Low photo selling price

[Norfolk Coaster]

One of my photos has just sold for $5.07. In the buyer's view of the Alamy website it appears that the lowest price a photo can sell for is £9.99 ($11) or £6.97 ($8) via an image pack. So how can my photo have been sold so cheaply?

[John Mitchell]

The short answer is that unfortunately there is no lowest price. There are lots of forum threads on this topic that you can check out.

[meanderingemu]

23 minutes ago, Norfolk Coaster said:

One of my photos has just sold for $5.07. In the buyer's view of the Alamy website it appears that the lowest price a photo can sell for is £9.99 ($11) or £6.97 ($8) via an image pack. So how can my photo have been sold so cheaply?

 

Because you gave the right to Alamy to decide what the best price is for each individual situation.  sadly they didn't specify that best price was from a buyer's perspective 

[Pav]

Country: Germany Usage: Editorial Media: Internal newsletter Print run: Unlimited Image Size: Any size Start: 01 July 2022 End: 01 July 2027 Germany,Internal newsletter

$ 2.93

[Ognyan Yosifov]

30 minutes ago, John Mitchell said:

The short answer is that unfortunately there is no lowest price. There are lots of forum threads on this topic that you can check out.

...and the lowest of all lowest prices at $0.00. Is it a price, really? And if it's not, what is it then? 🙄

Edited October 15, 2022 by Ognyan Yosifov

[Norfolk Coaster]

Thanks for all your responses to my post, but none of them answer my question. Before posting I searched for an answer on the forum and found a lot of disgruntled contributors moaning about the low prices some of their photos are sold for. What I don't understand is where and how are clients buying photos at such low prices? On the buying section of the Alamy website the lowest price a photo can sell for is £9.99 ($11) or £6.97 ($8) via an image pack. So how could someone purchase my photo for only $5? 

 

Some threads mention Alamy distributors. Are the distributors perhaps undercutting the prices on Alamy's own website? Can anyone answer this, or give me a link to a forum thread that answers it please? Thanks again

[Steve F]

Alamy has a sales team. Regular clients will be talking to / offered discounts by the sales team. I think its a safe assumption that they're halfway competent and try to get the highest prices that they can realistically achieve. It's unfortunately very simple, the market is saturated and there is a race to the bottom between agencies. I don't necessarily think Alamy is engaged in that (it doesn't fit with their original business model), but they're being pushed to offer lower prices by external market forces.

 

How do you maintain market share when competitors are undercutting you? How do you set yourself apart from other stock agencies? I don't think the 'largest most unique' collection holds true now. Presumably why Alamy is pushing in this creative direction...

Edited October 16, 2022 by Steve F

[Norfolk Coaster]

49 minutes ago, Steve F said:

Alamy has a sales team. Regular clients will be talking to / offered discounts by the sales team. I think its a safe assumption that they're halfway competent and try to get the highest prices that they can realistically achieve. It's unfortunately very simple, the market is saturated and there is a race to the bottom between agencies. I don't necessarily think Alamy is engaged in that (it doesn't fit with their original business model), but they're being pushed to offer lower prices by external market forces.

 

How do you maintain market share when competitors are undercutting you? How do you set yourself apart from other stock agencies? I don't think the 'largest most unique' collection holds true now. Presumably why Alamy is pushing in this creative direction...

Thanks Steve, this makes sense. I still tend to get higher commission on Alamy than on iStock, so can't complain really I suppose! 😀

Edited October 16, 2022 by Norfolk Coaster

[meanderingemu]

1 hour ago, Norfolk Coaster said:

Thanks for all your responses to my post, but none of them answer my question. Before posting I searched for an answer on the forum and found a lot of disgruntled contributors moaning about the low prices some of their photos are sold for. What I don't understand is where and how are clients buying photos at such low prices? On the buying section of the Alamy website the lowest price a photo can sell for is £9.99 ($11) or £6.97 ($8) via an image pack. So how could someone purchase my photo for only $5? 

 

Some threads mention Alamy distributors. Are the distributors perhaps undercutting the prices on Alamy's own website? Can anyone answer this, or give me a link to a forum thread that answers it please? Thanks again

Section 8 of the agreement contributors agreed to

 

 

 Pricing and promotion

1. Alamy is entitled to set and agree prices in relation to the Content in its absolute discretion.

 

 

Alamy can give whatever reduction they feel like, and only way out is to leave the agreement.  We are not partners

[Norfolk Coaster]

28 minutes ago, meanderingemu said:

Section 8 of the agreement contributors agreed to

 

 

 Pricing and promotion

1. Alamy is entitled to set and agree prices in relation to the Content in its absolute discretion.

 

 

Alamy can give whatever reduction they feel like, and only way out is to leave the agreement.  We are not partners

Thanks, this helps to answer my question too.

[Michael Ventura]

I used to find quite a few Alamy images in U.S. publications each month and now I am finding fewer and fewer.  Some of the pubs have folded but the others are finding other sources that I am sure are even cheaper that Alamy.  I would love nothing more then for Alamy to get higher fees but one cannot compete with free or nearly free, just simple economics.  The "micro" agencies have driven this market into the ground.

 

[Steve F]

3 minutes ago, Michael Ventura said:

I used to find quite a few Alamy images in U.S. publications each month and now I am finding fewer and fewer.  Some of the pubs have folded but the others are finding other sources that I am sure are even cheaper that Alamy.  I would love nothing more then for Alamy to get higher fees but one cannot compete with free or nearly free, just simple economics.  The "micro" agencies have driven this market into the ground.

 

 

Where's a sad face when you want one? Oh... yeah.... 😝

[meanderingemu]

9 hours ago, Norfolk Coaster said:

Thanks, this helps to answer my question too.

sadly this is probably they one time Alamy read the agreement 🤔

[meanderingemu]

8 hours ago, Steve F said:

 

Where's a sad face when you want one? Oh... yeah.... 😝

 

i'm using the "thanks".  (except if Alamy who get's as requested to only option the agree with)