Vintage Images

[itscribe]

I've been thinking about opening a shop that offers high res scanned versions of some of the public domain art that I work with. I looked around on Etsy and see a lot of folks are selling what seems to be completed pieces - taking a bird image and adding some script, sheet music and a number of elements to create tags for example. Their work is lovely but I can't help but wonder if some people would rather pick their own elements to put together.

I was wondering...would it work selling collections of images in their original state? Do paper artists want the images already incorporated into a tag or a totally ready to print and use inchie or would they like to have a source where they could just get the images and then put them together themselves?

What are things that you have trouble finding? What is on your wish list?

Or, do you just use Google images?

[BelleBeryl]

I usually search free printables / free domain images to copy for cardmaking , ATC etc . I think some people might like what you want to offer. You could perhaps if the moderator is ok with it offer a sort of trial here for anyone on Craftster who might be interested. One can always ask.

[BelleBeryl]

Hi , got your pm and I read your post on the paper crafts section this morning.

[CraftyChef]

I buy image sets because once you put together a ready-made ATC for sale, for example, it's then your art and not mine. I buy stationery packs (patterns and grungy type backgrounds), vintage image individuals or sets in themes since I have niche markets, and random "decor" sets. That way I can mix and match to infinity. Those black and white "sketchy" images are a dime a dozen, and there are tons of pointless "beautiful women" and floral images out there. Colored images of everyday objects are much harder to find.

[itscribe]

Thank you both for the great feedback. I wish this post could have stayed in the paper crafts area. But rulz is rulz I suppose. 

While I like many of the things folks are offering, I would think the true artisans are more like you CraftyChef and want to just get raw images. Beautiful women and floral image overload? Good to know. Sadly much of the vintage stuff is flowers from still life paintings and portraits. Were the women that you've seen mainly pin-up kinda images or portrait-like?

Are bugs, birds and butterflies over saturated too do you think?

Everyday items. In color. Uhm. Guess that means I'll have to look harder for advertising type images. I've noticed with my web projects that it is harder to find usable things like that. Might be a good niche once I get going and have more to invest in purchasing original pieces.

If you're looking for colored images, do you ever consider using a black and white drawing and editing it? Would you be more apt to edit a simple line drawing over one that is fully 'colored in' with gray tones?

[CraftyChef]

Oh, for sure I recolor lots of things, but those black and white images all have the same flat look no matter how you dress them up.

Hee - I'm not saying the other stuff won't sell. They will for sure, so you should sell them! But if you manage to dig out something more interesting, you can charge a premium. Heh, if you find any food/cooking, sewing or knitting subject matter...

[itscribe]

Good information, as usual, from you CraftyChef. Will keep your suggestions in mind.

BTW, there's not a lot to pick from, but have you ever visited my freebie images site? The pictures are scavenged, so the sizes and quality are not as good as I would hope to offer in a shop but there's some pretty ones - http://www.reusableart.com/v/food/fruit/