By Ctein
Seeing as the perks on Phil Rosenberg's Keck Observatory photograph sale got changed in a major way on Saturday, I managed (with some difficulty) to persuade Mike to leave the sale open for an extra 26 hours, until 2 o'clock tomorrow, Tuesday.
You can thank me when you're lying on the beach in Hawaii soaking up the rays.
I'm thinking some of you must not realize what a fabulous opportunity the Hawaiian Vacation Contest is. Don't get me wrong. The sale is going well, but I'd expect people to be totally beating down my doors with orders. It provides you entry to a competition with a major prize—a paid-for condo vacation in Hawaii, plus one of your photographs offered in a print sale here that ought to pay for the whole rest of the trip—and I'm pretty certain that there won't be a lot of entries. It's not like tens of thousands of school kids sending in their cereal box tops. A good print sale on TOP may sell 100 of a particular photograph (give or take a very large give-or-take). Only a small fraction of those purchasers are going to be interested in selling a photograph on TOP. So, I'm thinking a dozen, maybe two dozen entrants?
That's what you're up against. Pretty good odds, I'd say, considering the potential reward vs. the cost of entry. Honestly and truly, if I weren't administering this sale, I'd be buying a print just to get into the competition.
Don't think your work isn't good enough to compete. Most people are lousy judges of how good their photographs are. Mike is a pretty good judge (not infallible, but who is?) of what readers here will buy. More than one TOP print sale has occurred by him reaching out to a photographer and suggesting to them that they should sell their work here, when they never considered it.
That could be you. Besides, the least you're getting for your money is a really, really fine photograph, printed by moi. Not to mention the comforting knowledge and good karma that comes from helping Mike find a new home for the TOP HQ. You can get behind that, can't you?
A wonderful photograph. A vacation condo. A print sale to raise the money to get you to that condo. And karma points!
How can you pass that up?!
Ctein
©2014 by Ctein, all rights reserved
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Featured Comments from:
Eric VV: "I've stayed at these condos (when they were brand new) and they're really, really nice. We were on a ground floor and it had a sliding glass wall (no, not just a door—the whole wall opened up!). This is also one of the very few places on the Big Island that we've seen that's right on the beach. Also, they have a keiki (kiddie) pool that's fantastic for little ones (under three years old).
"This is a princely donation. You got me, I'm in!"
Can I buy the entry to the competition for 125$ or do I have to pay for shipping that too :-)? (Just joking - not that I didn't like the current picture, but my budget was spent on the "Hands" anyway.)
Posted by: Karel Kravik | Monday, 12 May 2014 at 02:32 PM
I will remain crazy. Crazy suits my nature just fine. Good luck with your sanity.
Posted by: Claire Senft | Monday, 12 May 2014 at 05:32 PM
>>How can you pass that up?!<<
It's simply a matter of differing taste -
1 I don't have any interest in the photo so I wouldn't want to buy a print.
2 Hawaii is so far down my list of possible holiday locations it's practically invisible.
Posted by: RobinP | Monday, 12 May 2014 at 06:02 PM
Not crazy. Just can't afford it, either the print or the airfare to Hawaii. If I had the money to travel I'd visit my son in Texas. I don't know anyone in Hawaii, well only one person and we aren't close friends. As for a print sale, I'm open to it if Mike asks. I've submitted stuff when he did ask.
Posted by: Jim Bullard | Monday, 12 May 2014 at 08:45 PM
I understand the fundraiser for a new TOP headquarters, but when real estate vacation rentals enter the picture, it starts to sound a bit crazy on this end too. Somewhere between hokey and a sales pitch. But, I hope TOP gets a windfall from it all.
Posted by: darr | Monday, 12 May 2014 at 08:52 PM
Ctein - Would you be willing/able to make prints for the winner of the Fall sale?
Posted by: John Doty | Monday, 12 May 2014 at 09:26 PM
Six comments
Three suspicious of your motives and/or negative, one apparently insulted by Ctein, two somewhat off topic.
"Ya needs to have a sensk'a humiligration"
Popeye.
Posted by: Gabe | Tuesday, 13 May 2014 at 02:36 AM
"And karma points!" Is it possible to buy Karma now? Cool.
Still not interested though. In fact, my interest declines in inverse proportion to the column inches devoted to fund raising.
Posted by: Tim Smith | Tuesday, 13 May 2014 at 07:11 AM
Golly, it sounds like a pretty good deal to me. Honestly, I might pay $100 to try and get in a good print sale. I appreciate that photograph, but it's just not really to my taste. It's beautiful and I'm sure it's technically wonderful, but I have no emotional connection to it.
...but for a shot at a print sale... eh, it still seems like the wrong reason to buy a photograph.
Posted by: Chris | Tuesday, 13 May 2014 at 10:09 AM
Dear John,
Yes (subject to schedule coordination, of course). On Phil's sale and Mike's sale last month, I'm doing everything-- printing, order handing, bookkeeping and shipment. And I'll be doing the same for two more sales over the next 4-5 months.
pax / Ctein
Posted by: Ctein | Tuesday, 13 May 2014 at 10:50 AM
That was all the nudge I needed.
Posted by: Nigel Robinson | Tuesday, 13 May 2014 at 01:51 PM
The print does appeal. Hawaii doesn't.
One thought is putting me off these print sales, and that is that I should be printing out some of my own stuff, rather than buying that of others. So apologies for my lack of enthusiasm. But I will continue to contribute via Amazon UK links, and make the odd donation.
Posted by: Dave Stewart | Tuesday, 13 May 2014 at 02:12 PM