Selling paintings on the hay penny bridge

BogWog

Looks like everyone in Irelands running into money trouble. Heres one of my plans. My granny likes painting and she whipps up fairly ****in decent paintings in a matter of hours and since its my granny that has the worst financial difficulties at the moment I'm thinking why not sell some paintings.

I'd say tourists are the people to target so I'm telling her she should paint things that everyone knows are Irish like Dublin landmarks like the Guinness brewery (Americans would buy that) or Irish landscapes like green fields and bogs and **** and old Irish castles and megaliths like Newgrange and all that ****e. I could bring a little table into town with me and hang around on the hay penny bridge selling the paintings on the weekends.

Is this a half decent plan? Anything I haven't taken into consideration? I know you don't need a license to do this cuz a couple of my friends have done it.

DubTony

BogWog wrote: »

Is this a half decent plan? Anything I haven't taken into consideration? I know you don't need a license to do this cuz a couple of my friends have done it.

Just a couple of things. Not too many American tourists around. I think you'll find you do need a licence. Oh, and don't swear at your customers.

cabla

I mean if it was as easy as that. Why arent people doing it?

cabla

cabla wrote: »

I mean if it was as easy as that. Why arent people doing it?

Probably because most people don't have the drive or enthusiasm or PASSION?

Not trying to say you're wrong but there are other factors also.

madmik

go to merrion square on a sunday and theres scores of people selling paintings,people travel from all over to get them

by the way u probably need a street traders licence to sell anything

i think artists are tax free but im not sure that includes being able to set up shop anywhere

theres already 2 artists who sell on college green most days if weather permits as well

Lplated

BogWog wrote: »

Is this a half decent plan? Anything I haven't taken into consideration? I know you don't need a license to do this cuz a couple of my friends have done it.

You're right, its half decent. You could try for wholly decent though.

Maybe set up a website or two 'showcasing' grannies art - look in particular to link with irish american themed sites.

Maybe open an ebay shop and flog them on there.

See if there are sites that sell/host older peoples artistic talents (or galleries that do so) (google is your friend) and try to connect with any other those.

Standing round on a bridge (or anywhere else imo) all day trying to flog art wouldn't be the easiest few bob in the world, but there are other ways to achieve the same goal.

BogWog

TheEntrepeneur yep having the drive and enthusiasm on top of having the optimism to just do it is what it takes to get things done.

madmik: Yeah I'm gonna go there instead actually. I passed by Merrion Square once and saw the fence lined up with paintings and people were stopping and looking unlike the lads you see on the bridge selling ****. Yea I'm gonna get that license I can apply for it online I think.

Lplated: Thanks a lot for the advice. Since I can make decent websites I'm definitely gonna whip one up and get it into google. Yea Americans are the ones I want looking at the paintings cuz I lived over there for a year and I found out how fanatical some of these Irish Americans are about their heritage.

Would you say thats the sales approach to take? Telling people that my granny painted them and shes having money trouble so I'm selling them for her. Anyway thanks for the advice im gonna start setting up a website.

madmik

the guys at merrion square seem to be making a good few quid every sunday (weather permitting)

they often have pictures selling for €500+

although its difficult to know how much is profit without knowing how many hours work went into painting it

most of them have machines so they can swipe your credit or lazer card as well

MrPillowTalk

Im fairly sure you cant just set up on Merrion square I used to know a girl that sold there and her licence restricted the type and kind of art she could sell if memory serves.

Abraham

BogWog. I gotta admire you for your initiative and love of extended family.
But since you'd be a newbie on C**p Row down there by the Liffey side somebody's gotta act responsibly and tell you some home truths.

No (1) You'll most likely be arrested for loitering down there because the Guards are just sick to their back teeth of wasters hanging around 'doin' nuttin' and acting suspiciously and keeping a watch out for God knows what.....so in Guarda speak, you are up to no good and must be a lookout for those scumbag druggies. You'll have to be taken in and processed.....like who are you ?.....where ya from?.....whatja doin' up there ?....why ya hanging about like human graffiti ?.......and be warned: it doesn't improve their understanding of you if you have a Mohican and studded leathers and barbed wire through you upper lip cos the fuz tend to be country boys with sound GAA values and all that.

No (2) Now while you were away being processed by the thin blue line, granny will probably be mugged, money stolen, sexually assaulted and her paint gear thrown into the Liffey. So now you have created another statistic to the detriment of dear old dirty Dublin.

Listen, lad, keep Granny at home where she's safe cos Dublin sure ain't the way it used to be.

madmik

Abraham wrote: »

BogWog. I gotta admire you for your initiative and love of extended family.
But since you'd be a newbie on C**p Row down there by the Liffey side somebody's gotta act responsibly and tell you some home truths.

No (1) You'll most likely be arrested for loitering down there because the Guards are just sick to their back teeth of wasters hanging around 'doin' nuttin' and acting suspiciously and keeping a watch out for God knows what.....so in Guarda speak, you are up to no good and must be a lookout for those scumbag druggies. You'll have to be taken in and processed.....like who are you ?.....where ya from?.....whatja doin' up there ?....why ya hanging about like human graffiti ?.......and be warned: it doesn't improve their understanding of you if you have a Mohican and studded leathers and barbed wire through you upper lip cos the fuz tend to be country boys with sound GAA values and all that.

No (2) Now while you were away being processed by the thin blue line, granny will probably be mugged, money stolen, sexually assaulted and her paint gear thrown into the Liffey. So now you have created another statistic to the detriment of dear old dirty Dublin.

Listen, lad, keep Granny at home where she's safe cos Dublin sure ain't the way it used to be.

thats a bit harsh

DublinWriter

BogWog wrote: »

Is this a half decent plan? Anything I haven't taken into consideration? I know you don't need a license to do this cuz a couple of my friends have done it.

a) You do need a license.
b) You'd be better off flogging her stuff at the usual weekend "People's Art" market that takes place around Merrion Sq. at the weekend.
c) Why don't you take a pic of one of her pics and let us all have a goo?

ILOff

There seems to be a couple of guys selling pictures on grafton St at the minute. They hang their images on the front of some shut down retail units.
The way shops are closing down Grafton St might turn into an outdoor art market:)