2012 Poll Results: What's The Best House To Sell Art? (Part 1)

In the concluding 12 months, most artists convey generated most of their income together with net inwards 1 of FOUR places - according to the August Making Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Mark Poll

The iv places are every bit follows

• direct from studio - rank#1 for revenue together with #1 for profit
• via a commercial gallery and/or every bit a gallery artist - ranked #2 for revenue together with #4 for profit
• via an online gallery / store (which is NOT either eBay or Etsy) - ranked #3 for revenue together with #2 for profit
• via an Annual Art fair or Festival - ranked #4 for revenue together with #3 for profit.

These iv places describe concern human relationship for:

• 68% of the responses identifying the best house for generating revenue
• 58 % of the responses identifying the best house for making the most profit

Seven other places for selling fine art identified inwards the August Making Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Mark Poll generated 5% or less responses.

75 responses inwards August 2012

59 responses inwards August 2012

My Annual Poll which seeks to position the best house to sell fine art changed slightly this August.  It became 2 polls rather than 1 together with aimed to dissever out venues which generated sales from those which generated net - on the footing that it's perfectly possible to sell fine art inwards roughly places together with brand no net at all!

The questions asked yesteryear the 2 polls focused on which were the most effective marketing channels for selling art:

1. What was the best house to sell fine art inwards the concluding yr (most revenue)?
2. What was the best house to sell fine art inwards the concluding yr (most profitable)?

As the Poll topic for August was marketing channels, the Poll for September - which I volition position out adjacent calendar week - volition focus on the arrive at of marketing tools (eg advertising / blogs / discussion of oral fissure etc) which artists piece of occupation to warning people to where they sell their art

Analysis of the results

Direct from the studio

I've yet to practice the analysis of the trends (which is Part 2 of this Poll written report - coming adjacent week) withal I convey an impression that artists convey decided to practice something most increasing the profitability of their fine art - together with selling straight from an artist's studio is surely 1 means of doing that.

It reduces gallery committee together with go costs.  Postage costs are also express to items which convey sold every bit opposed to artwork yous promise to sell.

Obviously Open Studios also autumn into the same category of venue every bit 'Direct from the Studio' together with inclusion of these increases the importance of this superlative ranked pick for where to sell your art.

Commercial Galleries

These of course of pedagogy charge per unit of measurement high inwards damage of generating significant income for some artists - withal they practice less good when it comes to generating net for an creative somebody due to what tin live high costs (eg framing all piece of occupation irrespective of whether or non it sells), additional costs (eg commission)

IMO artists should exclusively live inwards fine art galleries if:

• they make larger work 
• and/or the creative somebody is able to make artwork to a consistent proficient standard 
• and/or the artist can piece of occupation to a deadline
• and/or the gallery manages to sell their piece of occupation on a regular together with consistent footing (ie "bread together with butter income")

One could comment at length on what makes a gallery effective from an artist's perspective - together with possibly I volition practice - inwards roughly other post.

What's your opinion?

Other Online Gallery / Shop

I'm intrigued yesteryear this result.  Sites which are NOT eBay or Etsy are generating pregnant sales.  I'm wondering which ones are the ones which larn results!  I'd especially similar to listen from those who opted for this "venue".

For to a greater extent than most the explanation re eBay encounter below.

Which online galleries / shops are the most effective?

The Art Fair/ Festival

I wasn't surprised yesteryear the high ranking for this option.

These look to live belongings upward inwards both popularity together with effectiveness.  My impression is that artists look to me to live putting much to a greater extent than endeavour into working out how they tin introduce their artwork amend at an Art fair (eg encounter this week's post Nicole Caulfield together with her Mobile Art Studio / Gallery) together with how they tin brand an appearance to a greater extent than cost-effective.

Are yous thinking of ways of making a see to an At fair a to a greater extent than profitable venture?

It should also be remembered that Art Fairs tin also live a to a greater extent than cost-effective means of purchasing for fine art collectors given the compass together with arrive at of artists who participate.

The Art Society/Art Competition - Juried Exhibition

It's real clear that exhibitions associated amongst fine art competitions together with fine art societies are NOT viewed every bit cracking selling opportunities.  I advise this could live for 1 of 3 reasons.

1. Sales convey picked upward only the send upon of the recession is soundless evident inwards the issue of exhibition sales
2. Most artists are unlikely to motility into many such exhibitions together with therefore it's real unlikely that they volition generate a pregnant proportion of an artist's turnover.
3. That said, there's likely roughly considerable compass to improve the means inwards which artwork displayed inwards such exhibitions is sold.  Galleries are kickoff to larn to grips amongst the notion of the parallel online exhibition - only I'm non convinced that all art societies together with fine art competitions are fully engaged amongst the notion that marketing exhibitions online is ' proficient thing'.  However I reckon I know which fine art societies piece of occupation difficult at their sales together with generate proficient results for their electrical flow together with aspiring members.

Do yous consider the exhibitions of fine art competitions together with fine art societies a serious pick for selling your art?

eBay together with Etsy

I'm rather surprised to encounter both eBay together with Etsy doing relatively badly.  It's apparent that Etsy has directly got the border over eBay - inwards damage of both revenue together with profitability - withal this decision could live related to the sample size.

[Update: I started to await at the tendency statistics for Part 2 of this Update together with it's apparent that The Art Shop on eBay has lost 61% of its traffic inwards the concluding year.  According to Compete.com Traffic has dropped from 466,146 (July 2011) to 181,394 inwards July 2012.  

By means of comparison, Etsy's traffic is downwards 19% inwards the concluding year

More comparisons volition live highlighted inwards Part 2 of this postal service adjacent week]

Have yous started or stopped selling fine art on eBay or Etsy inwards the concluding year?  If yous stopped using a site for fine art marketing what were your reasons? 

What are the primary changes inwards the concluding 12 months?

See Part 2 adjacent week!

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