Why shouldn't I use 'contact for pricing' or 'inquiries only' on my website?

This approach is pretentious posturing that violates the proven paradigm of how art sells. Being mysterious is not proven—it’s a made-up construct. You might as well hang a sign that says ‘look at my art and get out, I don’t want to sell any of it.’ This style came from copying unicorn artists with major gallery representation who can do whatever they want because they’ve already nailed everything else. But for working artists, it creates a massive barrier. 43% of online art buyers name lack of visible price as a top barrier to buying. The next generation of collectors (under 50) expects transparency—they won’t tolerate the old ‘price on request’ game. They’ll simply scroll on, confused about whether your work is even for sale. Walk into actual successful galleries and major art sellers—none of them do this.

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Asked by a general artist audience · Answered by Patrick (inferred from context) · art-marketing-podcast · 2026-05-19