Producing and selling gift cards

[Jill H]

Has anyone had any experience in printing, marketing, selling gift cards of their work? I have at different times looked at gift cards in touristy places for instance, and think I could do something like this with my photographs. Has anyone done this, and how did you go about it, and was it worthwhile? Thanks.

[PamEli]

Hi Jill,

I'm interested to see what kind of comments you get, I've been thinking of doing the same thing. I've started to research online printers for quality and cost, but I don't have much money to get started with. Check out Photography prints cards & more by by ChristineJonesPhotog on Etsy. Someone I've been following and a site I'm interested in.

Good luck, and I need to find a way to follow this thread...

[PowerPix]

Are you meaning "postcards" or "gift cards"???? You say gift cards, but you talk like postcards.

[FoG]

I will folllow this one with interest as I am looking into this for some of my water shots onceI feel they have reached a high enough standard ... as it is a local gallery says tehy will show some works and sell them for a cut ... so here's hoping just need a good enough portfolio now so shutter time needed

[Jill H]

yes I mean gift cards, to be sold in packs - for example wildflowers. Thanks for comments so far, is anyone out there actually done this?
I took some photos into our tourist bureau last year, and they wanted to take virtually all the money I thought I could sell them for - I think I would end up with 10% which wouldn't cover my cost of mounting etc, so I gave that a miss.

[PowerPix]

Ok, I'm still not clear.....

"Gift cards" are something with money on them. People put $10 on an iTunes gift card and then give it to someone so they can redeem the $10 to purchase things. It's a way of gifting money for use at a particular store. If you are wanting to put one of your photos on a card or something with "Redeem for 50% off a photography session" , I have not heard of that being done. But, there is always a first.

"Postcards" are regularly about 4.5"x6" heavy cardstock type paper. People normally put a fantastic photo of a spectacular location on these. You can hand them out as gifts if you want (or sell). Some people send them out around the holidays. You can get them printed pretty much anywhere. Not much goes into them other than placing your photo onto the front of the postcard. If you wanted, you could even include a little pricing chart, or something about what services you offer on the back of the postcard. They can serve as miniature porfolios. You could even have sets printed, this one with this picture, that one with that, etc.

Sorry, just don't think we were on the same page. Obviously we have different meanings to the same thing!

[EmmaR]

I think she means greeting cards...? am I right

[Jill H]

yes sorry - sometimes we have different words - I do mean greeting cards - thanks Emma - like you would send for birthdays, Christmas, thankyous, condolences, put on a gift with a few words etc that kind of thing.

[disappearingmist]

I have also been wanting to do this. I work in a local tourist shop and we sell greeting cards from a local photographer. His sell for $4.50USD a piece. He has some very vibrant and unique shots, and they do sell.

I have not found a site that sells them so low that I could possibly hope to make any profit on them. Nor do I want to invest in paper and a nicer printer. I am at a standstill over this.

Can't wait to read the other responses!

[kaightie]

i use mpix.com for all of my printing. they do great work and the have a "post card" option that you can use for your prints. but look around thiers site and you will see what i mean.