Hints for Selling Prints?

cich · Feb 2, 2004

Hey. I've been doing photography for quite a while now. I'm not sure if I'm ready to try this or not, but I am. I was wondering if anyone here had some tips/hints for selling prints? I don't expect much, but I was just wanting to try... maybe cover some expenses of the hobby...

Thanks!

--cich

jack · Feb 3, 2004

cich

maybe, when you visit friends and relatives or local 'craft/gift' stores,
see what they have on their walls / what they choose to sell with regards
subjects. if you can emulate any of these. go ahead and offer your output
around. if you find a niche subject, maybe you can sell a few via ebay.com.
perhaps, get involved in a local photo club, which holds occasional
exhibitions of member's work at the local library. you might be able to sell
a few things via there. build a simple webpage. go to a DIY business-card
machine - get 20 cards done, with your url and your tel. some stores will
let you leave these on the counter. perhaps invest in framing a print and
giving it to a local cafe or agreeing a % split for selling it via their
wallspace. print up some mailshots on a desktop printer. walk round your
local area and post these through peoples letter boxes. i assume thats legal
in BC. it is here. maybe find some other photographer (again through a club
or a local internet resource). work together for greater coverage -offering
combined choice through a mailer or a webpage. i guess the fundemental
things are let people know youre out there. have something to show people.
always carry your business cards. keep prospecting.

post something here that youre happy with, for us to see.

bon chance ! ..//jack

Big Mike · Feb 3, 2004

I have no experience but I have heard this questions asked a few times.

You have to be really carefull...tax wise. If you are selling prints, you may have to have a business licence and pay business taxes. To do it properly would take a lot of time and effort.

If you already have a business and sold prints as part of that...then it may not be much of a big deal.

If you are only planning on selling a few, it may not be a big deal.

If you plan to make this into a business and write off expenses, you should do everything by the book.

I'm not a tax lawyer or a CCR employee...so make sure to ask someone who knows for sure. Maybe just call a lawyer or an accountant and try to get some free advice over the phone.

The point is...be careful. You don't want to start selling a bunch of prints and then all of a sudden get into tax trouble.

jack · Feb 3, 2004

hi mike,

what you say is sensible. however, my understanding - in the uk, for
example you dont have to be registered for what we term value added tax
(a national POS tax) until your turnover is in the tens of thousands of
dollars bracket. as a sole-trader (self-employed) the first ~US$10,000
(income) isnt taxable and its a degree of scale from there onwards. selling
a moderate but regular output of prints, as 'art' wouldnt involve a uk
entrepreneur with any form of capital gains tax here - that would be
extraordinary to acheive such volume, in the short / medium term.

cich, its always pays to do things legitimately and by the book, in my view.
but with that considered, no business ever matured and expanded without
an initial risk and a journey into new territory.

i would assume, having clarified with the Canadian revenue offices,
that some concessions are made, regarding tax-breaks and threshholds
to encourage new enterprise.

also, cich, the ability to claim expenses of "tools" and certain assets
against any taxation would be a welcome assistance to your activities.

i would be very interested to hear of what information you gather re:
canadian laws regulating a small business such as you propose.

cheers, guys..//jack

cich · Feb 3, 2004

jack said:
i would assume, having clarified with the Canadian revenue offices,
that some concessions are made, regarding tax-breaks and threshholds
to encourage new enterprise.

Yes, I only have to pay tax if my income reaches a certain bracket. (My mother's a business person)

--cich

mrsid99 · Feb 3, 2004

In the USA we have a similar tax situation...we only pay taxes on any money earned over 6 cents.

jack · Feb 3, 2004

bogleric · Feb 4, 2004

that is one way to look at it.......

lmao

GimpyPoop · Feb 6, 2004

Yo,
You can try to sell them on websites such as deviantart.com, but I think you have to pay for a subscription to do that. I am not sure. Hm . . .
Me, the FLea

ceno2000 · Feb 8, 2004

one thing that i have found that helps is to make these photos look priceless wrap them or put them in sleeving use gloves to show them to customers (sounds crazy i know) but show them that this is a piece of art not just some photo

ceno2000 · Feb 8, 2004

one thing that i have found that helps is to make these photos look priceless wrap them or put them in sleeving use gloves to show them to customers (sounds crazy i know) but show them that this is a piece of art not just some photo