About Art Sales

Wunderly Galleries have been working in fine art sales for over 125 years. With diverse experience in all aspects of the art world, we possess a deep knowledge of the fine art market and its inner workings. As art brokers, we offer our specialized art sales knowledge to you. Whether you require assistance, advice or someone to take care of the entire sales process, we are happy to help.

We work exclusively with professionally authenticated paintings and sculptures

In case your painting or artwork would sell more quickly or for a higher price in Europe, Russia, the Far East or Latin America, we have the contacts and resources to make it happen. In the United States we operate offices on both the East and West coasts, connecting with institutions and individuals across the country.

In addition to wanting to sell, you may have special requirements for how you would like the transaction handled. Perhaps you are in one city and the artwork is in another. Maybe it is even on another continent. Or perhaps the artwork is in the United States and you reside abroad. Maybe there is a legal context, a personal or a tax situation affecting the way you would like business done. Whatever the case, we will handle the situation and structure the sale to fully meet your needs.

A portion of clientele is comprised of celebrities who value discretion in their business transactions above all else. Maintaining strict confidentiality for individuals or organizations who wish to buy or sell discreetly is a crucial part of our business. We totally enforce and guarantee confidentiality in everything we do.

If you would like for us to handle the selling of a painting, estate or entire collection, please give us a call or email and we will get to work for you.

Free Art Sales Advice

We understand that for some individuals, utilizing our service may not be an option. If you are considering selling artwork yourself, here are some tips to adjust your expectations for the task at hand:

Location  & Season

• Internationally famous artworks can be sold everywhere, but certain artworks will fetch the best price in specific international hubs such as New York, London, Berlin or Hong Kong.
• Nationally recognized artworks should be offered for sale only in the country in which they are famous. Regionally recognized artworks should likewise be offered for sale in the region of the artist’s notoriety.
• In the Northern Hemisphere, the best time of year to sell artwork is the winter. Early spring is considered second best, while the late fall is the third best.

Pricing & Sales Conventions

• Attractive pricing is the most important factor for selling an artwork. Record high prices for an artist’s work at auction should not determine your selling point. As a private seller you will be doing well if you achieve a sale price at the low to median average of current sales for the artist.

NOTE: It is very common for inexperienced sellers to fantasize that a prospective buyer will fall in love with their work and pay top price. The reality is that most buyers are treasure hunters, speculators, investors or dealers. They are looking for a bargain or for an artwork that is undervalued, so that they can capitalize on it.

• Art does not sell quickly.Even for galleries turnover is slow. Every gallery that has been in business for years has paintings it has also had for years. If you want to sell quickly, you will need to lower your asking price to an attractive bargaining level.
• As a private seller you are in open competition with dealers and art galleries. Art galleries offer terms of payment and credit, give trial periods, accept returns and guarantee artworks to be authentic. As a private seller you cannot afford such comforts and guarantees; you cannot expect to sell your work at or near the same price as a gallery.
• Generally it does not pay to have a painting restored or reframed. Though there are exceptions, it is best to try and sell your artwork as is.

Sales Avenues

• An easy way to sell an artwork is to entrust it to an auctioneer. For their service, auction houses take 10-25% of the hammer price from the seller and 25% from the buyer. In total he will take from 35-50% of the winning bid on your artwork.
• About 80% of auction sellers are disappointed with the results. They expected their artwork to do very well and create fierce bidding but the piece sells for far less than even the worst-case scenario they had envisioned. It is a reality of the auction business that most sellers are deeply disappointed.
• Institutions will pay the most for an artwork. Private collectors generally offer the next best price while art galleries and dealers pay the least.
• Art dealers run private art galleries. Today 75% of art in galleries is there on consignment. Art galleries no longer have the financial means to buy and own their inventory. Consequently, if you go door to door asking galleries if they want to buy your artwork, you will find they respond that they can take it on consignment. Exceedingly few will offer to purchase your work upfront and if they do it will be for much less than the price you had in mind.
• As a private seller, the very best way to sell an artwork is to someone you know. This may be a family member, friend, colleague, associate or someone in a club, association or group you belong to. While offering the art piece as a fairly attractive price, you will still be able to make a decent sale because there will be no additional expenses; no fees, commission, packing, shipping or insurance.

These are just a few of the basic logistical considerations to take into account if you are planning on selling a fine artwork. If you’d like to turn over the responsibility to our art brokerage experts, please give us a call or email and we will get to work for you.