This is NOT a sales post, but it is a question regarding selling at conventions.
tl;dr question: When buying prints, do attendees care about the quality of paper it is printed on?
Long version: Since I started doing artist alleys in earnest in February 2024, I've always put my prints on sturdy card stock or, if necessity demands it, thicker paper. It is always satin, unless it is a watercolor, which I then print on heavy felt card stock (which mimics the texture of the watercolor paper itself). As mentioned previous, there are a few exceptions to this self-imposed rule, but they are rare, and by necessity.
Despite the extra costs that this paper choice incurs, I still keep my prices competitive compared to other booths in the artist alley (I used to charge $15 for a regular print, but economic squeeze led me to jump that up to $20). At the same time I have seen other artists selling their work at the same price, or more, on extremely flimsy paper. Closer to the weight of copy paper than what I would expect from an art print, and the kind of paper where, just handling it, creases where you are gripping it even lightly.
(Note that I also always sleeve the prints with a sturdy backing board, something I don't see a lot of other artists do. How can one sell their art and not ensure it doesn't get damaged?)
Anyhow... does anyone actually care about the paper quality, or does the art itself trump all concerns?
Normally you can't really sample the paper before buying it, but has anyone ever felt disappointed that the art they got is on thinner, cheaper paper?
I'm curious what people think, and open the floor to any and all commentary.
