With over 20 years of personal collecting experience and some 150+ artworks, one question has been central to countless conversations: “What’s the best way to sell artwork from my collection?” 

I’m Alessandro, founder of Artscapy and in this series of three articles, I’ll share with you my most essential insights to consider when the time comes for you to sell an artwork. 

We will cover the following key areas of the process:

Part 1: The foundation of selling

• Why am I selling?: Understanding the motivation behind your decision to sell.
• Timing and timeline: Why now? How long will the process take?
• Sales price: What is your target price, and who determines its validity?

Part 2: Selling channels

Exploring the different avenues available for selling your artwork.

Part 3: Privacy considerations

Addressing any confidentiality or privacy concerns that may arise during the process.

Common pitfalls to avoid:

- Burning the image

- Competing offers in private sales

- Engaging with too many dealers

- Loss of motivation to sell

- Buyers changing their minds

Why am I selling?

This is the starting point of the process, and it’s most likely tied to the reason you initially acquired the artwork—whether for investment purposes or for personal enjoyment. However, the decision to sell can also stem from external factors, like moving homes, or internal shifts in your preferences or circumstances. Regardless of the reason, it will influence every aspect of the process, from decision-making to the approach and expectations for the sale.

The most common reasons to sell art:

End of the Love Story

"I don’t like that artwork (as much) anymore." If this is where you are right now, don’t feel bad—it’s one of the most common reasons for selling. Over time, tastes evolve, and the “eye learns” to appreciate different styles and approaches. The good news is, this isn't typically a time-sensitive issue. If you dislike the piece, you can always store it or hide it—no need to face it daily.

Out of Wall Space or Changing Homes

A former art advisor of mine once provocatively said “Wall space is just an excuse.” When you collect systematically, buying art regularly at different price levels, space quickly becomes a challenge. You may end up rotating pieces on your walls, hanging artwork in your office, storing some under the bed, or even placing pieces at your parents’ home. I’m guilty of all of these. But you don’t have to be stuck in the same situation—selling a piece is often a very practical solution to make room for new acquisitions or to reduce the clutter.

Inheritance

Occasionally, we inherit artwork that wasn't personally chosen but has sentimental value. While these pieces can hold memories or emotional significance, they might not align with your current taste. In such cases, selling the artwork can be a way of honouring the inheritance, finding it a new home where it will be appreciated, and freeing up resources.

This is Now Worth Selling

There’s a certain thrill when a piece of art you bought out of passion or instinct significantly appreciates in value. Perhaps the artist has become more recognised, or market trends have made your piece particularly desirable. When this happens, it might be worth reassessing your position: Does this increase in value align with your long-term goals? If you’ve fallen out of love with the work, selling at peak value can create new opportunities for your collection and help you capitalise on a wise investment.

I Need Money

Life happens, and priorities sometimes shift. Whether it’s an unexpected expense, a chance to reinvest in another opportunity, or the need for liquidity, selling art can be a practical financial solution. The art market is dynamic, and strategically adjusting your collection to meet changing personal needs can be a smart move.

The time and timeline: Why now? And how long does it take?

"Timing is everything," as the saying goes. This rings especially true when it comes to selling artwork from your collection.

The why now is often tied to your why for selling. However, it’s important of understand the phase of the market we’re in—not just from a macroeconomic perspective, but also in terms of the current momentum surrounding the artist or the specific artwork you're considering selling.

The intersection of these factors will significantly influence both the sale price (which we'll analyse below) and the timeline for deaccessioning/selling your artwork.

In financial jargon, art market professionals often refer to the market as either a "buyers' market" or a "sellers' market." To clarify: a buyers' market occurs when market conditions are soft, and buyers can secure deals at a steep discount compared to previous price levels. On the flip side, a sellers' market arises when collectors can dictate higher prices, with buyers eagerly absorbing them. Yes, speculative bubbles exist in the art market—just like any other market—and yes, they always burst eventually.

Understanding which phase the market is in—both macro and micro—is critical to making an informed decision about when to sell.

As for the timeline, the dreaded, but honest, answer is that it depends. That said, I can offer a reasonable estimate: selling an artwork priced between mid-five and mid-six figures through Artscapy typically takes between 30 to 90 days. Our proprietary rating system helps us estimate timelines with greater accuracy. We can provide clear expectations to our clients by using both quantitative and qualitative data points, such as the artwork’s desirability within the artist’s practice, institutional momentum, and more. In fact, our system factors in over 60 data points per assessment.

Another factor influencing the timeline is the complexity of the transaction. The higher the value and the older the artwork, the more complex the process. While this is a topic for another discussion, the general rule of thumb is: the more valuable and historically significant the piece, the more intricate the sale.

The sales price: How much do I want? Who validates it?

I bet this is the part you’ve been waiting for—perhaps you even skipped ahead to get here. This is my favourite topic, it’s also the most controversial!

The reason it’s my favourite is simple: I’m a collector myself. Not only do I track the value of my own portfolio (with Artscapy, of course), but from time to time, I also sell. Maximising the sales price is the ultimate goal for anyone.

The first truth—or, the elephant in the room—is that as collectors, we always think our artwork is worth more than the offer we receive. No matter what objective data we are presented with, we’ll often feel it could fetch a higher price. This is called optimism bias—the tendency to overestimate our chances of success and underestimate the likelihood of negative events. Our collection is not as liquid as we may believe.

On the flip side, there’s the broker, intermediary, or platform you’ll work with. The tricky part is that these intermediaries often try to lower your perceived value to either sell quickly or charge higher fees. But we’ll touch on that later.

Another factor to consider is the desired timeline: Do I want or need the money now, or can I afford to wait?

At the right price, every artwork is sellable quickly—even in a matter of hours. The speed at which it sells depends on how much of a discount you’re willing to accept from what’s considered a fair market value. There are also ways to tap into quicker liquidity to support urgency, which I discuss in Leveraging your collection with art lending.

If time isn’t a concern, you might be aiming to maximise the return. However, there’s a fine line between maximising the sale value and not selling at all. The truth is, you can either sell fast or aim for a higher return, but you’re unlikely to achieve both.

The best intermediaries and brokers (like Artscapy!) are skilled at maximising the return in various ways—from generating competitive interest (but be warned: this can sometimes lead to the “f@ç#-ups” we’ll cover later) to finding buyers willing to pay a premium for a piece. These buyers aren’t philanthropists; the goodwill they offer typically stems from a long-term vision or a strong desire for that specific work.

Now, about pricing: unless you spend significant time diving into the art market and networking, your idea of price is likely to be biased. This is where operators come in. While I can’t speak for everyone and their methods, I can share how Artscapy handles pricing.

With our rating system, one of the outcomes is determining the fair market price—that is, the price another collector with a solid understanding of the market would be willing to pay for that artwork. This is data-driven and designed in such a way that neither the buyer nor the seller walks away feeling dissatisfied.

What does “beyond data-driven” mean? We assess current demand and interest in the work, as well as the inventory of other operators, to determine the right transaction price. It’s about finding a price that reflects not just raw data, but the cultural relevance of the piece.

One crucial thing to remember is that art is a cultural asset. The relevance of your artwork, or the artist who created it, can fluctuate over time. This aspect is also incorporated into our rating methodology, ensuring the price reflects both market conditions and cultural value.

Interested in selling? Please reach out to our team of expert advisors at advisory@artscapy.com.