With Art Basel around the corner, I wanted to share a quick guide to selling physical art. It seems like the latest trend is all about digital art and NFTs. However, for me, physical art is something I covet and enjoy more than digital art. From an investment perspective, physical art is generally easier to sell than digital art. As long as the artwork is original and a design that consumers want to buy, it is easy to profit from it. Digital art is often quite easy to copy, but this isn’t the case with physical art. In honor of Art Basel in Miami, I wanted to share some advantages of selling physical art.
Demonstrating value is easy
It is easier to show the value of physical art than digital art. When artwork is tangible, it stimulates the innate human desire to want to possess it. If you are looking to sell from your personal collection, utilizing an image online of your artwork in a home setting gives purchasers an idea of how they could display it. They know exactly what they will get when they spend their money and have concrete evidence of their purchase.
One way to sell art is on an online shop on a platform like Etsy where there is a marketplace to sell art prints and merchandise. If you’re wondering how to make art prints from your digital art, a “print to order” business model means only creating a physical product when a customer places an order. The best part is that you don’t need to carry excess inventory or lose revenue due to art in stock that doesn’t sell. Print-on-demand services give you a low-cost, low-risk option for generating income without having to invest too much too soon.
Higher perceived value
Physical art is usually perceived as having a higher value than digital art because it is real and tangible. Consumers still generally have more trust in physical art than digital art, although this could change in the future.
Every art piece is original and unique, as there’s no mass production involved. The physical artist has an intimate connection with the paint, brushes and canvas. It often takes years of practice to become proficient. Even if digital art is done by accomplished artists who create amazing work, the viewer often doesn’t really understand the amount of work that might have gone into creating it. Viewers often express more appreciation for physical art as they believe it takes much effort to create, even if this isn’t necessarily the case.
Uniqueness
If you design and create your own physical artwork, only you can sell it. Purchasers know they won’t find exactly the same piece anywhere else. When saturation occurs, the value of something drops. The value rises when something is rare. As we are so accustomed to seeing digital content every day, it can make physical art seem more exclusive. Very few people sell traditional art today so it tends to have a higher value.
Sell physical art for a higher price
It can be difficult to put a price on your artwork. Price it too high, and you may battle to sell it but price it too low, and you could leave money on the table. It is important to look at the prices of artwork similar to yours and see what it sells for. It’s also important to take into account many different factors such as the medium, style, color and size while also considering the artist’s experience, accomplishments, and production rate.
If you are producing artwork to sell then include the cost of materials and a reasonable hourly wage when you price your art and don’t forget to include framing and shipping!
Sell your physical art online
There are many website that allow sellers to list physical art at many online galleries and sites. You need to have established demand in the art market to sell your art at some online galleries such as Artsy. However, there are a number of online sites that help emerging artists sell their works. There may be various different plans on offers, such as starter plans, intermediate plans and professional plans. The commission may be calculated based on the retail value of the artwork.
When selling physical art, it’s important have a tangible product to promote. This makes demonstrating its value easier. Physical art tends to have a higher perceived value than digital art. If you have an original product that is yours alone to sell, and buyers appreciate this uniqueness. You can often set a higher price than you would for physical art because of the materials you use, framing etc. Today you don’t have to rely on selling physical art in physical places as you can sell it in online galleries.
XO
EV
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As one of Miami’s top bloggers, Evelyn Torres has become one of the leading voices in fitness, fashion, and Miami. Brickellista started as a Twitter alias in 2009 and has expanded to become a lifestyle blog capturing a Miami girl’s perspective. Evelyn is a businesswoman, entrepreneur, brand ambassador and on the pulse of the Miami social scene.
Today as founder and Managing Director of BrickellistaFiles.com, Evelyn is not only the face of BrickellistaFiles, but oversees the strategy and direction. She is the driving force behind the brand and has built the go-to site for everything Miami.