If you are an artist, how can you sell your creations? This largely depends on who exactly you want to sell them to.
The Medium website outlines five different types of art buyer – and, as individual buyers can differ significantly in their motivations for collecting art, you will need a tailored approach for each type of buyer.
Here are detailed descriptions of different categories of art buyer and how, when advertising your art to a buyer, you could explain how acquiring it would – or at least could – benefit them.
Home sweet home collector
Many people buy art for a pretty simple reason: they want something nice to display in their homes. These people are a reliable source of revenue for many artists, as these buyers like to pick up art regularly.
However, you could struggle to find this kind of buyer yourself, at least initially – as they are typically very discerning in their art taste and so might prefer to only buy art from one or two specific artists. If you do strike a deal with a buyer like this, it could be at a gallery already selling art similar to yours.
Pique an interest to invest
The term ‘art investors’ is often used for people who buy art primarily because it looks likely to generate a good return on investment at some point. As investors are accustomed to risk-taking, you could target them with experimental art – since this might initially be cheap but could eventually rise in price.
One high-profile art buyer who has been put in the ‘investor’ category is Charles Saatchi. However, the man himself has insisted, as quoted by European CEO: “I buy art that I like. Then, if I feel like it, I sell it and buy more art.”
Is your art essentially a trophy?
Unfortunately, ‘trophy hunters’ – people more interested in the process of buying art rather than the art itself – are unlikely to see your own art as a trophy unless you are a famous artist whose work is highly valuable. Trophy hunters predominantly buy their art at auctions.
Have you got designs on selling to designers?
As businesses and homeowners task interior designers with making properties look good on the inside, these professionals can potentially be excellent sources of income for artists.
So, if you find yourself chatting with an interior designer, ask them what type and colours of art they typically favour buying for their clients. If an interior designer likes art you sell to them, they could be inclined to return to you later to buy more art.
Look for people who need to obtain art quickly
Such people include those moving into a new residential or commercial property, while other people might be looking to buy artwork as a Christmas present.
Hence, as the festive season nears, you should make it easy for time-poor people like this to buy your art. If they find the sales process cumbersome, they could too easily decide to abandon the purchase and buy from someone else instead.