Marketing thoughts and ideas anyone? (Long winded)

[IndyRick]

Hi, gang, I'd like to bounce some ideas off of y'all if that's ok. I posted something similar a couple of days ago in another forum, but that forum doesn't appear to generate much traffic.

First of all, I have no thought of becoming a professional photog. However, I am kicking something around. It might take some typing to get my thoughts in order ;)

I've messed with cameras for a LONG time and have been fortunate to get some pretty good shots. I've got some photos that folks really like that I've matted and framed and given as Christmas gifts, etc etc, and even had a couple of folks want to purchase a couple, which I've just given them.

I'm a musician a travel quite a bit. When performing, I've always got a table set up with our CD's, a couple of books I've written are also on the table.

I'm really kicking around the idea of taking some of my photos, matting them, and making them available at my table when we're performing somewhere.

I perform at a few coffee houses in Indy too, and most of them sell art or photography on what I think is a consignment basis.

Does anyone else do this? How do you go about it?

My initial thought is to have some matted photos with me, talk to the folks I know in the shops I play at, show them to the owner, and ask him/her to sell them for me (or let me display them)

I'm really curious as to other folks' experience with this. I'm thinking it's not going to be much different than making contact with a business and setting up music gigs...or is it?

I hope this is a proper subject for this forum!

Thanks, all,
Rick

[adina]

It is a proper subject, may be better suited to the business forum though...

If you are looking at consignment, make sure you are aware of the % they will take. They will display and sell it, for a price. If you are dealing with people you already know, they may just do it for the warm fuzzies they get from helping someone.

If you are already selling books and cd's, throwing some photos into the mix is no big deal. But make sure if you are deducting the cost of printing and framing, you are claiming the income. Photography is one of those things that the IRS pays special attention to.

It's not much different than a music gig, with the exception that you are leaving someone with a print you may have payed quite a bit of money to frame (I just sold two big wall portraits, framing along cost close to $400) who really has no vested interest in the product. If it gets damaged, no big deal to them, bigger deal to you, who has to eat the cost to repair.

Also, be aware of the fact that working with friends doesn't always go so great. Minor hiccups can be blown into friendship ending disasters.

[IndyRick]

Thanks, Miss Adina, for the thoughts. Just a point of clarification...the coffeehouses and so on I'm thinking of leaving my stuff with are places I have a business relationship with...they're places I play music at, so I've already established a business relationship with those folks.

And thanks for the IRS advice...those guys can be pretty touch about music, also ;)

I really hadn't given much thought to what if one (or more) of them would become damaged...I appreciate you bringing that up!

[MB1]

Since you are already selling your music CDs it seems to me like you could easily roll photos into the product mix. They would share the same marketing, tax and sales issues and be pretty easy to do.

Go for it!

[IndyRick]

Thanks, MB1. I learned a long time ago, I'll never know if I don't try. BTW, I LOVE your avatar.