How to Sell Art Online

In this Itechguide, Victor teaches you how to sell art online. The guide covers 3 options to sell art online – 2 general marketplaces, 1 art-specific marketplace.

Option 1: Sell on Etsy

I am starting with Etsy because it focuses on handmade, vintage items and craft supplies. Selling art on Etsy creates a unique opportunity for artists because a lot of art lovers visit Etsy specifically to purchase artwork.

Here are the steps to successfully list and sell your artwork on Etsy:

1. Create a free Etsy account and open your shop. It is free to create an Etsy shop
2. List your artwork – before you sell, you need to list (create a product) for each item you wish to sell. Though it is free to create an account and open your shop, Etsy charges some fees – a listing fee*, a transaction fee**, and a payment processing fee.

*Before your product go live, Etsy charges $0.20 listing fee – listing is active for 4 months or until you make a sale.
**when your artwork sells, Etsy will charge you 5% of the amount the customer paid plus another 3% + $0.25 payment processing fee.

Here is additional information to help you understand the costs involved with selling on Etsy. Assuming you sell your artwork for $30 within the first 4 months of listing the item, here is the total cost of selling the item on Etsy:

Total fees = $0.2 + $1.50 + $0.9 + $0.25 = $2.85. Etsy will deduct this from $30 paid by the customer and credit your account with $27.15. It is extremely important to determine the cost to sell art online on Etsy.

Here are success tips to sell art online on Etsy:

1. Perform keyword research before you list your item
2. Make sure to include relevant keywords in the listing title and description
3. Finally, make sure to select the art category as your category

Option 2: Sell on eBay

eBay is another great marketplace to list and sell your artwork. Follow the steps below to list sell your artwork on eBay…

Step 1: Understand eBay’s Art Selling Policy

eBay has a clear guideline you have to follow to sell any artwork on the marketplace. Here is a summary of the key facts about this policy:

1. You can sell your own original artwork and any other artwork you are authorized to resell on eBay. One way to prove that the artwork is yours is to get a form of Certificate of Authenticity (COA). If you purchased the artwork, your invoice could act as a COA.
2. You can sell exact replica or reproduction paintings as far as it does not violate any copyright laws or trademarks.
3. eBay allows you to sell artwork by other artists but you MUST include the artist’s name in the listing title. For exact replica paintings, you are required to include the name of the artist on the title and clearly state that the artwork is an exact replica in the listing description.
4. For any artwork with alterations, you must state the details of the alterations in the listing details.

Step 2: Create an eBay Account

It is free to create an eBay account. To start, click sign up for an eBay account. You will require a PayPal account to sell on eBay.

Step 3: Understand eBay Fees

Creating an eBay account is free but selling is not free. Most times though, you do not pay until you have sold, except for the optional listing upgrade fees. There are 3 main fees that you pay to sell art online on eBay:

• eBay insertion fees – eBay charges a fee to list products but it is free for the first 50 products you list every month. If you list more than 50 products in a month, you will be charged $0.35 for additional products you list.
• Final value fees – this is the fee you are charged when your listing is sold. This is 10% of the amount paid by the customer. 10% is the maximum fee.
• PayPal fees – eBay customers pay with PayPal which attracts a fee. This fee is charged to the seller, not the customer.

eBay fees have a lot of conditional variables. The easiest way to determine what it will cost you to sell on eBay is to use an eBay selling calculator.

Step 4: List Your Artwork on eBay

Once you understand the eBay policy for selling artwork and the fees, the final step to sell art online on eBay is to create a listing. For steps, see Creating a listing on eBay.

You may also find these useful: Pricing your items, Setting up your shipping options and eBay’s rules and policies.

Option 3: Sell on Artfinder

Unlike the first 2 marketplaces discussed above, Artfinder is a specialized site for listing and selling artwork. This site has some specific requirements.

To increase your chances of being accepted to sell on this unique marketplace, note the following:

1. You must have between 4-6 example artworks.
2. It is strongly recommended to have your own website where you already showcase your artwork. If you do not have a website yet, you can get somebody on Fiverr to build a simple website for you using WordPress. It is very affordable and it will increase your chances of being accepted to sell art online on Artfinder.
3. If you have a lot of work, showcase your best pieces in your application.
4. Be very specific while answering questions in the application. Provide details like the materials used to produce your work. It may also help to include the exact dimensions of the submitted artwork. Give as much information as possible.
5. Finally, include a compelling story in your application.

For a step-by-step guide, visit Step-by-Step Guide to submitting an Artfinder Application.

When you are accepted, you need to pay for a subscription. For other essential information about fees, shipping, etc visit this page – Setting Up & Managing Your Shop.

With the 3 options discussed in this Itechguide, sell art online! I hope you found this Itechguide helpful.

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