Auctioning Ukraine support philagraph now or next year?
Nov 4, 2023 8:03:19 GMT
dorincard, Beryllium Guy, and 3 more like this
Post by Linda on Nov 4, 2023 8:03:19 GMT
I am facing a dilemma right now and would like to seek for forum members' advice.
For the past 10 years or so, I have been creating philately-inspired artworks that get postmarked at specific locations that are related to the theme of the work. Recently, in a popular vote, forum members coined this kind of creation philagraph.
Last year, for the Stamp Out War: Support Ukraine! project, I produced a philagraph called 'Peace to Us' based on the design of Canada's Help for Ukraine stamp showing a sunflower.
This work has been cancelled on the 24th of August 2022 in a Canadian town of Ukrainian settlement. An additional first-day-of-issue cancel was also added to the work.
Do you think that currently, there is a market for it to be auctioned at an interesting price?
I plan on devoting myself in the creation of philagraphes for the entire 2024, and I will try to do some promotion with local art galleries / centres / etc in Montreal to grow general public's interest in them. Do you think it would sell better after I try to promote it?
The 2026 edition of the Stamp Out War project may be focusing on the creation of Ukraine support philagraphes ...
Here are the pros and the cons of both options:
[Now is the time.]
No one can tell what will happen in the future, whether I will get the art grant to be able to devote myself in the creation of philagraphes or not, whether the Stamp Out War project will live on or not, whether the public's sympathy towards Ukraine can be maintained at the same level, etc. The Ukraine support maxicards my global team and I produced are being auctioned off in Vancouver at interesting prices. So now is kind of the surest time such a work will sell to potential clients who are collecting Ukraine support materials.
The downside of selling it right now is that it may not get any attention from ordinary people, so its potential to raise funds for Ukraine is compromised. Also, once sold, I will not have a philagraph at hand to exhibit with other artists' artworks in 2026, unless I draw / paint another one (which will not be of the same design).
However, for the second point, I can always produce another philagraph or recruit another Canadian artist to produce a philagraph so that Canada is not absent from the exhibition. This is a relatively easy fix. And if my work is realised at an interesting price, I can use this fact in my recruitment of quality artists to convince them about the potential of philagraphes (see, if mine can be sold at $X, yours can surely be sold higher). And if there is a potential for such works to be sold at an interesting price, I will be able to reimburse the participants artist fees (so long as they charge less than the prices realised).
[Wait an year or two till you have done some promotion about philagraph.]
The general public will be more aware of this kind of creations; among them there may be some potential collectors, and this will drive the price upward.
However, public support for Ukraine may wane, and by the end of next year or so maybe no one will want to buy it.
Looking at what I just wrote, I find the argument in support of waiting weaker. Selling it now seems to be a better choice even though we cannot maximise the proceed. There are many uncertainties surrounding the future, and even if the general public are more aware of philately-inspired artworks, it doesn't necessarily follow that they would want to acquire a piece for their collection -- they may find it 'too philatelic', which is outside of the mainstream.
So, should I send off my piece to Vancouver for the stamp specialist to auction?
For the past 10 years or so, I have been creating philately-inspired artworks that get postmarked at specific locations that are related to the theme of the work. Recently, in a popular vote, forum members coined this kind of creation philagraph.
Last year, for the Stamp Out War: Support Ukraine! project, I produced a philagraph called 'Peace to Us' based on the design of Canada's Help for Ukraine stamp showing a sunflower.
This work has been cancelled on the 24th of August 2022 in a Canadian town of Ukrainian settlement. An additional first-day-of-issue cancel was also added to the work.
Do you think that currently, there is a market for it to be auctioned at an interesting price?
I plan on devoting myself in the creation of philagraphes for the entire 2024, and I will try to do some promotion with local art galleries / centres / etc in Montreal to grow general public's interest in them. Do you think it would sell better after I try to promote it?
The 2026 edition of the Stamp Out War project may be focusing on the creation of Ukraine support philagraphes ...
Here are the pros and the cons of both options:
[Now is the time.]
No one can tell what will happen in the future, whether I will get the art grant to be able to devote myself in the creation of philagraphes or not, whether the Stamp Out War project will live on or not, whether the public's sympathy towards Ukraine can be maintained at the same level, etc. The Ukraine support maxicards my global team and I produced are being auctioned off in Vancouver at interesting prices. So now is kind of the surest time such a work will sell to potential clients who are collecting Ukraine support materials.
The downside of selling it right now is that it may not get any attention from ordinary people, so its potential to raise funds for Ukraine is compromised. Also, once sold, I will not have a philagraph at hand to exhibit with other artists' artworks in 2026, unless I draw / paint another one (which will not be of the same design).
However, for the second point, I can always produce another philagraph or recruit another Canadian artist to produce a philagraph so that Canada is not absent from the exhibition. This is a relatively easy fix. And if my work is realised at an interesting price, I can use this fact in my recruitment of quality artists to convince them about the potential of philagraphes (see, if mine can be sold at $X, yours can surely be sold higher). And if there is a potential for such works to be sold at an interesting price, I will be able to reimburse the participants artist fees (so long as they charge less than the prices realised).
[Wait an year or two till you have done some promotion about philagraph.]
The general public will be more aware of this kind of creations; among them there may be some potential collectors, and this will drive the price upward.
However, public support for Ukraine may wane, and by the end of next year or so maybe no one will want to buy it.
Looking at what I just wrote, I find the argument in support of waiting weaker. Selling it now seems to be a better choice even though we cannot maximise the proceed. There are many uncertainties surrounding the future, and even if the general public are more aware of philately-inspired artworks, it doesn't necessarily follow that they would want to acquire a piece for their collection -- they may find it 'too philatelic', which is outside of the mainstream.
So, should I send off my piece to Vancouver for the stamp specialist to auction?
