Top 10 Online Art Auction Sites
There are numerous auction sites online so don’t be fooled into thinking that eBay is the only way! This article will provide you with ten internet auction sites to open up a few more of those virtual doors and allow you to buy or sell your way to success online.
Auctions should be fun, fun for the vendor and the purchaser alike. It matters not if it’s conducted by an auctioneer in a room full of people, one on one at a local garage sale or online, the thrill of the process is as exciting as the bargain purchase you hope to make.
Be you a basement bargain hunter or a serious collector “getting there” is half the fun.
Like a giant Art Fair, an online auction provides the platform that brings together the customer and the vendor, for just about anything one would want to buy or would try to sell. To be considered “good”, they should be easy to use, with lots of categories to help you quickly find your “treasure”, with selling options and a decent feedback forum. Most of all they should be safe for both parties involved. Pictures, descriptions and any other pertinent information of the item up for auction, bid history and delivery options should also be included. All designed to make the sales process easy passage for the buyer.
Other considerations to use when deciding where to place your art or where to buy should be the size of the auction site in terms of membership and items up for sale.
Bigger is generally better because it breeds competition and therefore lower prices and also allows for better selection. (Great if you are the buyer)
How much does it cost? Free is good but sometimes spending a bit goes a long way to make your product more visible or span a number of different categories. Usually the higher the profile, the quicker the sale. Quite often that puts more money in your pocket as well. How this best works for you should be part of your selection process.
You should also consider the “tools” provided to help list, sell and manage your inventory. Does the auction site allow you to choose the category for your listing? And what about a detail page you can use to describe your product and its features? Can you block objectionable bidders, cancel bids and edit images? Being able to control all aspects of the sales process in a simple and easy to operate system sure helps you sell your art and get the return you desire.
If you are a buyer it should be easy to find the category and items you wish to bid on.
Pictures, product descriptions delivery times, shipping costs and maybe a few lines about you and your art all help to make the sales process more fun and inviting.
The key to the success in any online art auction site has to be the security level for both the artist and the buyer. People need to know that they are buying from a reputable supplier and can bid with confidence. To add to that comfort level a feedback system where buyers and sellers can rate each other is a must. Customer support via email, telephone, live chat and a comprehensive FAQ pane adds to that comfort level.
Our Top 10 online Auction sites include:
- eBay Art
- eBid
- Onlineauction
- Oztion
- Overstock
- webidz
- Cqout
- Ubid
- ePier
- Shopgoodwill.
Take your time to set up an account or two with your favourite auction sites and before you know it, you just might find you’re online profits going through the roof.
For fun, check out Bonhams, Christie’s, Dorotheum, Sotheby’s … and dream.
