When people say your prices are too high to even share

This reminds me of something I figured out after a while shooting night landscapes. The people closest to me, family, friends from college, they buy prints from Target or wherever. That's fine. They were never going to be the audience for a large format archival print of the Milky Way core over a Joshua Tree ridgeline, and expecting them to champion that product to their circles was setting myself up to feel bad.

The real move was positioning my work alongside other serious astrophotographers in terms of presentation and pricing, not alongside what my cousin's coworker might casually spend on wall decor. Once I stopped conflating "people who care about me" with "people who are my market," the pricing conversation got a lot quieter. Your friends not sharing your site isn't a pricing problem. It's just a sign they're not your audience, and that's okay for both of you.

This reminds me of something I noticed when I started selling prints of my close up floral work. A neighbor once told me nobody would pay that much for a picture of a flower. It made me second guess everything for a week. But then the people who did buy, they came back. They asked about my process, wanted to know which blooms I waited for, how long I sat with a single petal before the light was right. They weren't buying "a picture of a flower." They were buying something only I could have made in that moment. Fewer of them, yes. But each one felt like a real connection. I think when you hold your pricing, you filter toward people who genuinely see what you're doing. Those are the ones who share your work with the right people, not just anyone.

There is no perfect pricing IMO. You also cannot make everyone happy. Choose your starting point and only move forward. One thing that will help is to have the entire price ladder available, so offer different sizes, media types, frame options, smaller items, and limited editions to cover all audiences, from those who can only invest less than $100 to those who are looking for a work of art that will be in their collection for the rest of their lives.

Bree, how are your prices compared to others in the same media/genre? If they are comparable then don't worry about what those people are saying. I thought I had my photography prints priced well but when I did my shows I saw I was actually low compared to other photographers and especially wildlife photographers. I adjusted my prices to put me above middle of what I thought was average and I have done well. Every now and again someone will stop by complaining but I try to talk to them and give them just a hint of what goes into making one of my prints which usually brings them to at least nuetral.

Hey! The fact that you caught yourself before dropping prices tells me your instincts are solid, because the second half of your post is exactly right: a low anchor is brutally hard to undo.

Here's the thing that stings but also sets you free: the people telling you your prices are too high to share are telling you about THEIR comfort level with money, not your buyer's. Your collector and the person in your cousin's friend group who "might like something for the living room" are almost never the same person. The word-of-mouth path from casual acquaintance to serious art buyer is so narrow it's basically a myth.

A few moves that build momentum without touching your prices:

- Reframe "share my site" into "share my story." People who won't send a link because of price WILL share an Instagram reel of you painting, a behind-the-scenes studio tour, or a post about what inspired the piece. Story content travels. Price tags don't.

- Offer a genuine entry point without discounting the originals. Open edition prints, small works on paper, or a custom artwork option starting at a lower price point gives new collectors a way in. That's not lowering your prices, it's widening the door.

- Build your email list and talk directly to people who already raised their hand. One collector who opted in is worth fifty casual referrals from friends who think your work is "nice but pricey."

- Show the work in context. Room mockups, install shots, scale photos with a person standing next to the piece. Price resistance often comes from not being able to picture the value on a wall. When someone sees a 36x48 original in a styled living room, the number makes more sense.

The artists who sell consistently almost never got there through lower prices. They got there by finding the people who already value what they make, not by convincing skeptics. Your circle's discomfort with the price is actually a signal that you're priced for collectors, not for casual browsers, and that's where you want to be.

Want to pressure-test where your prices actually land? I can run a pricing review on your collection right now.

Other resources you might find helpful:

- "Can you do better (on the price)? — Learn confidence-building strategies for holding prices firm and redirecting price-haggling inquiries toward multi-piece sales instead.

- Adding a low-price entry point to commissions — smart or risky? — Real-world evidence on whether low-price entry commissions build buyer relationships or waste capacity; tested strategy for converting hesitant prospects into paying clients.

- What Arty Said! - May 22, 2026 11:19 AM — Concrete strategies for selling individual pieces by framing work with narrative, video documentation, and room mockups that drive buyer inquiry.

Arty is our artist super-assistant. Trained on all things related to art business & marketing. use @arty in a post or comment to ask Arty directly. upvote & downvote to provide feedback.

I heard the same from a friend of mine. She thinks my art is beautiful but expensive. She doesn't pay more than $75 dollars for art. This is the same person who bought a $40K boat, pays $2,900 in taxes and $5K a year for a wet slip. No, I will not lower my prices because it is not a matter of money, it's a matter of priorities for many people. I also think that, being so close to me for so many years, they think they should not pay that much for art created by someone so close. Stand your ground.

As Indra said, you'll never make everyone happy. The best thing you can do is have a range of price points for everyone. It's important to remember that people will be at different stages of their buying journey at different times. Just because someone can spend $10K doesn't mean they're in the market for something huge right now. And just because someone usually has a lower budget doesn't mean they haven't been saving for something grand. It's really about having prices available at every stage of that journey, from small prints to extravagant originals or large limited prints etc.

When I was much younger I started to doubt myself when people said my paintings were too expensive. Nowadays I say: they are not expensive, they are above your budget 😁

I have tried to sell re furnished small tables and chairs. On FB marketplace, I am always asked to reduce my prices to near nothing. I need a new way to sell.

Are those friends your target market? I would research what others in your genre are doing. We tend to undervalue and under price our own work.