SELL ABORIGINAL PAINTING

Want to Sell an Aboriginal Painting?

Selling an Aboriginal painting to me is a straightforward process. If you know the artist, you can use the search function on this website to learn more about the artist and see examples of previous auction results.

To get started, simply email me a few photographs of the painting. Please include the dimensions, anything you know about its history or provenance, and photographs of any labels, inscriptions or Certificates of Authenticity.

The photographs do not need to be professional. I have been assessing Aboriginal art for many years and regularly work from ordinary phone photographs. Usually, the easiest approach is simply to photograph the front and back of the artwork somewhere with good natural light.

The value of an Aboriginal painting depends on several factors, particularly the artist, age, size, condition, provenance and the quality and visual appeal of the work.

I don’t buy paintings by every Aboriginal artist. My particular interest is in early and pioneering Aboriginal artists, as well as significant works by established artists.

For artworks valued under about $5,000, I will usually make an offer to buy the work outright. More valuable paintings may either be purchased directly or, where appropriate, sold on commission. I have a strong network of established collectors for important and higher-value Aboriginal art.

If we agree on a price for a direct purchase, payment is made by bank transfer. I can also organise the packing and freight, so you don’t need to worry about arranging transport yourself.

If you have an Aboriginal painting you would like to sell, send me some photographs, the dimensions and whatever information you have about it. I will have a look and let you know whether it is something I may be interested in buying.

Auctions

Many Aboriginal paintings are sold through auction houses, and auction can sometimes produce excellent results. However, it also carries risks that sellers should understand. I buy a number of Aboriginal artworks at auction each year, including works that I believe sell for considerably less than their potential value.

For an auction to produce a strong result, there generally needs to be genuine competition between bidders who recognise the importance of the work and are prepared to pay for it. If the right collectors are not bidding on the day, even a good painting can sell cheaply or fail to sell altogether.

An unsold painting also becomes part of the auction record. Collectors and dealers may subsequently be able to see that the work was offered at a particular estimate or reserve and failed to sell. This can make the painting more difficult to market immediately afterwards.

Auction estimates should also be treated with some caution. An estimate is not a guarantee of value or of what a painting will actually achieve. Occasionally estimates can be optimistic, particularly when an auction house is competing to secure a consignment. Before consigning, sellers should look not only at the estimate but also at the proposed reserve, commission, other charges and the auction house’s record of selling comparable Aboriginal art.

Private Treaty Sales

For better Aboriginal paintings, a private treaty sale can sometimes be a more controlled alternative. Rather than exposing the work to an entire auction market, an experienced dealer can approach a small number of collectors who are already known to collect that particular artist or type of Aboriginal art.

This can be particularly useful for important or higher-value paintings where identifying the right buyer matters more than attracting the largest possible audience.

There is also considerably more privacy. If the painting does not sell privately, there is generally no public auction record showing that it was offered and passed in. The work can subsequently be offered at auction if that becomes the preferred option.

For particularly important works, a public collecting institution may occasionally be a potential purchaser. Acquisitions by state and national galleries, however, involve curatorial and institutional processes and can take considerably longer than either a private sale or an auction.

The best method therefore depends on the painting. Some works are well suited to competitive auction, while others are better offered privately to collectors already known to be interested in the artist.

MORE = https://www.aboriginal-bark-paintings.com/sell-aboriginal-painting/

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