Other art marketplaces and online galleries go the other way and allow anyone to post listings. These sites are useful to new artists, but are not as lucrative or as successful in pulling in sales as more established art marketplaces with solid reputations behind them.Most art marketplaces and online galleries do the selling for the artist, operating much like a gallery. The piece and its details are posted online (usually according to strict photographic standards) and are available for site visitors to view. The client places the order online, the artist ships the piece and provides proof of shipment and the marketplace pays the artist, less their commission.
Commissions can be as high as 30% and the responsibility is on the artist to ensure the piece is appropriately shipped to arrive entirely intact and undamaged, barring natural disasters and civil unrest. So why is the commission so high? In effect, the artist is getting access to a gallery, advertising and marketing where payment for these services is only made on closing a sale.It's not a bad deal if it is considered that art marketplaces and online galleries are in the business of marketing art. The more works they sell, the more money they make. They have a vested interest in selling the artworks on their lists. Many destination sites are for serious art buyers, exposing new artists to a broad audience of paying customers.