If you’re an artist that struggles with finding platforms to sell your art or maybe you’re a person who wants to know where to find the newest artwork from fresh, young, “starving” artists, this is a must-read.
How to buy and sell art for profit
Nowadays, you can find everything you could ever want or need on the Internet, and art is no exception. Let’s face it, the world has changed and we have to change with it. What used to go down in galleries and auctions is now online, especially in these trying times facing COVID-19.
Of course, these changes have their pros and cons, one of the best pros is that it doesn’t matter where you are, you can always find like-minded people. On platforms such as Instagram or Facebook, even the new ones like Tik-Tok you can already see young people promoting their work such as clothing brands, jewellery and out-of-the-box art.
So what’s stopping you from selling that painting you made a few years ago and earning a few extra bucks? We have made a selection of some of the best web pages to help you out.
If you want to watch a video instead on how to build your art website? We got you covered at the bottom of the page…
It’s Art Time
Artplode
Launched in 2014, this page achieved great success. From amateur work to trained professionals, you can sell or buy paintings, sculptures, photographs and prints. When you list your artwork on Artplode you have to pay 60 USD but once you sell it there is no commission, you get 100% of the set price. The artwork listed here is a bit on the expensive side, varying from the ‘low’ 1000 USD to the ones that are 25 000+. This may be for those of you with deeper pockets or ambitious artists.
Online store
Etsy
A page that you must have heard of before but do you know what it stands for? Easy To Sell Yourself launched in 2005 with the slogan of selling handmade, vintage, custom and unique things. Today they sell anything from jewellery, accessories, clothing, to art and collectables. You don’t have to be a professional to sell the fruits of your labour here.
They have lower and more user-friendly prices but a lot of hidden costs for artists. The listing fee is as low as 0.20 USD but you also have to pay 5% of the transaction fee and approximately 5% of the payment processing fee, also if you make a sale through the offsite ads, you pay a fee of 15%. If you choose the Standard account it is free whereas the Plus version is 10 USD a month.
Artist hard at work
Artpal
Launched in 2012 this site is one of the best for starting up. With no commission and fees, you get 100% of your asking price (excluding the price of shipping). Featuring over 185 000 artists, the starting prices can be under 25 USD and up to 500+. With a range from Paintings and prints to glass and textile, if you can’t find it here, the only other stop is Amazon.
Amazon
Amazon
If you don’t know it as one of the biggest marketplaces in the world, maybe the name of its founder rings a bell. Jeff Bezos established this world-famous online market site in 1994. They began with selling books and today they offer electronics, furniture, food, jewellery and of course art.
If you want to list your art in the Handmade section the fee is 15% per sale but the listing is free. You can also register to Amazon Fine Art but you’ll need to get approved first, the referral fee is can vary from 5-20% depending on the price and you also pay 0.99 USD per sale. For more information, you can check out their web page.
Shopify
Our final e-commerce platform was launched in 2006 by Tobias Lütke, Daniel Weinand and Scott Lake and it’s a bit different from the others.
This site allows you to create your own web page for your business. If you’re not ready to commit, they offer a two-week free trial. If you decide to build your own shop you will have to pay a monthly subscription. The basic plan is 29 USD and the more advanced ones are up to 300 USD, you also may need to pay transaction fees if you use a third-party payment provider.
Want to know more about Shopify? Watch below