old studio samples

[carrbowl]

What do you do with yours?

you sell them at a discount...great, but people know you don't really need them anyway, so are you really giving them a deal? At the same time, you can't just start giving away the samples or people wont' buy your photos and will just wait for the samples...or will they still buy??

welcome to my head...now tell me what you have done and how it works for you.

[Howard Barlow]

When I decide to take one off display, I will, in most cases, ask the client if they are interested in it. If they are, I will have it resprayed, if needed, and let them have it for half price. It IS a deal to them, regardless of what you would otherwise do with them.

[BenE]

Originally Posted by Howard Barlow

When I decide to take one off display, I will, in most cases, ask the client if they are interested in it. If they are, I will have it resprayed, if needed, and let them have it for half price. It IS a deal to them, regardless of what you would otherwise do with them.

This.

[pbyd]

Just this year I down-sized my studio, after the move I had over 40 mounted images in sizes from 16x40 up to 30x40 that had accumulated over the years from images being changed out in studio displays. At first I did think of offering the images to the client at a discount price, but then after thinking about that it seemed I would be devaluing my work, sometimes the same image the client paid full price for. So to keep what is becoming a long story short, I took out my box cutter and had a wonderful afternoon cutting prints up into small pieces that would fit into the garbage.
At some point I will do the same again, but with fewer images I hope.
Wayne
Photography by Design

[carrbowl]

"thinking about that it seemed I would be devaluing my work,"

This was probably my biggest concern...thanks. I think that's what I need to do.

[Howard Barlow]

Originally Posted by carrbowl

"thinking about that it seemed I would be devaluing my work,"

This was probably my biggest concern...thanks. I think that's what I need to do.

Not at all. Obviously, the studio got good use of the image, with the client's knowledge and approval. Giving them reduced price in this situation has no relation to discounting a new sale.

I don't believe anyone who has been in business any amount of time has never given some type discount/incentive/donated work/etc. Depending on how it is handled, there is no diminishing the value of the work.

[LadyShutterBug]

I dont sell these. I contact the clients via e-mail, tell them to let me know if they want to come by and pick it up. Stuff is usually at least 2 years old by this time, so there isn't really any danger of people getting the "i'll just get her samples" attitude... especially since most of them didn't choose that print or product in the first place.

I don't spend any money mailing, packaging, or making them look pretty. You just kind of get my used product and it's all good.

The albums are usually so beat up and outdated that i'd be embarassed to charge for them.