Question Should I stock Thomas Kinkade?

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brittbaker

Grumbler in Training
Joined
Mar 20, 2009
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Ok, I have never posted and this looks like a sore subject,
so please be gentle!

I bought out the equipment and inventory from a closed Fast Frame and for the first time put art work from the store out for sale. With in a week or two I had several inquiries about Thomas Kinkades. Should I stock them? Are they still selling? I'm in an area where there isn't anyone carrying them, so I thought it might work? Thanks for any help
 
If you value money more than a reputation as an honest person then sell Kinkade stuff. His 'limited editions' of over 30,000 are a joke. His marketing is slick and makes a politician jealous. His money is his and he will take customers away from you if it is possible and involves larger sales items.

He is a huckster who can paint..., not an artist.
 
SS don't hold back tell us what ya really think... LOL
 
Hi, Britt. Welcome to the Grumble. :)
It's a pretty safe bet that you won't find too
many cheerleaders here on this one.

Many artists and framers consider Kinkaid to
be the person responsible for destroying the
integrity of the signed & numbered print market in the
1990's. That, coupled with a reputation as someone
willing to sabotage his own dealers, has left plenty of
people gunshy. I'm not saying that he for sure did these
things, but the belief that he did has led many people to
reject involvement with him as an artist.

I think that what's been written here is likely to be
true. If you want to carry his art, you might be required
to sign a contract and agree to purchase a certain
number of his works every year.

However this works out for you, I do hope that
you stick around. This is a good bunch of people,
and we'd be glad to have you along for the ride.
 
Summarizing most of the above comments:

1) If you have a market for them, sell them. You don't stay in business unless you have a product that sells.

2) Examine the dealership agreement. Are you comfortable with what Kinkade's organization will require?

3) Be sure you've looked into some of the complaints other dealers have had. It could be enlightening about what life is like as a Kinkade dealer.
 
I actually talked with a rep. a coulple of months ago about a TK dealership. Then I see TK himself selling his work on QVC for just a little more than dealer wholesale. The rep. had told me that since TK bought the company back they were on a new high road, I guess they forgot to tell Tom.

Beware of getting in bed with them, they aren't going to support their dealers if they are sellin on QVC.
 
I heard that QVC severed ties with him. Does anyone know if it's true? I think his days are numbered. If I had 10,000 dollars of mad money and had the choice to throw it out my car window or invest in his work, I would throw it out the car window.
 
nikfrz said:
I heard that QVC severed ties with him. Does anyone know if it's true? I think his days are numbered. If I had 10,000 dollars of mad money and had the choice to throw it out my car window or invest in his work, I would throw it out the car window.
Click to expand...
He has found a new home at shopNBC. And check those newly reduced prices, more like what a lowly storefront framer might charge. Wonder what my local Thomas Kinkade Silver Gallery thinks of that, the one with all the $1,485.00 24x30's on the wall...was kinda quiet in there last time I checked it out.

http://www.shopnbc.com/House_and_Ho...e=DN-_-HouseHome-_-Kinkade&CurrentPageIndex=0

Gimme me a heads up before you do that $10,000 thing, OK?
 
I'm pretty sure Lightpost/Whatever-it-is-now/Kinkade is proof of the non-existence of God.
 
johnny said:
I'm pretty sure Lightpost/Whatever-it-is-now/Kinkade is proof of the non-existence of God.
Click to expand...
The fact that Thom has not yet attracted a lightning bolt tends to support that premise. He is known to have said "God is my art agent" but I'm sure he would only do so inside steel-roofed buildings. Personally, Dog is my art agent which explains a lot.
 
Maybe it was shopNBC that I saw him on just a day or two ago. He was pitching the Disney print with Pinochoio, the one the sales rep. told me was sold out. This must have been another special sized edition for the TV pitch. Just waiting for the salesman to call me back this fall to see if I made up my mind. As I said, the TV pirce was very close to dealer cost.
 
I get emails from them (as a joe comsumer) to buy their work for deep discounts. Some times as much as 75% off their MSRP. I just wont work with a company that will sell direct at a lower price than I can purchase them to support them as a reseller.
 
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For those wishing to carry Thom's work, please allow me to point out this exemplary model of modern online marketing. Membership in The Kinkade Family of Dealers is truly something special. Sorry, the Bridge of Faith throw rugs are sold out, but there is still time to grab a tapestry with the optical fibers woven in.

http://www.kinkadekorner.com/
 
I suppose this depends upon where you are. If you are in Northern CA and on Fisherman's Wharf or in Carmel, then by all means. If you are in Berkeley like me, forget it. I have never seen one come in to the shop in 32 years. If I did, I would have a field day framing it.
 
Whatcha want to bet that we'll be seeing his stuff sold on the side of the road next year.
 
I love the Christmas toilet paper. You can wipe your butt with 6 different TK images repeatedly.
 
Welcome to the G!

I hope you are very cautious in your choice about this. Because of so many unethical dealings, this person has alienated dealers and customers alike. Many angry customers were returning artwork to dealers because they were told the art would be an investment. They were soon to find out that their art was worth less than they paid for it because of seeing it sold cheaper on programs like QVC.

If you are just starting out in this ballgame, you will acquire a reputation for the kind of art you represent.

Best wishes in whatever you decide.
 
To me it seems like exploitation of religion and people of faith, but he really does have a strong following. The average Joe probably doesn't see the bigger picture.

I think they're tacky, but will be more than happy to frame any that come in the door!
 
we looked into it several years ago..then read the fine print and talked to a couple of his retailers..then we ran as fast as we could in the opposite direction.
 
Why would you want to sell his overprices stuff? If you must carry someone carry an artist from your area that is well know, doesn't undercut you, & actually is a good artist. Personally, I don't like TK's stuff, I will frame it but I won't display it. I would rather display and sell something a little different and unique... Just my two cents...
 
If you bought a lot on the secondary market and you can make a profit...then sell it away. But think really hard about how it got on the secondary market in such quantities. Someone lost out. Big time.

Investing in the primary market though is just not a good idea for most.

Although I've seen a few select pieces that I thought weren't bad, I honestly don't like the generic fantasy look.

A friend of mine recently moved to Florida and somehow didn't have enough room to pack her TK clock. She asked me to keep it for her. It's in my curio cabinet. And every time I pass it, I notice it. And not in a good way.
 
After some of the comments here, it is hard to be serious. I will try.

Several years ago, we looked into becoming a dealer. The contract would have required that I dedicate 1/3 of my gallery to TK. It also stated that I would automatically be shipped 3 prints of all new releases. That doesn't sound too bad until I discovered that would mean 3 prints in 3 different sizes of the same print. If there were a release of 3 new images, I would have had to purchase 18 prints in one month.

The contract at that time was 10 pages. If you get a copy, I would have your attorney look it over. My employee and I read it together and her comment was it sounded like a franchise agreement. (She had owned a franchise and was familiar with them.) However, the very last sentence on page 10 was that this is not a franchise. Her comment was that it still sounded like a franchise.

I have seen TK framed pieces in Hobby Lobby in recent months.

Tread carefully. We opted not to sell the product.
 
Tk

I think they have changed things in the past several years. You may have to sign an agreement of some sort. Last time I ck'd, they wanted you to buy 7500$ total of all product. If you did not sell this amount, they could suspend you as a dealer. I don't think they are inforcing that at the moment because of the down turned in the economy. I would call and see what they will do for you, when times are hard, everything in negotiable.......good luck.....service is the key to longterm success, if you want to be an art critic, closed up shop, and apply for job at your local paper or TV station, umm...might not be a bad idea...now what is that number?...quest on the View, morning show, Washington Post, New York Times...mmm...lol...
 
Candy...no more dedicated space...

They would like for you to buy a certain amount, not sure that's enforced at the moment. I have never had a rep in my store in over 10 years, we still sell TK's and are glad to service all our TK cusotmers without prejudice. We give them the absolute best service we can, and make no judgement about their taste in art. We do advise all customers who buy art from us, not to buy because they think it might be good investment, but only because they love the art, and would enjoy being the owner. Our best selling TK item is the nightlight, retail is about 15$. lol
 
TK

Joe B said:
Personally, I don't like TK's stuff, I will frame it but I won't display it. I would rather display and sell something a little different and unique... Just my two cents...
Click to expand...
I agree with Joe - TK images attract customers who have no idea what art is. They might not even have been in an art museum or gallery before, and think they buy something valuable.
Uta
:nuts:
 
I have a friend who has a TK shop in the SW. Many of the paintings arrive with damaged frames. I looked at some of them and they are low quality Asian reproduction mass produced frames made to look like good stuff. I think the paintings or prints are paint-by-number stupid stuff. Of course this just my personal opinion. I rather go to Wal-Mart...
 
ordered for 10+ years...never any damage....

Sell to customers who like certain images, they not interested in buying for investments, they just like a certain image. Paper prints are priced competively with most all other mass producers of image art, Somerset, Hadley House, etc...I have never had a problem, had one damaged print, was picked up and replaced in a very timely manner. I'm in the framing business, so I frame all my Tk's with my own moulding and mats....

If you don't want to carry a product that your customers request....well???? dud???...I just don't get it.....I will always try to satisfy my customers needs without making them feel like idiots, just because they happened to like TK's..... I'm in business to make a living, don't get paid to be an art critic...jmop
 
If you can do it w/o becoming one of their stooges(and having your franchisor in direct competition with YOU), and you can make the adjustment to the really uppity/many-multi framed, incredibly inflated priced framing packages then do it! but 1st send some 'quality' time in one of those joints absorbing the ambiance/sales techniques. the ones around here are certainly(still) making money on it! a bucks a buck!
 
paladin

Having spent a considerable amount of time in the 'Kinkade' business I would suggest having a modest display (so people know you are a source) and forming a relationship with a dealer to supply you. It is not difficult to attain Kinkade product at wholesdale. I would not be a TK company dealer. Whatever you or I think of the merits of his work the sales history has been remarkable and a sale is a sale. Good luck. p.s. I knew Thom in the past and there is some merit in most of these comments. Paladin
 
nikfrz said:
Whatcha want to bet that we'll be seeing his stuff sold on the side of the road next year.
Click to expand...

I wonder if they'll be required to have a dealership. I noticed on the dealership link provided that for the top of the line dealers, they require "some" retail experience. Guess they'll allow a dealership to anyone as long as they come up with the $50k.
 
Dealerships.....50K

Several years ago, they wanted you to commit to 7500$ in purchases for the year....not sure if that has changed, or if they are inforcing that at this particular time. You would start with a few prints, and other items with the understanding that if you did not sell 7500$, your dealership would not be renewed.
I am pretty sure they are not inforcing that at the moment.....if interested give them a call....I have never send TK's sold on the side of the road, but I have seen lots of other artist sold at yard sales, and craft shows......not that I care one bit......to each his own.....
 
One thing that we noticed is that a lot of people ask about TK, but since they are everywhere people treated them like a commodity and went for the lowest price. If you decide to carry them, you will have to price yourself to be competitive with eBay and other online stores.
 
treeves said:
....I have never send TK's sold on the side of the road...
Click to expand...
Saw just that very thing Sunday on a Santa Fe vacant lot. TK's or TK clones or TK look-alikes leaned up against a white van on Cerrillos Road, one of the main access routes. Heavy on the cobblestone cottage motif. Very low overhead, looked like they pick up and go in 10 seconds, gotta give them credit there.
 
more_so said:
Saw just that very thing Sunday on a Santa Fe vacant lot. TK's or TK clones or TK look-alikes leaned up against a white van on Cerrillos Road, one of the main access routes. Heavy on the cobblestone cottage motif. Very low overhead, looked like they pick up and go in 10 seconds, gotta give them credit there.
Click to expand...

Are you sure it wasn't really Kincaid himself? He will do anything to make a buck.

Bob
 
Just got a call back from the rep that came in earlier this summer, he was wanting to see what I had decided. I told him that since I saw Thom on TV selling the stuff for just slightly above cost, I wasn't interested. He then tried to convince me that the higher end stuff would be better for me as those weren't the ones being sold on TV. Thanks, but no thanks.
 
Roadside, TV

Doesn't seem to matter to me, please send all TK customers to us. We will treat them with utmost kindness, and will be glad to sell them any TK they would like, without judgement. Will that be cash or credit please? All prints that I buy are priced around 100$ wholesale, right in line with almost all major LE print suppliers, except we seem to sell more TK's than the other artist, but hey, I'm primarily in business to make a living, so the art critic is just not in me.
I'm not going to teach my customers a lesson, just sell them what they want, but hey, that just me.....good luck
PS...have seen everything sold on the side of road...pumkins right now are going well...everybody needs to make a living, stop by a roadside ventor sometime, it could be a pleasant experience....you might find that he has a Gallery in town, but sells more on the roadside, it helps to keep him in business....most things are never what we imagine, or even what they seem to be looking through our eyes, closer inspection usually reveals something different from our original perception.....good luck....I'll be looking for my referrals....thanks in advance
 
from TK

When I bought a couple of years ago, they wanted you to buy 7500$ in calendar year. If you didn't sell that much, they could drop you as a dealer. We sell lots of the night light each year, wholesale around 6-7$, prints are almost always framed by us. Initial cost is minimal or at least it was.....you start with a few prints, and accessories, if they sell for you, then reorder what you sell, at the end of the year, not worth the trouble then drop the line as you would any other line you may carry. We don't sell tons, moderate amount, just something to help get us through the year......lol
 
How many of the Signed with Thoms DNA prints do you guys who handle him sell these days? It would be more honest to buy into Mustang and Cottontail Ranch and similar whorehouses in Nevada than dealing with a guy who is a franchise operation who lies about it while undercutting his own dealers.
 
We recently had a customer come in to frame a 20x24 TK print, bought at the mall. (they didn't bring the print, but just came in to get approximate prices).

After Andy explained the process and encouraged them to bring it in so we can look at designs.... The question asked was "How well is this business insured? I ask because... well... IT'S A KINCADE!"

I have to give him credit for being professional and keeping a straight face.

I also have to give TK credit for marketing success.

Mike
 
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