A Price is a Price is a Price!

www.goodaboom.com


Planet Goodaboom, Friday 16th February 2007



Some months ago, I exhibited for the first time 3 musician paintings in a corner of the bar at „Rolys Too“, an English restaurant in Las Bouganvillas, Almeria. At that time the walls of the main exhibition room there - the restaurant - were covered with plenty of big oil paintings more than a little inspired by Dali! After some months the painter disappeared from the area, leaving behind him a large drinks bill by way of a parting gift to Mark, Rolys´s owner. Mark, quite upset, decided to take down the paintings to keep as collateral and „give“ ME all his walls. This is is how I came to have my exhibition „Sport for All“ running there, while my musicians are all reintegrated Kevin´s Sound Studio here on Goodaboom.

Yesterday evening, quite late indeed, Kevin got a call from Mark. A guy was there, asking for the Saxophonist he saw months before. He asked for my best deal.
The question was quite embarrassing indeed... As I don´t take my painting pricing system very seriously – this is the part of my job which I most hate!- I didn´t remember which price I had put on as I exhibited it. Unfortunately, Kevin needing the collaboration of the saxophonist for one of his new songs, I had to take him out of his frame, the place where I normally put the price. And the frame, of course, is now hanging somewhere else in the world around another painting, and with another price on it.
Giggling I said to Kevin:
„Say 180 €, and let us hope that it is less than the exhibited price before!“
Kevin looked at me worriedly, and called Mark back with this price. We were told that the client was just playing pool in a league and would call back later.
Half an hour later, already after midnight, the client let it be known:

„I give you 150 €, if the painting is here tomorrow!“

I didn´t hesitate for a moment and refused.
But i didn´t refuse because I found the price too low or because the painting is here and the client 300km away.
To be honest I felt quite proud that somebody saw the painting months before and came back to buy it. Whatever you may think: 150 € is a lot of money for „a sheet of paper“, and I am always so surprised that people are ready to spend that money or even much more for my work!
But well... in this special case I felt offended somehow... I have previously been confronted with these kind of „negotiations“ and I always disliked it. I have the feeling that these people don´t respect the artists and think, they can do what they want with us. It is well known that artists have a hard life, financially I mean. So some people may think, we are grateful for each coin, and somehow treat us as if we were beggars. But we are not. We work hard for what we earn, and we have our pride.
For my part I would be very happy if people could completely stop trying to negotiate a painting price. Let art be art, pure and beautiful. Just buy it if you love it and leave it if you think it is too expensive!

So, dear readers, The Saxophonist is on the market again. Unfortunately, as a contrary reaction, I see me forced to increase the price:
200 € now!
Somebody interested?