Museum Consulting - The 7 Saintly Virtues of Museum Curatorship

This is not just because I’m a cheapskate; it’s because I’m a taxpayer. My taxes have already paid for many of these objects; whether in the financing of the original expeditions and acquisitions, or through the purchasing from other museums. I find it unfair to be charged twice for the same objects. The cost of maintenance is never as high as it claimed.

In the cases of private museums my postulate of the taxpayer holds no water; the museum has the right to charge whatever the market can stand. It is unfortunate then, that many private museums charge the high end of this bracket. This limits the clientele to tourists and serious students. Neither group is mass market enough to bring repeat custom or referrals. The tourists will pay almost anything just because they’re “on holiday”, and “we’re not likely to come back” and their involvement with the museums ends when they collect their bags from the cloakroom. When they tell their friends they’re more likely to discuss the cost, rather than the possibility of a return visit. Serious students, by their nature, will either have a yearly pass or student discount (reducing your total potential income) or will make such detailed notes that they have no need to return.

If money is the primary object, then sell cheap and stack high is the oft-quoted mantra. By making something more affordable, more people will indulge themselves because they’ll lose less if it’s unappealing. This tactic has made Wal-Mart the success it is. It can work for museums, too and in no way cheapens the artefacts or experience once inside.