HOW DO PEOPLE PAY FOR YOUR ARTWORK?
A question that you must consider when showing your artwork is how do I get paid if someone wants to buy something? Do I rely on the shop owners to collect? Many do not want that responsibility. Others will be willing to collect, but you are required to go get the money. That's not a problem if you must replace the sold art anyway, but what if the shop is a distance away?
I now have two ways for buyers to pay for artwork. The first one I used was SQUARE. I have had it for a couple of years. I purchased the reader at CVS pharmacy for $15 and downloaded the app on my phone. It has worked well for art fairs and workshops. There were a few times I would have to swipe multiple times to get it to read the card, but no one complained. I have also used SQUARE to send invoices to customers so they can pay for workshops. It has been reliable.
A new app is now out that uses your PayPal account. You must have a business account with PayPal, but it is free. Once you have the business account, download the PayPal.me app on your phone and you are good to go. It allows a customer to purchase artwork quickly and securely and take it with them. You get paid immediately, the shop owner does not have to handle money for you, and you don't have to go pick up money. The customer simply calls or texts you to purchase. You then send them a quick link to the PayPal.me app with the price added after a backslash. They use their card to pay and you both get notice the transaction is complete. At that point you text the shop owner the art is paid for and everyone is happy! It is a great new tool that allows you to sell more art!
Both of these apps charge a small fee for the service, but such is life. We all pay for convenience. The up side is that we get sales where we may not have otherwise, and isn't that the point after all? I am here to tell you that if you want to sell art you must be able to take credit cards. It is a fact of life.
On that note, I recently sold five paintings in just one week. Four were at the BACK 40 URBAN CAFE, and one was in a new location for me, a doctor's office. I have photos below of the sold art. Can you see the big smile on my face? Oh, yeah!
"BEACON of HOPE" 30 x 40 acrylic on gallery wrap canvas |
"A WALK IN THE RAIN" 9 x 12 acrylic on canvas panel |
These paintings had been changed out to beach-brown frames before they sold.