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beyond marketing to limit
giclées or offset
lithographs? If there is, it
escapes me. We’ve talked
ourselves into believing
collectors will appreciate
there is intrinsic value in
owning something that is
limited. I agree this
concept is true to some
extent, however, I also
think it is highly overrated
and causes a more serious
loss of income for artists,
galleries and printers than
it does create value for
them.
If you limit your prints,
you never give yourself a
chance to have the huge
hit that can be a bonanza
for you. Ask any
Cooking Ham & Limited Editions continued from Page 1.
Page 5
successful poster
publisher, they can name
the images that drove
sales and made their
company profitable in the
beginning. They spend the
rest of their careers in an
effort to replicate those
sales and the ones who
have stuck around learned
to do it with a degree of
consistency.
How much more can an
artist charge for a print
that is limited versus one
that is not? How many
artists actually ever sell
out most of the limited
editions they create? How
many sold out limited
editions have an ever-
increasing value on the
secondary market? How
much does an artist spend
in trying to be compliant
with state regulations
regarding art prints? Did
you know that currently
14 states require
Certificates of
Authenticity to comply
with their laws? If you are
selling at national shows
like Artexpo or over the
Internet, you could be
creating problems for
yourself without providing
proper COA materials.
Other forms of arts don’t
limit how much of what
they create can be sold.
Sure, the Repertory
theatre has limited runs
and seating, but they will
sell every seat and
recordings, extend the run,
and offer DVDs or
whatever to keep coining
the performances.
Recording artists don’t
decide that only a few of
their fans and collectors
can own their music. Film
studios don’t limit the
number of times Star
Wars will be seen, sold, or
rented for that matter.
Oddly, visual artists have
come to believe that it is
in their best interest to
limit how much money
they can make from prints
of their originals.
Consider the public is
somewhat wary of limited
Cooking Ham & Limited Editions continued from above
editions anyway. Art fraud
is and has been a big
business. It is why state
legislatures got into the
act and decided to force
compliance on limited
editions. Wide-format
printers can now be
bought for a tiny fraction
of the $100,000 it took to
get started with a Scitex
Iris printer last century.
Making art prints can truly
be a garage business now,
not that it is recommended
or to imply the highest
quality is produced. Any
remotely sophisticated art
buyer realizes printing
technology is making the
giclée process available
and affordable for all
artists. To me, it adds up
to so many reasons to get
out of the limited market
for most artists.
I think it makes more
sense to find some other
way for artists and their
art to stand out in the
market place. Besides the
tremendous financial
advantage that POD (Print
On Demand) technology
offers artists, it also
allows collectors to buy in
sizes that suit their needs.
When you start selling
multi-size limited
editions, you water down
the limited edition
concept, not to mention
what the offset limited
“I wish this book was
available when I started
in the print business. It
would have saved me
time and money.” —
Ralph Burch, Top selling
print and licensing artist
“Barney delivers
comprehensive
knowledge and insight
about every aspect of
what publishing your art
really entails. He gives
artists a reality check on
putting their dreams and
potential careers in a
business perspective. His
wisdom has had a major
positive impact on my art
career.” — Jeffrey Paul
Burger, Artist
“Barney Davey has
written a compelling art
print market performance
guide by defining the
ABC’s of the
business. How to Profit
from the Art Print
Market will help guide
any entrepreneurial artist
by providing a
professional business
foundation with superior
market knowledge." —
Larry A. Bauman, Ph.D.,
CMC –Consultant to
leading art & picture
framing companies
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