How much would you pay for greeting card art?

[creospace]

This will probably be the first of a few feedback requests:

I've seen handmade cards for sale in the UK for upto about £4.00. They're maybe examples of higher, and if so i'd love to hear about them.

Handmade traditionally means bits of pre-manufactured card and accesories stuck together. Teh market is swmaped with this sort of card.

But, If the card was truly handmade, ie drawn and inked or painted etc would that add value to the product? If the product was sold as a 'piece of art' to cherish and be framed once the use of greeting was passed would that add value?

What price would somone pay for that sort of product?

All opinions welcomed and valued.

Gary

[coxadmin]

I think the idea is great.

The price anyone will be prepared to pay will vary greatly - ask 1000 people and you may well get 1000 different answers.

I think the best market for this type of card is special birthdays, special wedding anniversaries or one-off occasions. Personally I wouln't buy thie type of card for just any occasion - it would have to be a "special" like 18th, 21st, 30th, 40th, 60th birthdays, wedding, birth of first child, special wedding anniversay, etc.

[sparklyscotty]

Hi there,
One of my first businesses was handmade cards. I couldn't make money from it, so I started framing the artwork instead and it was really popular. There is a great profit line on this kind of work.
I chose to go straight for selling the artwork framed instead of a card to be framed later because it is much simpler.
How does the customer frame the card after use? Do you sell it as a package that they then have to assemble? How does the recipient see the sentimental message inside once it's framed?
If the artwork on the original card is nice, I would say just sell it framed.
-Angel-

[YEM]

I make cards for family and friends and there is a lot of effort and detail that goes into them. I don't make them specifically for people to frame but depending on what the occasion is, people sometimes do.

For example, I made my grandparents 50th anniversary invitations and my partners mum's 50th birthday invites.

I then created the pesonal card in line with the invites so that everything flowed - my cards and invites are now proudly dispayed.

Not sure about selling them with a view to framing, I suppose it depends on the occasion

[SillyJokes]

I think that making art into cards cheapens the work. If it's that good put it in a frame already!

If you give it as a card, then the recipient must go to the hassle and cost of getting it framed themselves, something I never seem to get round to doing.

Therefore, give it as a card, but sell frames with it.

[i'm_not_a_farmer!]

why not do both??

Sell art as art (in frames etc) and recreate them as printed cards - surely you can capture both markets this way?

[clairemackaness]

I would recommend selling the original art in frames, but allow people to buy prints in the form of cards. Like Silly says, offer rames that fit on your website so that all the options are open to the customer. As much as us arty types appreciate the value of a handmade/painted card others just dont and will always compare it to the £1.99 card they can buy fro mthe local card shop.

[creospace]

I am wondering who buys these card & accesorie things for £4 ish?

Gary

[creospace]

Having thousands of cards printed, although a fantastic idea isn't really an option at the moment, maybe something for the future.

The post-framing thing was kind of an after thought, but good to get this sort of feedback.

When the site is officially launched you'll see the work and be the judges. It maybe that the framed (well will be mounted ready for framing as the purchaser can then choose their own frames) will be the way to go..

If the cards area not a goer then to mount them is no problem but from the test sales they have been popular.

More to follow . . .

[YEM]

I am wondering who buys these card & accesorie things for £4 ish?

Gary

People are prepared to pay more for unique, quality, stuff.

Look at a lot of the high street card shops - they have cards up to (and over) £5. If you are going to spend that on a card, wouldn't you rather have a handmade one (most likely one of a kind) rather than a mass produced one?

[puravida]

We've started to stock some hand made cards by a local artist who paints on fabric then makes a greeting card from it. We sell them for between £3 and £4.

I personallly think they are worth much more as each one is unique and handmade.

I do, however, beleive their is a ceiling on the price poeple woudl be prepared to pay for a greeting card. I'd very much welcome any evidence supporting otherwise as I'd love to sell these cards for more and pay the girl who makes them more.