Should I try selling on marketplaces like Fine Art America, Etsy, or Saatchi?

In all the years I’ve been running webinars and talking to thousands of artists, I’ve maybe talked to 10 people who are making more than occasional sales on marketplaces — usually just 5, 6, or 10 sales a year at most. You’re competing with massive numbers of other artists, and success depends entirely on how their algorithms rank you. You have no control over that. While marketplaces aren’t inherently bad, they shouldn’t be your primary strategy. Focus on building something you own and control.

---

Asked by an artist considering marketplace platforms · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-08-05