“Auctions held to benefit photographic institutions rely substantially on work solicited as gifts from photographers, many of whom cannot themselves earn a living wage from their pictures. The health of some of the organizations contributes to that of photography in general, and thus to that of the photographers individually, but one cannot help thinking how much more charitable it would be if those who could afford to do so would first buy the prints from the photographers, perhaps at wholesale, and then themselves donate the work for auction. Isn’t it a little questionable to beg the prints for nothing, attract people to the auction by listing estimated bids at below gallery prices, and then relish bargains? Because afterwards the cut-rate prices are a matter of public record, and erode the photographers’ attempt to maintain regular prices—so much so that it would probably be more to the photographers’ interests sometimes just to contribute money rather than pictures.”

(p.45, Robert Adams, ‘Why People Photograph’ 1994)

And so too with the price of design.