How to Sell Your Original Art Without Paying Commission

Foxy by Y. Garfield

Dealers, galleries, agents all take commission, and in these tough economic times it's just easier to do it yourself. Here's how.

Things You'll Need

• food
• drink
• a couple of 6 ft. folding tables
• framed & unframed art
• venue, like your house
• a bunch of friends and acquaintances

Instructions

1. Invite people who live within a 10 mile radius to your art show as if you were inviting people to a large buffet dinner party. Let them know there will be food. Make certain that your internet art show invitation says something about 'friends, food, & fun' so they know this is a social evening with no pressure.

   Invite about 60 people. The number of people who show up is fluid...be aware that most people will not even consider buying a work of art. They are there to look and to eat and drink, and that's okay.

2. 

   Hold your show on a Friday night. Chances are that tired people who have worked all week are pleased to go to a free dinner at a home not too far from theirs. Start the evening at 5:30 so people can come straight from work if they want to, or later if that works for them. Have some food on the table at the latest by 6.

   Menu should include nuts, candies, sliced cheeses and meats, salads, french bread, crackers, mustards, fruits, vegetable slices, dips, etc. And a lot of alcohol.

3. Have art hung on the walls in well lit areas flattering to each piece of art. Lay unframed pieces on very clean surfaces away from food, not in a central area, because you don't want drinks spilled on unprotected artwork. Keep a new clear plastic drop cloth handy to drape over the pieces so that you don't have to stress about what is going on when you are in another part of the show.

   Do not concern yourself with price tags. If people are interested in a piece, they will ask you how much it is, and you have the chance to be flexible with your price. If you say $4,000 and they go pale, you can cut it in half just for them right on the spot. You can let it go because you know where it is going, or you can let it go because you need the money. Whatever you say, you can negotiate a sale.

4. Often people will love a piece but won't have the money to buy it. You can be the holder of the note. If they truly love a piece, and you know they are good reliable human beings, you can offer to allow them to make payments. What you can not do is undercut your own price to the point that you don't feel good about the sale. If you have already cut your price in half, you pretty much have to stick to that.

   But you can finance the deal by offering monthly payments for 1 year without interest. Half of the time, the people will just pay for it outright, and the other half, they will make payments until the piece is paid for.

Tips & Warnings

• Just hang the art you can hang, and lean the art you can lean.

• Ask local business to have this art opening in their place. If this happens, you'll have to transport food & everything else. It's actually easier to just do it at home.

• Ask a friend to work the room for you so you don't have to do the whole thing alone. Your friend's job would be to socialize and keep ears open for interest. Where there is interest, there is also often reluctance. This can be turned around if you know about it, so have your friend 'spy' for you.