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06/07/2012 11:50:05 PM · #1 |
Several months ago, many of you helped me price a print that a hotel wanted to buy. That was so successful, I'm back with the next question: how to handle postcards?
The hotel loves the print and is now talking about buying many more to put in their rooms!
But first, they're interested in selling postcards.
The cards are dirt cheap - under $20 for 100, so cost isn't an issue and I'll cover at least the first order so if they don't sell, at least I hold onto them.
I proposed a 70/30 split - they sell for $1/card, I get 70 cents and they keep 30 cents to cover handling and sales tax (whether they'd actually report the sales tax is an open question in my mind).
Does that sound reasonable?
Have any of you ever sold postcards through someone else, and if so, how'd you structure it?
Thanks! |
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06/08/2012 06:12:04 PM · #2 |
Wow.
No one has any thoughts or advice? |
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06/08/2012 06:23:27 PM · #3 |
| I think the sales of post cards will be irrelevant compared to the sale of prints to them.... I would give them more then 30% because I would guess the $ are small so they want to work on the larger print stuff. I dunno 50/50 or give them more.... comes down to how much you think will really sell - I assume it will be low. |
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06/08/2012 06:38:18 PM · #4 |
| $20 for 100 isn't much, why not add $20 onto the sale price of a print for the room and throw in 100 cards? Make sure your contact details are on the postcard and maybe the hotel will leave one in the room? |
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06/08/2012 06:43:41 PM · #5 |
I like some of the thinking here. Why go after the herrings when you can use them to catch the whale? The gallery guy I worked with considered anything smaller than 8x10 to be a "business card". I'd look at it with that attitude.
Otherwise, I like the 50/50 split better. You provide the cost of the card, they provide the labor to sell it and the tracking of how many sold and the paying of taxes, etc. etc...
Message edited by author 2012-06-08 18:44:27. |
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06/09/2012 01:18:33 AM · #6 |
Thanks, folks.
I'll definitely take your suggestions to heart if they actually come through with the print purchases.
Right now, it's just postcards.
50/50 sounds fine with me. As you've pointed out, even if not one card sells, I'll have postcards I can use and it's basically for no money. |
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06/09/2012 05:52:14 AM · #7 |
| thanks for getting me curious about postcards, jeffrey! what service are you using? i've used amazing mail in the past, but thought i'd look around again. my first google hit showed my 500 for $20. still looking for other options, though. |
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06/09/2012 06:01:54 PM · #8 |
Originally posted by Skip:
thanks for getting me curious about postcards, jeffrey! what service are you using? i've used amazing mail in the past, but thought i'd look around again. my first google hit showed my 500 for $20. still looking for other options, though. |
Yeah, I did the same thing, Skip. I haven't actually picked one yet, but I think 100 for something like $15 was at Vista Print. But it seemed like a promotion, while the normal prices was, I think, $25. So I just threw out $20 in the thread for discussion purposes. |
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06/09/2012 08:01:15 PM · #9 |
I wonder if there is some way to get samples of the quality of the various postcard printers. A place in Mich., where I vacation, would like to use some of my photos for postcards they use as a fund raiser. I saw the quality of the postcards they were selling, and the color was crappy. I told them no, that I didn't want postcards like that representing my work.
Message edited by author 2012-06-09 20:02:50. |
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06/10/2012 04:37:45 PM · #10 |
Originally posted by JuliBoc:
I wonder if there is some way to get samples of the quality of the various postcard printers. A place in Mich., where I vacation, would like to use some of my photos for postcards they use as a fund raiser. I saw the quality of the postcards they were selling, and the color was crappy. I told them no, that I didn't want postcards like that representing my work. |
Julianne, I think some places will send you a sample pack of their papers. Other than that, I guess it's just a matter of ordering some.
But it seems like there are a zillion printers, so look around. Maybe search for "samples."
Jeffrey |
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06/10/2012 05:49:49 PM · #11 |
Originally posted by levyj413:
Originally posted by Skip:
thanks for getting me curious about postcards, jeffrey! what service are you using? i've used amazing mail in the past, but thought i'd look around again. my first google hit showed my 500 for $20. still looking for other options, though. |
Yeah, I did the same thing, Skip. I haven't actually picked one yet, but I think 100 for something like $15 was at Vista Print. But it seemed like a promotion, while the normal prices was, I think, $25. So I just threw out $20 in the thread for discussion purposes. |
Vista print is awful. I printed the same card there that I printed at WHCC. No comparison.
I've used MooCards before...they are pretty good...not as good as WHCC.
Blackriverimaging (BRI) also excellent.
I have been a pretty long time customer now at WHCC. I'm about to print a bunch of postcards announcing my next show. I'll let you know how that works out. |
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06/10/2012 05:57:11 PM · #12 |
Originally posted by Neil:
Originally posted by levyj413:
Originally posted by Skip:
thanks for getting me curious about postcards, jeffrey! what service are you using? i've used amazing mail in the past, but thought i'd look around again. my first google hit showed my 500 for $20. still looking for other options, though. |
Yeah, I did the same thing, Skip. I haven't actually picked one yet, but I think 100 for something like $15 was at Vista Print. But it seemed like a promotion, while the normal prices was, I think, $25. So I just threw out $20 in the thread for discussion purposes. |
Vista print is awful. I printed the same card there that I printed at WHCC. No comparison.
I've used MooCards before...they are pretty good...not as good as WHCC.
Blackriverimaging (BRI) also excellent.
I have been a pretty long time customer now at WHCC. I'm about to print a bunch of postcards announcing my next show. I'll let you know how that works out. |
This type of experience is valuable. Thanks for posting specifics, Neil. |
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06/10/2012 06:56:24 PM · #13 |
The pricing at WHCC is not 'cheap', but you do have to consider the fact that they don't charge you shipping.
A comparison:
The 4x5.5" ones I'm looking at, double sided, full color, are $17.05 for 25 cards, in q 3-5 packs. So 100 cards cost me around $68, shipped. Not "cheap" but top quality.
Using GoPrint, Skips link: 100 cards, double sided color 4x6, is $27 + 9.84 shipping. Much cheaper. For my purposes, just a show announcement, it might be worth trying, because these will just be sitting there for people to pick up in the lobby of the JCC where the show is (and if they are nice enough, I could send some out). Actually, 250 is only $6 more, so I'd probably go for the $42 risk. Of course, I need them pretty soon, and if they are slow like vista print, that would not do.
If I were selling postcards though, I'd definitely use WHCC, because I'd want top quality. I may do 25 from WHCC and a batch from GoPrints just to see. If I thought I only needed 50, I wouldn't waste the money trying GoPrints though! |
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06/10/2012 08:11:31 PM · #14 |
PsPrint is a good one.
We have done business with them at our gallery for six years now.
They do excellent work on good quality stock.
Check their website for frequent 'deals.' (we do)
They are in Oakland, CA so I have visited their shop to pick up work.
It is so clean, neat and well-maintained that it's something like, well,
"a fine racing car establishment" as compared to "Joe's Fix-it-up Garage".
They have exacting rules for submitting copy and have someone to help
with the process if you get stuck on anything. |
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06/10/2012 08:39:01 PM · #15 |
| As Neil mention, you can't go wrong with WHCC. However, you may want to also look at 4by6.com. I used them awhile back to print out my business cards and I really liked the way they turned out. Good card stock. I also opted for round edges and each card was cut to perfection, unlike what you get at cheap print shops. Now I haven't tried their postcards but the sample pack they sent me looks very nice. |
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06/10/2012 11:14:35 PM · #16 |
Thanks for the recommendations!
I can see where you might want top-of-the-line postcards to mail out as advertisements for a studio or art showing.
I just don't think I need that kind of quality for tourists to mail home during a vacation.
If it looks good on delivery to me, it doesn't need to be high-end paper that will last forever. |
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06/10/2012 11:30:33 PM · #17 |
Originally posted by levyj413:
Thanks for the recommendations!
I can see where you might want top-of-the-line postcards to mail out as advertisements for a studio or art showing.
I just don't think I need that kind of quality for tourists to mail home during a vacation.
If it looks good on delivery to me, it doesn't need to be high-end paper that will last forever. |
One caveat,  levyj413, remember you spend a lot of time and effort on making a good image.
Don't toss any of that effort away on a poor rendition. Quality costs little more. :)
PS: That's my "Aunt Alice" advice. As they say, your mileage may vary.
Message edited by author 2012-06-10 23:37:39. |
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06/11/2012 12:42:23 PM · #18 |
Originally posted by sfalice:
PsPrint is a good one.
We have done business with them at our gallery for six years now.
They do excellent work on good quality stock.
Check their website for frequent 'deals.' (we do) |
Postcards are 50%-off today ... |
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06/12/2012 07:12:06 PM · #19 |
Originally posted by sfalice:
One caveat, levyj413, remember you spend a lot of time and effort on making a good image.
Don't toss any of that effort away on a poor rendition. Quality costs little more. :) |
Oh, I know. But I also think you have to consider when to bother with quality. A print someone will hang up? By all means, you need high-quality paper with long-lasting inks.
A postcard someone won't want to pay even $2 for and that will be tossed within days of it being purchased? Not so much. I mean, I want it to look good, but it needn't be perfect or long-lasting. |
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06/12/2012 07:20:52 PM · #20 |
I seem to remember there being some adhesive-backed card stock available -- stick on a 4x6 print (< 20 cents) and you have an instant postcard with a real photo on it.
This might be more suited to self-promotional pieces than mass marketing, but could be an alternative to keep in mind ... |
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07/02/2012 11:14:23 PM · #21 |
Will you be the one to do the design? Actually, you can avail of cheap but quality postcard printing online. For example, at PrintPlace, they print for $.24/postcard. With your proposed ration of the sales though, I think it's reasonable.
Message edited by author 2012-07-02 23:17:31. |
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07/02/2012 11:47:43 PM · #22 |
I hate to put a damper on the postcard discussion but being in the tourism industry postcards are a tough sell. Very few people purchase them anymore. With Facebook and all sorts of digital media people are just taking pictures and posting them online. We are lucky to sell 5 for $2.00 these days. That's forty cents each, so the hotel would have to be able to purchase them for less than twenty cents. I've even seen customers use their phone to take a picture of the postcard!! Personally I would ditch the postcard idea for retail all together. If you want them for yourself then go for the quality. If you are really stuck on having postcards in the hotel then sell the rights for postcard use to the hotel. You can supply them with artwork ready images and charge them $150 to $200 per image. Just my postage stamp on the topic!
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