How to sell your Inuit Art?
You have a sculpture that you got many years ago or you inherited a number of artworks. You don’t know the value the piece and you would like to sell it but of course not at any price. There are many ways to do this but also many avenues that you shouldn’t take.
What not to do
1- Send an email to many galleries with very limited information like this:
I have an artwork by Echalook I got in the 60’s and would like to know how much it`s worth and if you could buy it
2- Go see the closest antiques dealer and ask him to sell your artwork unless he is knowledgable of Inuit art
3- Post it on eBay without knowing who carved it and where the carving is from and especially with low quality pictures.
4- Post it on eBay if you don’t have good feedbacks already.
What to do
1- Get a written evaluation of the artwork by a specialized gallery. If you can more then one is even better. This can be done now by email by sending pictures and as much information you have on the artwork. Please note that every inscription on the bottom of the artwork can be useful especially the E-numbers. You can also bring it to an Inuit art gallery. Inuitartzone charges $50 per artwork but prices can vary for entire collection. Other galleries fees vary from $50-$100 per artwork.
2- Once you know the market value of your artwork you can offer it to galleries with the documents you have and take the best offer available. Please note that galleries have to make some money on the resell of artworks and this can vary from 25-50 % of the market value. The gallery can also choose to sell it at a different price.
3- You can place it on consignment in a gallery and the common rule is 60-40. That means that 60 percent of the sales go to the owner and 40% to the seller. This rule can be negotiated.
4- Another option is to place your artwork at auction. A specialized auction house is recommended and the only one that host Inuit art auction is Waddingtons auction in Toronto (www.waddingtons.com ). They are very selective on the artwork they choose to place at auction. The risk is that you depend on the crowd at the auction so the artwork can go very high but can also go very low or not sell at all depending on your reserve. Then you only get the bill … Auction house charges fees for listing the artwork, photographs, shipping (if applicable) and take a 15-20% commission.
5- The easiest option is to place it at auction on eBay however it is not the perfect one. You have to be able to create a nice listing with guarantees that the artwork will make it to destination in mint condition and have a Paypal account (almost essential). Pictures are critical here since average pics will make your outstanding artwork look average. Once again having a written evaluation of the artwork helps.
6- One critical step that many forget is how important packing properly is crucial. You can go to the UPS store and ask them to pack it for you but once again that involves fees. Or you can do it yourself and you will need the right materials. You can check our shipping page to guide you.
In resume, selling your art is not an easy task and using professional help will guide you trough the process. One critical step is to have a written appraisal of the artwork. This is the step that will be your starting point and your reference through the process.
