How to Sell Your Art: A Complete Guide to Maximizing Returns at Auction, Galleries, and Brokers
Understanding Your Options for Selling Fine Art
Considering selling your fine art, contemporary prints, or pop art editions? Understanding your options is crucial for achieving the best possible return. At Mimesis Gallery, we specialize in helping collectors navigate the complex world of art sales with transparency and expertise. Whether you're looking to sell contemporary art, modern prints, pop art, or limited editions, there are several paths available. Let's break down the traditional options and introduce our innovative approach at Mimesis Gallery.
Selling Fine Art at Auction
Banksy, Morons (LA Edition), 2006
When considering selling your art through traditional auction houses like Christie's, Sotheby's, or Phillips, the promise of competitive bidding and global reach can be appealing. However, the reality often includes numerous hidden costs that significantly reduce your final return. Beyond the advertised seller's commission (typically 15%), you'll face marketing fees, photography charges, insurance costs, and storage fees that can quickly accumulate. The process is also lengthy – typically taking 3-6 months from consignment to payment, assuming your work sells in its first offering. If a work fails to sell (or is "bought in"), it becomes part of the public record, potentially damaging its future market value and making it "burned" in the eyes of collectors.
Online Platforms and Brokerages
Platforms like Artsy and Artnet market themselves as modern alternatives to traditional auctions, promising lower fees and wider market reach. However, these platforms often achieve lower prices due to market saturation and limited prestige. While their base fees might appear lower (around 10%), sellers still encounter additional costs for marketing, photography, and shipping. The timeline remains significant – typically 1-4 months – and works that don't sell become part of searchable price databases, affecting future sales potential. Many of these platforms also lack the expertise and personal service needed to achieve optimal prices for significant works.
Understanding the Real Returns
To help you understand how different selling options affect your final return, we've created a detailed breakdown of actual costs and fees for a typical sale:
| Price Breakdown | Traditional Auction | Online Platform | Mimesis Buy Now | Mimesis Consignment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Auction Market Price | $62,500 | $62,500 | $62,500 | $75,000 |
| Less Buyer's Premium (25%) | -$12,500 | -$12,500 | -$12,500 | N/A |
| Hammer Price | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | N/A |
| Seller's Deductions: | ||||
| Seller's Commission | -$7,500 (15%) | -$5,000 (10%) | -$5,000 (10%) | -$15,000 (20%) |
| Marketing Fees | -$1,500 | -$1,000 | Included | Included |
| Photography | -$500 | -$500 | Included | Included |
| Insurance | -$750 | -$750 | Included | Included |
| Storage | -$500 | -$500 | Included | Included |
| Shipping | -$1,000 | -$1,000 | -$500 | -$500 |
| Final Seller Return | $38,250 | $41,250 | $44,500 | $59,500 |
The Mimesis Gallery Advantage
John Baldessari I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art 1977
At Mimesis Gallery, we've developed solutions that address these common pain points while maximizing value for our clients. Our process begins with a thorough market analysis and authentication review, ensuring that each work is positioned optimally for sale. Once a program and price is agreed upon, our third-party art logistics partner will pick up your artwork, provide a condition report, and ship it to their secure facility in Los Angeles. The artwork stays under your ownership (with a contract) until the work sells (consignment) or your money is received (buy now). We are the only private dealers to offer third-party verified art escrow.
We offer two straightforward options:
Buy Now Program
- Immediate purchase based on current market value
- Payment within 72 hours
- No hidden fees
- Professional shipping included
- Complete privacy
- Artworks marketed to our email list, private collectors, and on Artsy and Artnet
Consignment Program
- Higher potential returns
- 60-day maximum term
- Premium market exposure
- Full-service handling
- Transparent process
- Artworks marketed to our email list, private collectors, and on Artsy and Artnet
What We Accept
Banksy, Banksquiat (Black), 2019
We specialize in original editions, prints, and multiples from established artists, including:
- Contemporary Art
- Pop Art
- Modern Prints
- Limited Editions
- Street Art
- Blue-chip Artworks
Artists (not limited to):
- Andy Warhol
- Barbara Kruger
- Banksy
- Keith Haring
- Damien Hirst
- Helen Frankenthaler
- Basquiat
- Christopher Wool
- Ai WeiWei
- Jeff Koons
- John Baldessari
- Ed Ruscha
- Cy Twombly
- Jonas Wood
- James Turrell
- Louise Bourgeois
- Yoshitomo Nara
Ready to Sell?
Contact our specialists for a confidential consultation:
Ph: 1-323-682-0858
Text: 1-323-682-0858
Email: Click to Email