How to Separate Shipping Costs from Art Retail Pricing

Artists often struggle with inconsistent pricing when factoring shipping costs. For large works, shipping and crating can add $400 to $800 to the final bill. The recommended method is to establish a strict baseline retail price that excludes all shipping and logistics expenses. This ensures an apples-to-apples comparison for the artwork's intrinsic value. Galleries typically prefer to charge shipping separately after the sale, keeping the focus on the artwork itself. Framing costs, however, should be included in the retail price. The retail price must remain static regardless of destination, with shipping as a separate line item to absorb geographic variables.