Would you buy a small piece of art?
May 15, 2006 8:17 PM Subscribe
Before I spend more hours on an Art project, would anybody being willing to purchase a 3" X 3" painted canvas square for $5.00?
Here's the deal. I have an opportunity to get my Directors job in a couple years, but in order to meet the Educational requirements, I need to get my MBA. I've recently gotten out of debt and made a promise never go back there again. It was a hard hole to climb out of and took 15 years to do so.
To get my MBA I will need $47,500. Which I don't have. Using the power of creativity and my internet genius (HA!) I came up with a plan to sell 10,000 little art squares for $5. Software I'm using is similar to the milliondollarhomepage (that's where my idea spawned). So far I have 3000+ art squares create, scanned, signed and numbered. I built a website, art4mba.com, and almost ready to make it available to the public.... then
I had a nightmare the other night and no one wanted to buy the art squares and that I wasted lots of time and resources.
Here's the deal. I have an opportunity to get my Directors job in a couple years, but in order to meet the Educational requirements, I need to get my MBA. I've recently gotten out of debt and made a promise never go back there again. It was a hard hole to climb out of and took 15 years to do so.
To get my MBA I will need $47,500. Which I don't have. Using the power of creativity and my internet genius (HA!) I came up with a plan to sell 10,000 little art squares for $5. Software I'm using is similar to the milliondollarhomepage (that's where my idea spawned). So far I have 3000+ art squares create, scanned, signed and numbered. I built a website, art4mba.com, and almost ready to make it available to the public.... then
I had a nightmare the other night and no one wanted to buy the art squares and that I wasted lots of time and resources.
This post was deleted for the following reason: lame mis-use of ask mefi
No offense, but getting an MBA isn't exactly a charity case. I don't think people will be very sympathetic towards your cause. I'm glad you brought yourself out of debt, but I wouldn't count on internet sympathy to buy you an advanced business degree. Isn't that what the fancy-pants Director's job is for?
posted by MrZero at 8:39 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by MrZero at 8:39 PM on May 15, 2006
i'd totally buy $5 insta-art if it's a good idea. do it all the time. probably multiples if it's great pop. and god you people are touchy about protocol.
posted by patricking at 8:40 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by patricking at 8:40 PM on May 15, 2006
Since this is probably going to be pulled and moved to Projects, I don't feel bad posting in AskMeFi without having an actual answer. So:
Ditto what Mr. Zero said (though it is a neat idea). However, isn't it kind of late to be asking whether you've wasted a lot of time and resources *after* said time and resources have already been used up? The proper time to float this idea would have obviously been prior to the beginning of the enterprise; I suspect that whatever answers you will gather in this thread will not dissuade you from making your web site public, since if and when you do, you will be able to recoup at least some of the invested time and resources.
So. Given that this is not a true solicitation for feedback on an idea - because I don't think that you will at this point abandon your project due to the amount of resources and time spent on it - this appears to be instead a kind of an implicit self-link. No good.
posted by Pontius Pilate at 8:44 PM on May 15, 2006
Ditto what Mr. Zero said (though it is a neat idea). However, isn't it kind of late to be asking whether you've wasted a lot of time and resources *after* said time and resources have already been used up? The proper time to float this idea would have obviously been prior to the beginning of the enterprise; I suspect that whatever answers you will gather in this thread will not dissuade you from making your web site public, since if and when you do, you will be able to recoup at least some of the invested time and resources.
So. Given that this is not a true solicitation for feedback on an idea - because I don't think that you will at this point abandon your project due to the amount of resources and time spent on it - this appears to be instead a kind of an implicit self-link. No good.
posted by Pontius Pilate at 8:44 PM on May 15, 2006
Best answer: Eeesh, give the guy a break, he's just trying to gauge the plausibility of the scheme. It's pretty much a yes or no question. I say yes, if the art doesn't suck. $5 is not much to pay for something cool, regardless of what the money is to be used for.
posted by BorgLove at 8:57 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by BorgLove at 8:57 PM on May 15, 2006
What MrZero said. I'd buy it for charity or *maybe* for little kids' projects, but not for an adult's MBA degree.
posted by easternblot at 8:58 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by easternblot at 8:58 PM on May 15, 2006
I've recently gotten out of debt and made a promise never go back there again. It was a hard hole to climb out of and took 15 years to do so.
Educational debt is good debt. Plenty of people have it and are not going to feel sorry for you.
That said, they'll buy the art if they like it.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:01 PM on May 15, 2006 [1 favorite]
Educational debt is good debt. Plenty of people have it and are not going to feel sorry for you.
That said, they'll buy the art if they like it.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 9:01 PM on May 15, 2006 [1 favorite]
Do a search on Ebay for "ATC" or "ACEO." Many people collect 2.5" x 3.5" artcards because they fit in baseball card albums. I have sold many for around $5 + shipping.
posted by Ostara at 9:02 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by Ostara at 9:02 PM on May 15, 2006
I'd buy it, regardless of the cause if it was interesting enough. For many people (incl. myself) $5 is just the price of my daily latte and I think people with disposable income are hungry for something new, or being part of something. So, I think you are onto something.
Sure, there will be people who won't like you for it - like in this thread - but thats not directly relevant to your question. Will it work? I think so.
I also think the URL to your website should be removed.
posted by vacapinta at 9:02 PM on May 15, 2006
Sure, there will be people who won't like you for it - like in this thread - but thats not directly relevant to your question. Will it work? I think so.
I also think the URL to your website should be removed.
posted by vacapinta at 9:02 PM on May 15, 2006
I wouldn't even consider this kind of debt negative. You should avoid consumer credit card debt, but mortgages and student loans are often very good ideas, actually - especially if you know that it'll result in a better job.
I would not buy the squares. Maybe if you were super talented and you'd paint a picture of my kids for me, then yeah, but then you should charge more.
posted by visual mechanic at 9:17 PM on May 15, 2006
I would not buy the squares. Maybe if you were super talented and you'd paint a picture of my kids for me, then yeah, but then you should charge more.
posted by visual mechanic at 9:17 PM on May 15, 2006
Maybe. If they're cool 3x3 canvas art squares.
posted by doctor_negative at 10:01 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by doctor_negative at 10:01 PM on May 15, 2006
Best answer: Sorry, I didn't mean to come off so snarky earlier. What I was trying to say was that the MBA factor might turn off more people than it would turn on. You might have better sales without it. At least put a nice spin on it, like "Help me move from cubical to corner office!"
posted by MrZero at 10:02 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by MrZero at 10:02 PM on May 15, 2006
I've spent more than $5 at a pop to buy kitschy and/or cute and/or useless things that amuse me, so I'd wager your idea has some merit.
posted by davidmsc at 10:06 PM on May 15, 2006
posted by davidmsc at 10:06 PM on May 15, 2006
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by reverendX at 8:28 PM on May 15, 2006