Feedback on Print Offers

I'd like to ask for your opinion, if you'd be so kind as to indulge me.

As you've noticed, over the past couple of days I've offered a few prints for sale here. The first was a sample of B&W output from the printer I'm currently reviewing; I offered five prints and they all sold. The second was a portrait of a famous photographer. That post has been up for barely 24 hours and 8 out of 10 have sold.

I'd like to sell more prints, my own work and others'. For me, it's fun. But I'd like to hear more about your preferences and what you'd like to see.

Do you mind seeing prints for sale here on T.O.P.? (I don't know why not, but maybe I should ask.)

Do you ever buy prints at all, or are you just not ever in the market? (If you're never in the market, please don't answer any of the rest of the questions!!)

Did you consider either of the previous offers? If so, and you decided against it, how come?

Would you buy a print just to see it, or to keep it in a drawer, or a box, or a book, or would it have to be something you'd want to frame and put on the wall in order for you to buy it? Do you already have original photographs framed and hanging on your walls?

Price perception is always a headache. Consider these two comments from yesterday (I'm paraphrasing in both cases): "Sixty dollars is nothing. I just assume it can't be worth anything if the price is that low." "You said 'extremely low price.' For an inkjet? You should have said 'extremely high price.' " I know it's hard to put aside our natural inclination to seek out a good deal, but please try as you asnwer this: in general, what's the range of prices you'd personally consider paying for a print? What's just out of the question, and is it on the low or the high side?

And assuming a rough equation of price to quality, what has more appeal to you, a higher price or a lower one? That is, would you rather pay $30 for a pretty good print or $300 for a really good one?

How important are fine materials? How about a signature?

What's most important to you—a "name" photographer, the subject of the picture, or whether you personally really like the picture or not?

What would you most like to see here: prints by me, by others, or both?

Would you rather see and consider a variety of things, or do the things that appeal to you all tend to be of the same general type, name, or subject? If the latter, what sort of thing is it?

Finally, is this sort of thing—being presented with print offers / purchase opportunities, I mean—fun and / or gratifying for you?

Don't think you have to answer all these questions to respond. Any feedback you care to provide about your personal feelings would be helpful.

Posted by: MIKE JOHNSTON