Art Has A Huge Market Online. In Fact, Its One Of The Most Popular Categories On EBay. According To Appraiser Alan Bamberger, Of Http:ArtBusiness.com, Selling Art Isnt As Challenging As Many Online Sellers Fear. A Simple PlanSo How Do You Get Started Sourcing Art To Sell Through Your E-Biz? Bamberger Recommends Following Several Steps For An Easy Entry Into The World Of Art Retail: 1.Find A NicheMany Internet Retailers Feel Under-qualified To Sell Art Because They Know So Little About It. You Dont Need To Be An Art Expert To Sell It, But You Need To Learn About Whatever It Is That Youre Selling. You Can Study As You Go And Become An Expert In Your Category.Its Imperative You Find An Area To Specialize In Because Selling Broad Isnt A Good Strategy. A Little Bit Of Everything Is A Recipe For Disaster, Warns Bamberger. You Have To Zero In On A Niche Area From There, You Can Start Acquiring A Knowledge Base. For Example, If You Like Beach Paintings, You Might Concentrate On Paintings Of Connecticut Beaches Or Miami Beaches. 2.Do Some Talent ScoutingWhen Looking At An Artists Resume, You Need To Verify That They Show And Sell Consistently. You Can Start Your Talent Search Online. Try Googling The Type Of Art You Want To Sell, Such As Coastal Scene Paintings. Or Look On EBay At Thousands Of Artists Who Represent Themselves There. Other Useful Sites Include:http:AbsoluteArts.com, Where Thousands Of Artists Have Their Own Gallerieshttp:Guild.com, Where Craft Artisans Show Their Workshttp:ArtExpos.com, Home Site To A Large Art Tradeshowhttp:ArtNet.com, Where Many Of The Worlds Leading Galleries Display High-end Art While Some Dealers May Qualify You To Ensure Youre Serious About Buying Before Speaking With You Directly, The Majority Of Artists And Galleries Will Be More Than Happy To Talk To You And Sell You Some Art. Until Youve Acquired An Expertise In Your Field, Its Best To Only Buy From Reputable Dealers, Galleries, Agents, Etc. 3.Establish Fair Market ValueHow Do You Know What You Should Be Paying For A Piece? There Are A Number Of Indicators That Can Help You Arrive At The Right Price:See Whos Selling Similar Art And What Prices Theyre Getting. Art Is Similar To Real Estate In This Regard No Two Pieces Are Alike, But The Prices For Similar Works Wont Be Too Far Off. Look At The Artists Track Record, How Far They Are In Their Career. The More Accomplished An Artist Becomes, The More Their Work Acquires A Premium Value. Use An Online Database Service, Like Http:www.ArtPrice.com Or Http:www.GordonsArt.com, Which Lists Millions Of Art Auction Records And Is Constantly Updated With The Latest Auction Results From All Over The World. The Bottom Line In Determining What You Can Pay For A Piece Is, Do You Have Room To Mark It Up? Theres No Standard Pricing Mark-up For Art. You Simply Have To Figure Out Your Expenses, What You Need To Be Making, And How Much You Need To Sell, And Set Your Prices Accordingly. Following ThroughSelling Art Online Can Be A Very Profitable Venture. Its Just A Matter Of Doing Your Homework Finding The Right Niche, The Right Artists, And The Right Price. Says Bamberger, Art Isnt Some Mystical Commodity Only Art People Know Aboutits Very Matter-of-fact. Any Online Retailer Who Takes The Time To Do Their Research Can Be Very Successful In This Area.
