4 Tips For Art Collectors Selling Their Fine Art

When you need to sell some of your fine art in your collection or sell all your pieces in one consignment, you’ll need to start looking for potential buyers. Therefore, you may find yourself searching for places that buy art near me. As a collector, your approach to selling your fine art should be well-calculated, especially if you’re looking to make a profit from the sale.

The following tips will help you refine your search for places that buy art near me so you can sell your art to a worthy buyer.

1. Make Your Fine Art Collection Retail Ready

Even before you start looking for buyers, gather all the relevant documents concerning your art collection. These documents include appraisal reports, provenance information, and the description of the artwork. If you haven’t had your art collection appraised, you may not have this information readily available. As such, you should invite a certified fine art appraiser to conduct art valuation and give you an official appraisal report. Otherwise, you may end up selling your fine art on the cheap, while it’s worth much more. With all the information about your art well documented in a report, you’ll make a strong pitch and first impression to your prospective buyers.

2. Approach Your Local Art Galleries

Your Google search for places that buy art near me will yield many results, and local art galleries will be among the top results. Besides selling fine art, art galleries also buy art. You’ll also find local art buyers in the exhibitions and auctions organized by the art galleries, so it makes sense to contact art consultants first. To understand the selling and buying process more profoundly, you may physically visit the art galleries and talk to art consultants. However, most galleries have an online process for that, and it’s much easier. You simply take close up photos of your art collection, attach the provenance documents and the artwork description, and send them to the art consultants. After evaluation, the art galleries may call you in to buy your collection. And since art galleries have a vast network of prospective buyers, you may sell your entire collection faster than you thought.

3. Sell Your Fine Art Collection through an Auction House

It’s very likely that auction houses also show up on your search for places that buy art near me. If you don’t mind paying auction houses a seller’s commission, you can sell your art collection fast enough. Hundreds of art enthusiasts and art collectors flock to auction houses in person or virtually looking to participate in the art bidding process and hopefully get some good deals on quality art. Auction houses make selling and buying art a fun process that attracts most people, even some beyond the art world. However, art sellers may consider the commission set by auction houses to be a bit prohibitive. On average, the seller’s commission is about 20% to 30%. Nonetheless, the high traffic of interested art buyers means that you can sell your art collection fast and at a good price.

4. Contact the Original Artists of the Artwork in Your Collection

Some artists may buy back their artworks, especially when they’re preparing for a large exhibition or are experiencing high demand. If you can trace down the original artists, or the previous owners of your fine art, they may be interested in buying back the pieces. This also applies to art galleries. As long as the artwork is in perfect condition, the original painters and owners may easily buy back the art because they already know its value.

Selling your fine art shouldn’t be hard since you have many viable options. It’s estimated that roughly 53% of art collections globally has more than 500 artworks. This boosts the art market and makes it easy for art lovers to buy and sell art. Your search for places that buy art near me will lead you to prospective buyers such as art galleries and auction houses. As long as you have the relevant information like appraisal reports, you’ll attract the right buyer.