What's The Best House To Sell Art? (Part Two - The Trends)

Following on from 2012 Poll Results: What's the best identify to sell art? (Part 1), TRENDS inwards the popularity of unlike places to sell fine art forms the champaign of study thing of the minute business office of my feedback relating to my Annual Making Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 Mark Survey close the best identify to sell art.

Now - the work amongst this is that I've changed the survey every yr as well as hence the information betwixt years is non strictly speaking comparable.  It was also non helped past times mixing upward PLACES where fine art was sold amongst WAYS inwards which fine art was promoted.

I've attempted to brand the survey information to a greater extent than comparable past times grouping places where people sell their fine art inwards 3 chief groups.  These are

Part 2 - Today

1. The Best Place to Sell Art - through the Artist's ain efforts
2. The Best Place to Sell Art - 3rd parties / human face upward to human face upward /on commission

Part 2 - Tomorrow

1. The Best Place to Sell Art - Temporary Venues - Art Fairs to Street Markets
2. The Best Place to Sell Art - eBay vs Etsy
3. The Best Place to Sell Art - Other Online Galleries

Economic Context

One thing nosotros demand to comport inwards heed when looking at the trends is that the concluding v years receive got been the equivalent of economical topsy turvy.

It's worth remembering what the macro-economic climate was similar when looking at the charts - hence I've attempted to summarise this below.  Bear inwards heed this is a gross over-simplification.

Years	Financial Context	Impact on Art
2008	Global Financial Crisis Part 1: housing bubble flare-up / subprime mortgage crisis / homes repossessed / belongings values declined the worst international economical crisis since the Great Depression of 1930s banks hitting hard - institutional bail-outs credit squeeze - businesses fail demand reduces leading to... recession	People halt buying art. Galleries amongst precarious finances of a abrupt close Banks stop/reduce sponsoring fine art events / exhibitions Virtually all artists affected - except those selling to really wealthy clients Rocky fourth dimension for auction houses begins
2009	Getting dorsum on track A menstruum of retrenchment - looking to minimise risks Credit squeeze continues people start existence mindful of their liquidity	Galleries without working working capital missive of the alphabet reserves travel past times away nether - artists lose places to sell art Artists selling to wealthier fine art collectors and/or those with specialist collecting interests (eg wildlife) less affected past times recession Artists inwards the middle Earth on cost badly affected - start epitome smaller works
2010	Recovery Household spending recovers The illusion of "normality" is prevalent	People laid out buying fine art again  Volume of sales downwards - only revenue streams concur steady for those selling higher priced art Artists notice novel ways of selling art Artists heighten prices to: avoid looking inexpensive to wealthier fine art collectors recoup lost mass inwards sales
2011	Global Financial Crisis Part 1: The Warnings Analysts began to realise that the worst was yet to come upward as well as that the recovery menstruum was going to hold upward really long. Prospect of Double Dip Recession straightaway seems real  Secondary effects from some really weird weather condition which affected economical activeness as well as priorities for spend	People start to travel past times away careful in 1 lawsuit again as well as the fine art economic scheme is wiser minute fourth dimension around Galleries receive got phase payment systems inwards identify this fourth dimension around to enable people to experience condom when making fine art purchases  Artists prepare novel ways of selling fine art eg modest groups organise their ain exhibitions Household spending adopts novel pattern. eg proper spending at Christmas only no frivolous spending during the year  areas where freak weather condition diverts household spending hard hitting re "extras" eg art
2012	Global Financial Crisis Part 1 - End Game European sovereign-debt crisis - whole countries straightaway at take away chances (eg Ireland, Spain, Greece, Italy). Double Dip Recession occurs inwards a position out of countries eg UK dorsum inwards recession Jan-June 2012 USA housing marketplace position nonetheless dodgy	Middle income collectors travel past times away along to hold upward careful - they stop buying fine art (again) and/or trim down mass of purchases buy cheaper fine art / prints inwards monastic state to receive got novel pictures without unnecessary fiscal risks

Now for the best places to purchase fine art - as well as how they did over this v yr period!

The Best Place to sell fine art - through the Artist's ain efforts

What I tried to produce this yr was push clit all the unlike ways inwards which artists attempt to sell fine art without the assist of 3rd parties nether 1 heading "direct from studio" + "open studios".

The worse the terra firma of the economic scheme the to a greater extent than probable the creative mortal volition hold upward theme on their ain efforts to sell direct from their studio.  "Artist's ain efforts" are direct as well as inversely correlated to the terra firma of the economic scheme as well as demand inwards the marketplace generally.

• In 2008, every bit the economical crisis bit, the get-go thing that happened was that it became to a greater extent than hard to sell fine art everywhere.  
• In 2009 Galleries closed as well as people stopped spending money on fine art because life became really uncertain.  Artists's ain efforts became to a greater extent than of import every bit as well as other sources of income dried upward or became also expensive to pursue
• As the illusory recovery arrived inwards late 2009/2010, artists ain efforts became less of import again 
• In 2011/12 every bit the fiscal crisis continued as well as the double dip recession arrived artists' ain efforts in 1 lawsuit again became an of import beginning of sales.  30% of artists said this was their chief beginning of sales as well as 27% said this was the most profitable identify to sell art.

The argue that artists ain efforts to sell direct from the studio is hence of import is that this venue is also the most profitable.  Hence when the going gets tough, this is also the selection which provides the best render for the elbow grease employed - hence long every bit you lot are reaching your potential collectors.

Key messages:

The economical province of affairs remains hard as well as forecasts are that this volition travel past times away along for some years.  It's non going to travel past times away dorsum to "normal" anytime soon. Hence....

• Become skilled at marketing your artwork direct from the studio. Using social networks, newsletters as well as blogs to communicate with past collectors as well as those interested inwards your art about your electrical flow fine art as well as what's for sale is an of import activity.  It needs to hold upward effective.
• Offer regular Open Studio events - these don't demand to hold upward express to annual events organised past times others
• Make it slow for people to committee piece of work from you lot - explicate the procedure on your website or weblog as well as inwards a leaflet
• Make for certain people know how to purchase fine art direct from your studio - as well as what you're producing.  
• Be visible - run attractive work organisation cards as well as postcards to remind people how they tin strength out contact you lot direct via studio, studio website, weblog and/or Facebook Page.
• Gear upward studio efforts to patterns of spending - eg hold upward really organised close making fine art available for Christmas

The Best Place to Sell Art - Third Parties / Face to Face / on Commission

This essentially is the gallery selection where a 3rd political party runs the exhibition as well as takes committee of sales.  That mightiness hold upward a commercial fine art gallery or an fine art guild running a juried competition.

This nautical chart is something of a mirror epitome of that relating to the artist's ain efforts.

There is a direct correlation betwixt the terra firma of the economic scheme as well as the importance of the gallery as well as sales on committee to an artist's income.  

• When demand is acquaint inwards the economic scheme hence galleries produce better, sell to a greater extent than as well as to a greater extent than artists receive got galleries through which they brand sales.  Hence the per centum of artists reporting gallery sales every bit their chief beginning of income increases.
• When the economic scheme is inwards recession hence demand reduces, sales volumes tend to reject for everybody and novel ways of generating sales receive got to hold upward found.  However in that location is ever a lag earlier whatsoever novel activities generate results (eg to a greater extent than galleries going to fine art fairs)
• As economical reject progresses, those galleries that receive got weathered the economical tempest to appointment notice themselves amongst less contest as well as inwards a amend identify for existence choosy close the artists they receive got on their lists.  Inevitably their preference is going to hold upward for established artists who tin strength out demonstrate corporation sales throughout periods of economical difficulty.

When times are hard sales via galleries trim down as well as galleries unopen - which tin strength out larn out gallery artists amongst nowhere to sell their art.  In the concluding 12 months, it's been evident to me that the double dip recession is in 1 lawsuit again having an impact on sales via galleries.  This has been reinforced past times the survey results.

Key messages:

It's ESSENTIAL to

• Remember the bottom delineate is turn a profit non sales - as well as to review at to the lowest degree on an annual footing the full profitability of relationships amongst diverse 3rd parties.  
• Practice take away chances administration amongst observe to commercial galleries ie "do non receive got all your eggs inwards 1 basket".  Develop a portfolio of galleries located inwards unlike places as well as avoid becoming also theme on whatsoever 1 gallery.
• Exhibiting tin strength out hold upward marketing. Remember many artists chalk upward the expense of having piece of work inwards juried competitions as well as fine art guild exhibitions to marketing since the additional costs of exhibiting oftentimes hateful lilliputian turn a profit for the artist.  Galleries produce review the piece of work of artists at such exhibitions.

Tomorrow I await at

1. The Best Place to Sell Art - Temporary Venues - Art Fairs to Street Markets
2. The Best Place to Sell Art - eBay vs Etsy
3. The Best Place to Sell Art - Other Online Galleries

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