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Marketing Technique: Keep It A Secret

R

richard.L

Guest
I went to the Ft Worth Art Festival, only the 5th AF I've ever attended. Back in CAL they're always teamed with "wine"... This wasn't and was a much nicer event.

But oddly, there were several exhibiters that posted "no photographs" signs. Like all good photographers I took photographs anyway. Pictures of people. Blurring by, what in most cases, is pedestrian art that is bigger than it is interesting. And in two cases the artist-exhibiter became upset with me for photographing --- in the one case I was photographing the sign and told the AE that. When he remarked that he thought that was a "stupid thing to photograph" I replied that it was the smartest thing in his booth, also the most interesting.

None of the booths marked as "secret. eyes only" were manned by Texans.

Oh, Part II: it was a very rare... none ... booth that had flyers or cards out. My wife had to ask each and every person she was interested in for a card.

Is this the new wave .... KIAS... keep it a secret.


richard --- it was great to take Mona home (for those Texans who know)
 

Jack

Sr. Administrator
Staff member
It is a well know fact that artists generally make pretty poor business people. I used to have a signature quote that went something like this,

"When bankers get together for drinks, they discuss art. When artists get together for drinks, they discuss money."
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
Maybe their stuff was too good to sell (in their minds, that is)
-bob
 
I had the same problem at a local art fair. I decided that if I was within their booth area (the area they rent), I would not photograph if there was a sign or the artist asked me not to. But when I was outside their booth, I photographed anything I felt like. When challenged (and I was) I smiled and calmly said, "I'm on public property, call the police if you think I'm breaking a law." Obviously someone selling in public has no right to privacy whatsoever.
 
R

richard.L

Guest
Willie: I didn't get the feeling of trespassing -- no conflict of the commons, but instead I was noting the odd "sales" approach. This of course was counterpoint to the craftsmen who sat in their booths reading the paper. I think instead that someone selling in public ought to seek how they engage in public. Their sign and some of their attitudes signaled fright. Probably about being ripped off. I don't know what they thought was being "taken" from them

Bob: maybe their stuff was too close to them to bear letting go, but I doubt it. They had prices on it all. That of course raises the price-knowledge paradox. I as maker, owner, current user know a things full, honest value. You as buyer have much less knowledge so have only a partial way of valuing it. Yet we agree on price. Seller knowing it isn't worth the price being sold :) otherwise I wouldn't sell it. You the buyer are buying it therefore for something other than its known value. You put your own price on it do to some faulty, partial knowledge. Maybe its future value? & transactions are made often, just witness all the Forums of the Web doing daily deals among the tribe members.

richard -- dallas
 

Bob

Administrator
Staff member
You could get a predator hat.
Just stick one of these on a blue baseball hat and ask them politely if they would rather you visit them formally.


-bob
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
... That of course raises the price-knowledge paradox. I as maker, owner, current user know a things full, honest value. You as buyer have much less knowledge so have only a partial way of valuing it. Yet we agree on price. Seller knowing it isn't worth the price being sold :) otherwise I wouldn't sell it. You the buyer are buying it therefore for something other than its known value. You put your own price on it do to some faulty, partial knowledge. Maybe its future value? & transactions are made often, just witness all the Forums of the Web doing daily deals among the tribe members.
I think your description confuses cost and value.

- In most circumstances, the seller knows the cost of something and how much more than that it is worth his while to sell an item for.

- The buyer, on the other hand, is who determines the value of something to be purchased. If the value is high enough to match the sellers costs and what he's willing to sell for, then the seller has a sale. If the buyer does not value what the seller has for sale enough to meet the seller's costs, then you don't.

Art is often appraised by art dealers to be valued much higher than buyers would ordinarily have any interest in, but good art dealers know how to incite a buyer to value something more and generate sales.

Artists, on the other hand, often don't know how to appraise their work at all and attempt to sell it based on their costs added to what they think they can schill a buyer into paying beyond that.

Sounds like the bunch of artists you encountered at the fair fall in this category, and aren't very good at schilling buyers into sales...

The "no photography" nonsense is just that: nonsense. These artists have the misconception that allowing people to snap a picture of their work and take it home de-values their work. There are few things in the art world as ridiculous as that. A reproduction of an original art work is not the art work ... and if the clientele you are selling to are satisfied with a crappy snapshot of the art work you are making, then they aren't much of a clientele in the first place. These artists better have some other way to make a living ...
 
R

richard.L

Guest
I think your description confuses cost and value.

---...
thanks for correction, ----

But the remaining interpretation is as I see it. I thought some of the people who hit this board may have had interpretations in "pro" no photo, with an anecdote or so to support their solution.

by the way do like many of your pixs. used to see them at Modern Book.

richard. formerly of Woodside... now Dallas. gotta love those Jet Airliners.
 
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Godfrey

Well-known member
thanks for correction, ----

But the remaining interpretation is as I see it. I thought some of the people who hit this board may have had interpretations in "pro" no photo, with an anecdote or so to support their solution.

by the way do like many of your pixs. used to see them at Modern Book.

richard. formerly of Woodside... now Dallas. gotta love those Jet Airliners.
thanks for the compliment. :)

Dallas? An old friend of mine lives there. Haven't been there myself since 2006 or so, and it seems to always be a pass through on the way to somewhere else.

It's a long way from Woodside!
 
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