Knowing how to navigate the secondary art market to your advantage is crucial to being an art collector. Although the primary market can leave you guessing about the true value of a specific piece, selling works via the secondary market offers a history of sales data to ensure you land on a realistic price.
If you’re looking to sell second-hand art in Sydney, there’s no shortage of options to understand. While you must secure the best price for your piece, you also want the sales experience to go as smoothly as possible. Meanwhile, inexperienced art sellers may prefer an approach that involves guidance from a knowledgeable professional.
To help you understand how to sell second-hand art in Sydney, we’ve created a list of the most common options. If you're looking to profit from the second-hand art market in Sydney, these are the best ways to sell your piece with the least hassle.
Direct to Collectors
Directly contacting another collector is an appealing way to approach the second-hand art market. With countless collectors across Sydney looking to acquire a fascinating piece, there’s a good chance you can find the perfect person to deal with. However, choosing this route when selling valuable artworks definitely has its risks.
If you’re planning on handling the process on your own, you need to have a clear and realistic valuation in mind, or you might end up giving away a bargain. Meanwhile, you must feel comfortable negotiating, accepting payments, and navigating any potential legal concerns. Selling second-hand art directly to collectors can be a great idea, but it’s not typically recommended for inexperienced sellers.
Auction Houses
Auction Houses can be a superb choice for sellers looking for someone else to take charge of the sales process. Typically, this involves contacting an auction house to discover whether they are interested in selling your piece. Then, they will go through the appraisal process to determine what kind of price you can expect at auction.
Yet like any auction, there’s no guarantee your artwork will sell for that specific price. While you can set a reserve price to reduce your risk, this can mean your artwork doesn’t sell on the day. However, if it sells for an acceptable price, you must also factor in commissions paid to the auction house and potentially other parties before realising your profits.
Art Dealers
You can also sell second-hand art with many art dealers. Unlike auction houses, art dealers serve as intermediaries for their extensive private networks of buyers looking to access pieces not advertised to the public. Depending on the art you’re looking to sell, there’s probably a Sydney-based art dealer that specialises in that specific style.
You must keep in mind that art dealers also earn commissions that can eat into your profit margin. However, the fact you’re working with an industry specialist whose job relies on finding the ideal buyer means you might benefit from an especially straightforward sales process.
Art to Art
If you’re searching for an easy and reputable way to sell second-hand art in Sydney, look no further than Art to Art’s Second Hand Market. Whether you’re simply looking to reduce your collection or find that a piece no longer suits your direction, we make it incredibly simple to find a buyer that will pay a fair price.
To access this curated marketplace, we carefully review each submission to determine whether it matches our requirements. If successful, we notify our sellers within 5-7 working days and begin the reselling process. To learn more about Art to Art’s secondary market, fill in the submission form here.
Shop Striking Artwork Today
To view incredible artwork from some of Australia’s top emerging and established artists, head to Art to Art’s Melbourne-based gallery at 130 Bulleen Road, Balwyn North. Meanwhile, you can browse our collection online before deciding on the perfect piece for your home. Get in touch with our friendly team today.