and many hours of travel and personal appearances etc. All for a commission of 5% (yes that's five) of the selling price of each piece. Some of their clients were now in the $1m + price range and highly sort after which made the gallery very successful.

In the UK there are some celebrity gallery owners who take a single piece of work as commission and then promote the artist with huge one off shows before any discussion or contracts are signed with regards to commission %.

Seems to me there are some very greedy gallery owners this side of the pond.

Re: gallery commissions

mikeee12345

If you have a Sharpie pen and a piece of cardboard you can always approach the

market from the other end and stand on the corner of a Walmart entrance with a

sign that says will turn wood for food. Your margins will be smaller but you can make

it up in volume. Brick and Mortar square footage is under extreme competition from

the internet and overhead expenses will continue to increase and margins will decline.

If someone had the answer to this problem they would be getting rich putting on seminars

across the country with wood turners standing in line to get in.

Re: gallery commissions

John K Jordan

I don't gallery but my friend the potter uses galleries that I think usually take 50%. His large pieces sell for around $15,000 so it's a sizable hunk of change. If he could find another way to sell I'm sure he would but these buyers probably don't browse Craigslist.

JKJ

The most valuable gallery asset is the clientele

Dick Coers

How many of the upper 1% do you know and how many have looked at your work? Now not all galleries really know the nations upper 1%, but I bet they know the upper 1% in your community. Having those people stroll through my shop will never happen, but it happens all the time in the gallery I show at. I'm happy to pay the 40% I do for the chance for those people to look at my work.

What's fair?

David Walser

The question of what's fair is like the one of beauty, it's all comes down to a matter of opinion. Years ago, one of my clients was retailer of custom athletic wear sold primarily through golf shops. The highest paid person in the company, some years more than the owner, was the head salesman. Why did he get paid so well? Because, if he didn't sell their stuff, nobody in the company made any money. Lots of salesmen had come and failed. He'd succeeded and was rewarded for it.

If you can sell all your work at the price you want without a gallery, the gallery's not worth it no matter how low the commission. On the other hand, if the gallery sells your work for a good price when you cannot, then ...

Re: gallery commissions

darrin hill

thanks for the input everyone...