Only 10,000 collectors of photography

[jchesky]

For me, it is not be too important to divide those that are "buying" fine art photography from those that are "collecting". Yes, I would like to see museums have a show of my work, but if I make a sale to either buyer, it makes me happy. I have sold prints to bankers, realty firm and shipping companies, for their boardrooms, doctors offices for waiting rooms, and to friends to hang on their walls. To have ANYONE pay me for photos I took regardless because it filled my heart with joy, is like having someone put frosting on my favorite cake.

[mdd99]

Whatever the number is--10,000 or 100,000--more important is how much are they spending per photo and are they buying your photos?

[Judith]

The figure obviously only represents collectors that spend on a continuous basis on photography. I can see from my experience that collectors one year will acquire photography, another year a painting or some other media. So the "collector" base is really much larger but not solely devoted to photography. Sort of - random acts of collecting, puts many buyers under the radar of these kind of figures.

[r.e.]

I buy artwork in partnership with a friend and the work is divided up between New York and a place that we own in Newfoundland.

This year, we have spent about US$20,000 on art and our average annual expenditure is in excess of $10,000.

The last time that we purchased a photograph was about five years ago and the pattern isn't likely to change.

The main reason is that we won't buy limited edition prints. The concept turns both of us off completely. As far as I am concerned, the only legitimate limited edition print is one that is limited because the negative has been destroyed, and destroying the negative of a good photograph strikes me as really quite stupid. In any event, it doesn't happen. Instead, photographers go down this road of artificial, not to mention dubious, scarcity, and in a fair number of cases go so far as to charge more if one doesn't buy in early. The whole business model just turns me off.

Earlier today, in another thread, someone provided a link to a video of a presentation by Gregory Heisler on Arnold Newman, and what Heisler said on this subject struck a chord.