mel jacobson on thu 17 feb 00
an honest commission paid to a quality gallery should be
a pleasure.
most galleries raise your prices as your work becomes more
sellable.
to sell your own work adds another layer of work to an already
tired potter. i have chosen that way, but, it is work, and takes
a great deal of time. i give myself that commission money.
until you have been in the gallery business, cleaned and changed
the stock, done the books, paid the bills, wrapped the work
for shipping and on and on and on. deal with employees. watch the
freeloaders eat all the cheese and wine. no time off.
and then try and make a decent profit.
well, it is difficult. (and then find out that your artists have
been selling for cash and stiffing you.)
if it is so easy..why do about one/fifth of the galleries in new
york, go out of business each year? (and that may be conservative)
(get the spring issue of `artnews` and read the list
of national galleries.)
however saying that...remember, there are a great many sharks
out there in the deep water. if you play with them, you can get
deep bites. here is the general book work on profit/loss on a $10,000
dollar painting sale in new york. (very general figues.)
painting sold for $10,000 (if a corporate sale, take $1,000 off the top)
gallery gets 60%, or, artist gets 4,000.
you pay fica (u.s. government tax) 10%
or, artist gets 3,000...you pay on the gross sale.
you pay both state and federal tax or 30%
oh, artist gets 2,000 bucks
you have to get you and the work to new york for show.
artist now has 1,000 bucks.
you must use high quality linen, best paint. stretcher.
ooopps. artist now has 600 bucks.
time and effort, shipping, local taxes. heat and light.
studio rent.
oppppsie...artist is now minus $10.00
but, man, you feel really puffed up and feel good...you sold a painting
for $10,000 bucks. you are now big time. (and like the major leagues..
a few lucky ones make a great deal of money.)
if i do a back yard sale, let's for sake, say i sell three thousand
bucks of pots...well, i go to the bank.
profit/loss statements are often a deflator of ego, but, you can make money
if you work at it, just make sure you do the simple math.
makes a difference as to how you approach your business.
mel.mn
remember when i told you all about a very famous, nationally
know potter that told me, as he was loading huge, multi thousand dollar
pots in the truck to go
to the dump. `goddamn mel, i wish i could have
a backyard sale, you make more money than i do. the big
galleries will have none of that back yard stuff.`
(and, how many collectors are there out there, that will lay
out $5,000 for a pot. not as many as you think, and once
they own one or two...well, that is it for you.)
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a.
Liz Gowen on fri 18 feb 00
mel, good point and always a tough decision on how to sell, one of my major
tie-ups. Would just like to do a slight reordering of the deductibles. If
you run the pottery as a business # 1 deductions come off ( cost of doing
business ) prior to the amount taxed # 2 ( so perhaps you break even rather
than going in the hole, darn no business loss, 3 out of 5 years, if you work
another job .)
"# 1 you must use high quality linen, best paint. stretcher..
, shipping, local taxes. heat and light.
studio rent.
#2 you pay fica (u.s. government tax) 10% on the gross sale.
you pay both state and federal tax or 30% "
Liz Gowen
-----Original Message-----
From: mel jacobson
To: CLAYART@LSV.UKY.EDU
Date: Thursday, February 17, 2000 1:15 PM
Subject: galleries/money
----------------------------Original message----------------------------
an honest commission paid to a quality gallery should be
a pleasure.
most galleries raise your prices as your work becomes more
sellable.
to sell your own work adds another layer of work to an already
tired potter. i have chosen that way, but, it is work, and takes
a great deal of time. i give myself that commission money.
until you have been in the gallery business, cleaned and changed
the stock, done the books, paid the bills, wrapped the work
for shipping and on and on and on. deal with employees. watch the
freeloaders eat all the cheese and wine. no time off.
and then try and make a decent profit.
well, it is difficult. (and then find out that your artists have
been selling for cash and stiffing you.)
if it is so easy..why do about one/fifth of the galleries in new
york, go out of business each year? (and that may be conservative)
(get the spring issue of `artnews` and read the list
of national galleries.)
however saying that...remember, there are a great many sharks
out there in the deep water. if you play with them, you can get
deep bites. here is the general book work on profit/loss on a $10,000
dollar painting sale in new york. (very general figues.)
painting sold for $10,000 (if a corporate sale, take $1,000 off the top)
gallery gets 60%, or, artist gets 4,000.
you pay fica (u.s. government tax) 10%
or, artist gets 3,000...you pay on the gross sale.
you pay both state and federal tax or 30%
oh, artist gets 2,000 bucks
you have to get you and the work to new york for show.
artist now has 1,000 bucks.
you must use high quality linen, best paint. stretcher.
ooopps. artist now has 600 bucks.
time and effort, shipping, local taxes. heat and light.
studio rent.
oppppsie...artist is now minus $10.00
but, man, you feel really puffed up and feel good...you sold a painting
for $10,000 bucks. you are now big time. (and like the major leagues..
a few lucky ones make a great deal of money.)
if i do a back yard sale, let's for sake, say i sell three thousand
bucks of pots...well, i go to the bank.
profit/loss statements are often a deflator of ego, but, you can make money
if you work at it, just make sure you do the simple math.
makes a difference as to how you approach your business.
mel.mn
remember when i told you all about a very famous, nationally
know potter that told me, as he was loading huge, multi thousand dollar
pots in the truck to go
to the dump. `goddamn mel, i wish i could have
a backyard sale, you make more money than i do. the big
galleries will have none of that back yard stuff.`
(and, how many collectors are there out there, that will lay
out $5,000 for a pot. not as many as you think, and once
they own one or two...well, that is it for you.)
http://www.pclink.com/melpots (website)
from minnetonka, minnesota, u.s.a.
| |
|
