Why Selling Art Yourself Beats Chasing Rich Buyers
Finding wealthy art buyers sounds like the dream. But for most artists, chasing elite collectors creates more stress than sales. In this article, I explain why I think selling your art directly is a better way to make a living and build real connections with your collectors. If you want to hear more about this topic, you can also watch the full video below. The article expands on some points from the video and includes additional context, research, and examples you won’t find in the video.
Why Wealthy Art Buyers Are Hard to Reach
A lot of artists fantasize about selling a single painting for $5,000 or $10,000. I get it. That would be incredible. But for most of us, that is just not realistic. Buyers at that level want more than just a beautiful piece of art. They want something that feels important and adds value to their collection over time.
These buyers often treat art as an investment. They want works with provenance, strong presentation, and assurances that the value will appreciate. That means your art, your documentation, your presentation, and your story all need to meet a very high bar. Even excellent work often doesn’t reach these buyers unless you already have credibility through gallery representation, significant exhibitions, and a strong sales history.
The Gatekeepers Control Access
Wealthy collectors usually are not scrolling through Etsy or Instagram hoping to find an undiscovered artist. They rely on gatekeepers — people like curators, dealers, and gallery owners — to recommend what’s worth buying. These gatekeepers decide which artists get invited to exclusive group shows, represented by top galleries, or featured in major collections.
Even if your work is amazing, getting past these gatekeepers is not easy. You’ll need a solid Curriculum Vitae (CV), professional presentation, and often a track record of exhibition history. That usually means applying to juried group shows, paying entry fees between $20 and $40, and handling the costs of shipping, insurance, and framing. If you don’t get accepted, you lose that money. If you do get accepted, you might still wait months for the show and possibly make no sales at all.
Many artists assume that if they can’t get into a gallery, they’ll just sell high-end work online instead. But most online art sales platforms don’t actually allow individual artists to sell expensive work on their own. For example, Artsy is one of the most well-known online platforms for high-end art, but you can’t list your work there unless you’re represented by a gallery or an approved dealer. You can’t just make an account and upload your art. Artsy works exclusively through gallery partners who represent the artists and handle the sales process. So even in the online space, access to wealthy buyers still requires gallery relationships (Artsy, 2025).
The Costs Add Up Quickly
Let’s say you do get into one of these galleries or high-end shows. If your piece sells, you’ll likely pay a fifty percent commission. That means if your painting sells for $10,000, you’ll only receive $5,000. That sounds okay at first, until you remember how many times you might have to ship and resubmit the same piece before it actually sells.
Shipping, packaging, and insurance costs can add up fast. Often artists lose money the first several times they try to get into the gallery system. And unfortunately, many shows don’t come with high foot traffic or guaranteed sales. You might get some recognition and a line on your CV, but not always enough to cover your expenses.
Even within the gallery system, the majority of sales aren’t ultra high end. In 2024, artworks priced under $50,000 accounted for about 85 percent of all gallery and dealer transactions. That means most galleries are selling work priced much lower than what artists dream of when they imagine finding a $20,000 buyer (Artsy, 2025).
Why I Think Selling Art Yourself Is Better
Instead of trying to build a gallery resume for years, I think selling your art yourself is a better path, especially when you're starting out or trying to build sustainable income. You don’t have to wait for approval by the gatekeepers. You get to interact with your buyers, hear what they love about your work, and make real money doing what you love.
When I sell at mid-sized midwestern art fairs, I regularly make between $8,000 and $10,000 in a weekend, even though my prices are very accessible. I’ve chosen to keep my work affordable so that kids and newer collectors can own original art. One of my favorite moments is when a child walks into my booth, falls in love with a piece, and uses their saved-up allowance to buy their very first print.
Selling directly also gives you full control. You decide how your work is framed, priced, displayed, and marketed. You can offer bundles, run promotions, and build an email list of collectors. You can test new product types, like canvas prints, postcards, or framed sets. You’re not stuck waiting for someone else to decide if your work is worthy of being shown.
That said, there are juried art fairs, so in those cases you do have to get past some gatekeepers. But from my experience, it's much easier to get past art fair gatekeepers than those who control galleries. There are also many art markets that are not juried that any artist can enter into and sell their work. There are even craft fairs that can be good for artists selling lower priced items like art prints.
Art Fairs Work for Higher Priced Art Too
At the art fairs I do, I’ve seen a number of artists sell $5,000 paintings. It happens more than people think! Collectors attend art markets looking for big, impactful pieces. They don’t always want to wait six months for a gallery opening. Sometimes they see a piece in person, fall in love, and buy it on the spot. Nonetheless, most buyers at these types of events are looking for artwork that's priced more affordably.
If you want to test selling more expensive work in person, it helps to have a mix of price points. Bring larger originals alongside more affordable items like art prints, greeting cards, or even small miniature originals. The variety draws people in, builds trust, and creates upsell opportunities. And even if someone doesn’t buy at the show, they might email you later to commission a larger piece or purchase from you on your website.
The feedback you get at art fairs is also incredibly valuable. You’ll hear what people are drawn to, what they hesitate on, and what makes them reach for their wallet. That information helps you refine your pricing, display, and product offerings in ways a gallery never will.
Still Want to Try the Gallery Path?
Even though I believe selling your art directly is the better choice for most artists, I understand the appeal of gallery representation. If your long-term goal includes selling more expensive originals or reaching collectors who trust the gallery system, here are some ways to get started, without giving up on selling your work yourself.
First, focus on building a strong body of work. Then start applying to reputable juried exhibitions and group shows. These shows help you build your Curriculum Vitae (CV), which galleries want to see. They also introduce your work to curators and collectors, and they give you practice preparing and shipping your pieces professionally.
Here are a few sites where you can find calls for entry:
You can also reach out to small galleries in your region. Look for ones that carry work similar to yours in style or price. Email them a short, professional message with your portfolio, your CV, and a few sentences about why you think your work would be a good fit.
But while you’re doing all of that, don’t stop selling your work directly. Keep showing up at art fairs. Keep updating your website. Keep emailing your collectors. It might take years to get into the right gallery, but you can make a living with your art starting now.
Final Thoughts
I know it can be tempting to chase after wealthy art buyers. But building a sustainable art business doesn’t have to depend on impressing a gallery. I think the better path for most artists is to sell your work yourself at reasonable prices, connect with buyers who love what you do, and build consistent income on your terms.
If you eventually want to break into the gallery world, you can do that too, while continuing to grow your business and selling art in the meantime. And if you’re ready to build your own website to start selling online, check out my article on the Quick and Easy Way to Build an Art Website.