Selling posters at shows.

[Nolen Strals]

I've seen a few things on here where people say "the band even let me sell it at the show!" or "the band let me sell it at the show if I gave them a small cut of it".

This to me, seems really weird.

I've always been able to sell my posters at the show I did it for. I only ran into trouble once, with the egos of Eyehategod, they thought I was trying to make money off of their name (which to an extent, perhaps I am, but I'm more trying to make money off my art, but with posters, this is a gray area I think). Their merch guy said the band only thought it would be okay since I had promised that every member of the band would get one. At the end of the night though, the merch guy seemed pissed coz I was selling posters more than he was shirts and CD's and I had people still asking me 5 minutes after I had run out of prints.

Half the bands offer to pay me for the posters (though I make enough copies so the headliners get free ones, and the openers at least one or two per band), or will trade me merch for them if I give them copies. It just seems weird to me, and I would just not sell the posters at the show, if a band tried to take a cut of it. They made no effort and invested nothing in the work, so I dont' see why they should get any money from it. I've never had a band ask to take a cut of my sales, though I do feel bad if I'm selling more posters than they are of their merch, but that's why I generally try to stand away from the merch area when I sell my stuff.

Also, I mainly sell my posters at the shows, with little of the sales happening in the time after. Except for my Man Or Astroman which sold like 5 at the show and like 15 in the weeks after the show (mainly to people who weren't fans, just thought it looked really cool).

What's the general experience here with everyone else conserning selling posters at shows?

[Clay]

This may sound really odd to you.. but I've been to hundreds of shows (mostly here in Calgary) and only seen someone selling posters at a show once.

I wish there were more people here making amazing posters to sell at shows.

[Speed]

Nolen,
I just feel uncomfortable taking away money that would normally be made for the band through merch sales. I know they live off this, it's ho we used to live on the road. If I do sell work at a show, I normally make sure it is ok with the promoter, then approach the tour manager to sell the posters along with other merchandise, and I usually cut them in for 30%, so people go away happy. I have seen the greed like you mentioned though, where some nummbnuts band thinks yer gonna make a fortune off a 100 posters that probably cost you $300 to make, and who knows how much design time. If bands would get down with the premise more, it could really open the floodgates on getting the financial return a little more reliable for us artists. I think you've convinced me to start working it again! Also, I've found it to be very successful to have the posters mounted behind glass and when people make a coment, I'm nearby to give them a card with the web address. It's a little more discreet, and has come off quite well the last few shows I've attended.

[dekim]

hey all-
first post to the board - saw this as a great topic as i have battled with it and some egos as well. while i agree that the musicians have nothing to do with the art it-self, it's their name - you have to try to find a happy medium. i mean if they didn't play that venue that nite, you wouldn't have created the print. very true that it is a grey area (hell, if we don't create for one show, there is another) all in all though, i have to agree with speed-o. it does sting when you see the 75, 100 prints go, and they are having a tough time selling other merch.i cut the band in at 20% - keeping everyone happy and setting up a repoire with the band - they see how the prints sell, and then next time seek you out(obviously everyone wants to make ends meet).
on a side note: yo speed - mike from gainesville - lived across the way - saw the inception of speed art, and the first screening process, check out the site - http://www.cmphosters.com - heard about your batlles (both corporate and physical) be well, stay healthy and keep creating!!

[Dusty!]

We havent ever been asked to stop selling, but if i ever was i would tell them "hey, we are making NO MONEY off these posters, we are just trying to break even". We sold posters last night at a Ted Leo show, sold about 16 or 20 posters for 5 bucks a piece... gave 5 to Ted Leo and his pharmacists and another 5 to Jai Alia Savant (first show of Ralph from franklins new band). So we made about 80 bucks which doesnt cover our cost but at least its money back.

[delanorock]

I will sell at a few of the shows here...the smaller ones are easiest, and smaller bands love the fact that youre spreading the word on them...bigger bands seem to go different ways,...there are some that already have licienced merch sales to another company, and really have little to no say on what is sold at the show, others are really down no questions asked...i really dont care to sell them at the show much,...but the fans, and for the most part bands are down...if there is a concern about money, i just work out a deal where they get a cut, or something to where we are both happy...In these situations, i make sure to use a good amout of posters for promotion, so they have a value...you can tell the band they were really used to promote the show, and in all honesty, im not sure about other markets but here sales arent really huge at shows...they basically cover printing costs, and thats about it...especially when you figure in the posters youve given the band/crew...

[seripop]

i just got back from a three day fest - i sold about 8 posters for 5 $ each
it was awesome. a few of the bands i had done posters for LOVED em an want us to design shit for em, a few of my fave record lables are interested in having me print for them, one of my personal heros bought one and said it was going up on his wall plus i converted all that paper int old hard vinyl.
now i just wanna get a table at all the fests.
it's good cuz u have somewhere to sit.

[kevin jones]

[joshsisk]

Seripop, I thought you guys' posters were pretty awesome at MTM. I would've got one but none were of bands I liked enough to put up on my wall. They looked really good, though.

[seripop]

thanks!
i don't like alot of the bands either but we do the contracts we get.
surprise a fellow mtm attendee wouldn't be into erase errata or red light sting..
but that's cool .