What's the problem with selling through galleries if they're making sales for me?

The main issue is the 50/50 commission split and, more critically, not knowing who’s purchasing your work. When galleries handle the transaction, you typically don’t get customer contact information, which means you can’t build long-term collector relationships. You lose the ability to add these buyers to your email list and market to them in perpetuity. Over time, this represents a significant financial impact because you’re missing opportunities to turn one-time buyers into repeat collectors. While galleries serve a purpose, this limitation is a major drawback of relying on them exclusively.

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Asked by an artist selling through multiple galleries · Answered by Patrick Shanahan · art-marketing-podcast · 2024-08-23