Is Showing Lots Of Sold Artwork Good Or Bad?

Real estate agents typically show a couple of sold properties basically to show potential sellers that they know how to move product. I'd say that an artist wants to show that their work is desirable and sellable (in case the buyer wants to unload it in the future) but certainly no one wants to flip through pages of unpurchasable products.

I like to see which pieces an artist has sold -- if I like an artists work, I want a chance to see as much of it as possible. I do think Sold work should be relegated to its own section or page; that way, potential buyers don't have to wade through it unless they choose to do so.

However, whether or how much an artist has sold has absolutely no bearing on my wanting to own their work. That would only matter if I were buying high-dollar 'investment' art. If I like two pieces, by two different artists, I'll always go with the piece I like best (one piece is sure to 'speak' louder) . . . even if that artist is a total unknown or a beginner selling their very first piece.

Crista, I think you may be making a mistake by reading too much into whether a particular artist has a gallery of sold images. I don't have one, because I don't see the value of having one. It just clutters up the website. I do photography, so even stuff that's sold is still available. It may be a different case for painters, since when it's sold, it's gone. On the other hand, I think you need to decide whether your site is a shop, where everything is for sale; or a gallery, showing all of your work, sold or not.

ALL your work as a painter is your portfolio, sold or not. In real life, obviously, you may have to take a photo of the work now gone.... but the rest are your portfolio

On the web we are so lucky that, even when sold, we can show off our whole portfolio on one, or for some of you, more page(s)

You should have two sections in my personal opinion (and it is what I am going to be doing on my site if I ever get the time)

1. Showing your portfolio. That is all the work you have done
2. A separate 'for sale' area.

People can then see what you do and what you have to sell

if you sold the original - put in a gallery - SOLD ORIGINALS. because you might be asked to make another, and it shows your skill level and that people really do buy from you. however it shouldn't be mixed into the stream of other things. there is nothing more annoying then looking through images and finding one not for sale. the non sellers should be sorted from the rest.

---Mike Savad

I don't think it matters much one way or the other. I agree that if you do show sold work, it should be in a separate gallery clearly marked.

I am not too sure anyone looking to buy is really going to be impressed with what they can not buy.

I do know that industry stats will tell you that people that land on a webpage, will only spend x-amount of time browsing any one site and then move on. I am not sure I want prospective buyers looking at things they can not buy knowing they are going to spend a limited amount of time looking.

If you do commission work, I can see some benefit of mentioning that along with the sold images.

I currently sort my website portfolio by subject. I'm not sure someone looking for wolves wants to sift through all my deer paintings anymore than someone looking for available work wants to sort through sold work. Consequently, my sold and unsold wolf paintings are grouped together. Having two portfolios, one sorted by subject, and one sorted by availability, might be confusing, and would get difficult to maintain and keep up to date. So you think it would be better to ditch the 'by subject" grouping and just have a Sold and Available section?

if your selling them as prints, then they should be mixed together. it's only if you have half your stock as originals and the other for prints should they be apart.

---Mike Savad

"(in case the buyer wants to unload it in the future)" - what a wonderful thought - just don't send it back to me. thanks.

I'd sort the available work by 'subject' if that has worked well for you. But, I'd probably put the 'Sold' work together; just keep the section tidy and somewhat organized.

One possible problem with having a gallery of sold pieces is that it can lead to people thinking that many of the good pieces are gone already..especially if you sell a lot of pieces. I would not have a very heavy sold portfolio online! I do not think buyers are thumbing through looking at how many pieces someone has sold..but maybe here they are?

i never show sold because it will never really encourage someone to buy your stuff. and it tells your competition what sells best so we can copy you. plus if you only have 5 things sold, and you have been here for 5 years, that doesn't help you much either.


---Mike Savad

oh wait i already answered this. all these old threads keep popping back up.


---Mike Savad

If you do place a sold folder on the site...you can also let them know that although the original is sold...they can still purchase prints and have links back to your AW site.

The gallery of sold art show to buyers that you have art not cemetery.

I agree with those who said that all the art you've made is your portfolio. I prefer to have my website be a gallery so people can see what my style, ability, and personality are in terms of the art I create.

For those of you put your sold work in a separate gallery, do you list the price you sold it for? That's a question I'm struggling with. I don't want to seem like I'm bragging, but I do want people to know what price range I sell my work for, and that people have bought it at those prices, but that also seems kind of yucky to me at the same time.