Market Slow Down?

Is everyone experiencing a slow down in sales in past 6 months; or is it just me? Yet “big names” continue to sell. Abstracts still selling, but figurative appears to be dead. Any thoughts as to why? Obviously, figurative appeals to a smaller market segment, but wondering if slow sales can be attributed to anything I can address.

I hadn’t sold anything in a really long time and I just sold 3 figurative pieces, well you could say 4, 2 weeks ago.

I haven’t sold any here for the last two weeks either. I did sell a couple on another site though.

I would suggest placing your work in more venues, online and off, online is getting very crowded for entry level art collectors that buy at 500usd and under.

Yes, slow for me. Summer is, generally. It seems if I do not paint frequently enough and do my work to market myself, I ‘fall off’.

It is crowded for art online, and I agree-more venues is necessary so we are not reliant on only one. While i trust DPW-there are a lot of others that are will change their rules frequently and if you built your business on their site only you are consequently at their mercy.

You will have a lot more control over your business online with your own site and if that is not possible, then through a few outlets instead of having ‘all your eggs’ in one basket.

I was clipping along at a good rate with sales, and, yes, mine have slowed way down in the last 6 months and now at a stand still. I have not figured it out! I do have images on Fine Art America also, no action yet!

I’m not sure I agree with you on abstracts outselling representational work. Do you have a source that documents that?
In my physical, brick and mortar location business slows every summer and picks up in the fall leading up to the holidays.

I have the same experience here, although I am only online. Definitely picks up after school starts again for me as well.

I have both still life and abstract, and I have been doing mostly abstract since they were selling better online and because when weather is good, I paint out in the bigger studio and when it gets cold, I hunker down in the smaller one. That might attribute to it. :stuck_out_tongue_closed_eyes:

You might find this of interest it’s prints not originals however.
http://www.liebermans.net/bestsellers.aspx

Hi D - No proof; just observations.
Thanks for feedback.

Thx S - love your work!!

I haven’t sold anything at all on DPW since I joined… maybe 6 months ago.

It’s my opinion that the United States is in a period of great uncertainty as the elections approach. It’s an old saying but ‘the market hates uncertainty’. I think we’re in a ‘bear art market’ at present. Sales are awful. Paint on, don’t doubt your work is worthy and deserves it’s asking price. Be inventive and patient and the sun of sales will shine again.

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Well said Jean. You are spot on IMO. We need to plough on and be optimistic. Look forward and stick with the long term goal/plan.

I’ve only sold 2 this year, both on DPW. I’ve got stuff on another site plus my own, but the web-stats don’t reveal any great surges in visitor numbers. I use one other UK-based site (which is where I live anyway). Never had much luck with USA-based sites except DPW. Last year, in early autumn, I suddenly sold three in three weeks, I suspect this may have been a prelude to Christmas, so maybe it’ll happen again. Guess we just have to push on and get more work done, then when things pick up again we’ll have plenty to offer.

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Well said Christine!

@gheath123 , I looked at your work and it’s very nice! The market is slow for me too for spring and summer but we need to continue to paint, post so we will be in the daily email, and maybe try the challenges or contests on DPW. Facebook is also good tool for being seen.

Sounds like a lot but I do little bit here and there every day. I really have been neglecting actually sitting gown and painting! I know when I painted more and posted at least a few times a week, I sold more often. I have not been doing that and the slow down of summer means I haven’t sold a lot. I also neglect the still life world and go abstracts for eBay in the good weather and that has slowed for the summer as well.

Pricing strategy post by carol marine was very helpful. Unfortunately I’m traveling and using my phone so had difficulty finding it at the moment. If u don’t find that post here on art talk , I will update this post when I can locate it.

Thanks Sunny.

I will take a look at how to price my art pieces.
Some originals are beautiful and are selling for the price of a print.

I also need to produce more art. I did get disconnected from that goal this summer.

Yep, seems to be true of buyers too!

Two weeks ago I too sold three figurative paintings on line. Fingers crossed this continues!

Since June I’ve sold two on DPW, two in one local gallery, one to a friend who was visiting my home from out of town (so, a studio sale?), and one from another local gallery. For me that is a very significant increase in sales, but I try to keep my prices very reasonable and the local gallery folks all seem to think I’m under priced.