Allow a percentage (typically 10%) of stock to come back to you as a credit on the next order. Some of your card stock will become damaged in the store, or just be slow sellers. Allow returns of all leftovers in exchange for credit on their next order from you. Got Christmas cards, Valentines or other holiday cards to sell? Most card companies allow returns on unsold seasonal cards, and store buyers expect it. Offer this only to prospective accounts you feel sure will pay their bills. Extended dating means allowing extra time to pay for their order (60-90 days, typically), which may make the difference in getting that order. Many card vendors require pre-payment for first time orders, or they give net 30 terms. At that point, they pay only for what they sold. Let the buyer know you are so certain of success, that you will take back all remaining stock if your line doesn’t sell after a certain period (six months, for example). It’s a great incentive at a trade show to encourage buying right there and then, or make it a limited-time offer to drive sales. Every buyer is looking for a way to make better margins, and free shipping cuts their costs. The total dollar amount of the dead stock you remove from their store becomes a credit towards their new order from you! You don’t have to buy for full wholesale – make an offer – half of wholesale or less may get a bite. Buy out this stock in exchange for “real estate” (the pockets those dead cards were sitting in). Every store has really slow sellers hanging around from other card companies whose products they no longer carry. This is a super incentive that works quite well. Quite often they choose enough product for a minimum anyway. Let them order whatever they want, just to get in the door. Even if you normally require minimums, waive that for new accounts. Or have your sales rep do so for total customer service, and to make sure the display looks terrific. If the account is close by, deliver the fixture, build and stock it. Offer a free fixture to display your card line.Experienced sales reps and savvy card companies make these irresistible offers and deals from time to time – and so can you! To enjoy Laura’s regular column subscribe to the print magazine or receive a digital subscription.Choose carefully what you will offer – it should meet the needs of the buyer, and give them the incentive to try your line. This featured in the June 2017 issue of Artists & Illustrators magazine. If you are asked for a trade price for your cards, it needs to be about 50 per cent of the retail price if you are selling up front and, for sale or return, you will need to agree a percentage commission. Approach your local museum or gift shop, too, as they often sell cards by local artists, and also ask any gallery that shows your work. I take cards along to classes and talks, as well as fairs and shows. After costings, I find that I can price slightly below the normal retail value and still make a good profit because people buy more cards when they are competitively priced.Īlways put your contact details and a bit about yourself on the back of the cards, and take a box of them with you everywhere you go. I buy envelopes and glassine bags separately and pack everything myself. Check quantities with the printer to get the best price for your order or maybe coordinate with other artists for a bulk deal. I make sure that I have top-class photographs of my work and use a professional printer who is used to producing cards in short runs. I make a card-size printout to see if the work will reproduce favourably, and always prefer prints that have been received well on social media – it is a good test for sales. Most people like to buy a little something from an artist and, if those who wouldn’t buy originals end up buying cards, the money soon mounts up. They live with a card and find they can’t do without an original or are sent one and inspired to buy. More than balanced against this are the people who buy prints because of the greetings cards. People have told me they are buying a card to frame and that’s fine: it’s great they like my work enough to hang it. The main concern raised is that people will buy them rather than the work. I have been selling cards for years and, if done well, I think they are great for business. Recently, I’ve been involved in a debate about the value of turning work into greetings cards. Link copied to clipboard Selling your work in greeting card format is a great way to introduce people to your art, as well as generate extra income, says Laura Boswell
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