Pricing your work is rarely a one-and-done decision. If you’re building toward representation in bigger markets, you may face a dilemma: your local market supports a certain price range, but your long-term goals require higher prices. Push too fast, and local sales may stall. Hold back too long, and you risk slowing your momentum toward those larger opportunities.
The challenge is finding a pricing strategy that keeps you selling now while setting the stage for the future.
Why Your Local Market May Not Support Your Long-Term Prices
Not all markets are created equal. Smaller or less-developed art markets often have fewer collectors with the budget—or the mindset—to purchase at the higher price points you might eventually want to reach.
That doesn’t mean your work isn’t worth more; it simply means the local audience isn’t accustomed to paying that amount. Pushing too far ahead of what the market will bear can create unnecessary friction in your sales.
A Two-Tier Approach
One way to navigate the gap is to maintain two price points:
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Local Pricing: Set with your current audience in mind, based on research into what sells in similar venues in your area.
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Target Gallery Pricing: Higher prices positioned for the markets you want to break into, aligned with the level of work and reputation you’re building toward.
This approach allows you to keep making sales locally while presenting yourself competitively to galleries in your target regions.
Use Market Research to Set Each Price Point
Market research isn’t about copying other artists—it’s about understanding where your work fits in the landscape. Visit local shows and galleries to see what sells and at what price. Then do the same for your aspirational markets, whether that means traveling to visit those galleries in person or reviewing their inventory online.
By doing this, you’re aligning each price tier with a real-world sales environment rather than guessing or pricing solely on personal preference.
Plan for the Transition
A two-tier system is temporary. Once you secure representation in your target markets, you’ll need to bring your prices into alignment. Galleries expect consistency—if a collector finds your work for significantly less elsewhere, it can damage your relationship with the gallery and your perceived value.
When the time comes, raise your local prices to match your broader market positioning, even if it means losing some local buyers. The increased exposure and higher-value sales from larger markets can more than make up the difference.
The Key: Strategy, Not Guesswork
Balancing local sales and aspirational pricing isn’t about lowering your ambitions—it’s about pacing your growth so you don’t lose momentum along the way. By keeping your eye on both the present and the future, you can continue to sell now while preparing your market for where you’re headed.
This is a particularly interesting topic for me right now, Jason. I am represented by a gallery I love in Albuquerque. He just invested a great deal in a solo show for me and the marketing that accompanies that. He also participates in several International/National shows each year. In fact many years ago he brought my work to SOFA in Chicago, a lifelong goal of mine to be shown there along side galleries representing artists whose work has always been so inspirational to me.
We had a super turnout for both nights and successful artists talks. He forewarned me the market in Albuquerque isn’t exactly Santa Fe. His theory is if people truly love the work but genuinely can’t afford it, it’s a good indication it will sell at upcoming Palm Springs and Scottsdale shows he participates in.
In the meanwhile he asked if I’d consider making a few more affordable pieces for the Albuquerque market. I feel like my work is so fairly priced already. My work is selling for what it did 25 years ago (not exactly inexpensive) even though the glass I use has gone up substantially, but the market can’t bear an increase in my prices that comes anywhere near to matching the increase in raw glass.
I’ve been thinking it over and this blog addresses that it may be a good idea. I don’t know how I feel about a gallery asking for less expensive work. Do you have thoughts about this?
Sorry, Jason. Normally I agree with you. But in this, I completely disagree. An artist’s prices should always remain the same, especially in these days of internet searches. Almost all buyer will do at least cursory searches of an artist before they make a final decision, and if they find lower prices somewhere besides in the gallery with whom they’ve been talking? That’s where they’ll go. So this two-tier pricing betrays any gallery with whom an artist is working. And besides, it also betrays the integrity of the art. When an artist gets ready to move into gallery representation, no matter where the gallery is – local, NYC or London, or Nebraska, the prices must be the same. Otherwise the galleries will – quite rightfully – feel the artist is dealing improperly, and the quality of the art will also look unreliable. It’s difficult to make the jump to galleries – but this is just one of those steps that has to happen, like it or not. When I – and my husband – made this jump, 40 years ago, prices increased. Sales never suffered. Because the sales increased due to the gallery representation. And funny thing – most of the local people were actually proud that they had to pay more money. Their values had increased. It was never a real problem. Though it could have been if we had let our fear be in charge rather than our determination.
I agree. I was wondering if he meant to supply the different galleries with various types of art (different sizes, styles, etc.). I think that could work.
Are you talking about 2 tiers of pricing for the same work?
Or just 2 bodies of work that fall into different pricing tiers?
My question exactly. I don’t see how two different prices for the same work would work at all.
I have the same question.
I would think that it is two separate bodies of works.
Maybe the less expensive are smaller/unframed.
The more expensive are large/framed etc. ?
Otherwise it would not work.
This is a dilemma for me for sure because I live in a town full of artists, and the price point for selling here is quite low in comparison with larger markets. Customers in Spokane seem to want artists to give away their art and then feel the price is too high.
I appreciate your views on this subject, and I agree with the points you expressed, however I see Michelle’s point too. I’m still leaving this discussion in a dilemma.