Well, I just finished hanging a sampling of my framed, matted and signed nature images at Grand Superior Lodge this afternoon. For those who don't know, GSL is right on the shore of Lake Superior about 10 miles up the shore from Two Harbors in Minnesota. It is an upscale resort/lodge destination that caters to high-end traffic and is overrun during the tourist season.
I'm the only photographer displaying art there. As well as 16 framed, matted images running from 8x10 to 18x24 displayed in the lounge, restaurant and other public areas of the lodge (with more to come), I've got matted/mounted/clearbagged images ready for framing for sale in the gift store.
The showing, which will be permanent, already is a success. Five of my images sold before we were even done hanging the show, so now I've got more work to do to keep the inventory up.
Thanks to you here for some of the tidbits about shows and showings that I've gleaned on NPN in the last year. It helped, and so this toast is for you for helping me.
The key word Steve is permanent. That's a real score! Especially for the larger sizes, both framed and unframed, I'd look into suitable shipping cartons. If you supplied those to the lodge, it might really advance your sales. Folks on the road face the problem of getting bulky items home, whether in a car or a plane. I'm on the road and away from my favorites folders, so I can't provide sources. Maybe you already have them or others can chime in.
Thanks, Hank. The permanent gig, as well as the financial status of most of the lodge's clients, were the two aspects that excited me tremendously. I have several images hung now in the lodge's board room, too.
I'd appreciate that info on shipping shipping cartons whenever you can get to it, or if anyone else has good info on that, too.
As it stands, because of the portability issues you mentioned, I'm looking at the framed images as a "wow" factor to draw people into the gift store to pick up the mounted/matted/bagged images. The mounted images in clear bags are less work to put together (I do all mounting myself, from start to finish, so time gets to be a factor), and I make about $70 in clear profit on a mounted, matted, ready-to-frame 8x10 image in an 11x14 mat. I'll probably also be supplying greeting cards pretty soon, though there's far less profit in that.
Also, the lodge owns quite a few of the framed images (they bought them from me to help me get the show started), so when they sell, it's the lodge that will do the shipping/handling. I do own the largest few framed images (more profit that way).
The venue also will be a gateway to my Web site, which is one key place I want people to go, as it is my clearinghouse for photographic services well beyond nature prints, and will be getting revamped PDQ.
Discussion
7 repliesI'm the only photographer displaying art there. As well as 16 framed, matted images running from 8x10 to 18x24 displayed in the lounge, restaurant and other public areas of the lodge (with more to come), I've got matted/mounted/clearbagged images ready for framing for sale in the gift store.
The showing, which will be permanent, already is a success. Five of my images sold before we were even done hanging the show, so now I've got more work to do to keep the inventory up.
Thanks to you here for some of the tidbits about shows and showings that I've gleaned on NPN in the last year. It helped, and so this toast is for you for helping me.
I'd appreciate that info on shipping shipping cartons whenever you can get to it, or if anyone else has good info on that, too.
As it stands, because of the portability issues you mentioned, I'm looking at the framed images as a "wow" factor to draw people into the gift store to pick up the mounted/matted/bagged images. The mounted images in clear bags are less work to put together (I do all mounting myself, from start to finish, so time gets to be a factor), and I make about $70 in clear profit on a mounted, matted, ready-to-frame 8x10 image in an 11x14 mat. I'll probably also be supplying greeting cards pretty soon, though there's far less profit in that.
Also, the lodge owns quite a few of the framed images (they bought them from me to help me get the show started), so when they sell, it's the lodge that will do the shipping/handling. I do own the largest few framed images (more profit that way).
The venue also will be a gateway to my Web site, which is one key place I want people to go, as it is my clearinghouse for photographic services well beyond nature prints, and will be getting revamped PDQ.
I'm not due back home till July 9, so if you don't hear anything by then, nudge me.
What a great commentary on your work, from those who bought at once!
Sandy