If you’re an aspiring artist and are keen on selling your custom printed melamine products, we’ve got the perfect guide on how to do just that. Selling in a retail environment is an exciting prospect for anything regardless of where it is. It could be anywhere from small independent boutiques to high street retail stores, but this can happen through various outlets.
It is the perfect way for many artists to sell your work, especially if you’re uncomfortable or too shy to sell it yourself. The best thing about it? You get your creativity seen a wider audience and a bigger footfall.
It is an ingenious way to have your custom printed melamine artwork promoted and sold for you, so you can busy yourself with your favourite activity – designing stuff!
This process is very simple; it basically involves you parting with your wares on a Sale or Return Basis, or buying your stock upfront. At the end of the day, people are not going to sell your work for free, so this comes at a cost! You need to be making a profit from your work so sometimes this doesn’t work for all artists. Materials, time spent making the items and other costs like studio expenses, printing, insurance and packaging all need to be taken into account. Below we have outlined some of the expectations, common situations and questions artists have when first selling their custom printed melamine artwork.
Initial contact
Never send out spam emails. Think about how many emails you ignore – you don’t want one of yours to be them. Tailor each email to fit the stockist and explain why your custom printed melamine artwork would be a good fit. If you have had good sales, tell them. If you think your work fits their brand, tell them. Give them an outline of yourself and what you make, with a link to your website or some examples of your work.
How To Find Galleries And Shops Who Will Sell Your Work
A shop or gallery may contact you in person, which is great, especially if your designs are different and unique, but how do you find a place to stock your work if no one has contacted you? One of the best ways is to visit and explore local outlets and speak to the owners. Never, ever approach them if they are busy with a customer though! They will want to invest their time in you as much as your work, so plan your approach and be realistic.
Bring examples to show them or photographs if your work is large. Sometimes they may take your work there and then if you are speaking to the right person. Others may have criteria for applying with a jury.
Another way is through the good old trusted internet. I mean, you wouldn’t be reading this without it so it must be doing something right. Search out artists who fit your brand (not similar work to yours, as they won’t want duplicate stock), see where they stock their work and email those outlets.
Think about where your work would be suited. If your custom printed melamine isn’t going to bode well in a pet shop, avoid them. If it is more urban art, seek out specialist outlets, if your work is inspired by the coast, seek out seaside-based establishments.
Selling Your Work At Exhibitions or retailers
This is slightly harder when it comes to selling your custom printed melamine products.
An exhibition is a short term selling space that can be equally lucrative with the right promotion but as we said, it’s short term so you have to make the most of it when you can. You can either put your own show on or get someone else to do the hard work! If you’re lucky enough to have retailers contact you then half of your job is done. However, many are pretty elusive people to get a hold of.
Usually, artists are headhunted by the buyers who are looking for something that fits their trends that season – pretty elusive people to get hold of! You may need to email a company to find out who you should contact if you cannot find their details.
Always remember
Be professional and don’t be scared of rejection. As much as we love custom printed melamine, others may not and you should know when to walk away. However, don’t give up straight away. Like yourself, they may be very busy so always be sure to stay in touch and be on their radar. You never know, you may have your art up on their shelves quicker than you know. Let us know if you’re interested in getting something printed today.