Art sells well live because a camera can show a surface that a photograph flattens. What a camera cannot do is settle what kind of object it is, so you have to say.
Original or print
Original — made by hand, one of one. Limited edition print — numbered, usually signed, from a stated edition size. Open edition print — unlimited, usually unsigned. Reproduction — a copy of an existing work, made by a printer.
All four are legitimate to sell. Only one of them is a problem, and that is a print sold as an original.
If it is a limited edition, give the number and the edition size as they appear on the work. If you do not know whether something is an original or a print, say that — and show the surface close, because the room often knows.
Name the artist, or say you cannot
If you know who made it, say so and say how you know. If the work is signed, show the signature; if it is unsigned or the signature is illegible, say that rather than guessing.
An attribution you cannot support is the thing that unravels. "Signed, I cannot identify the signature" is a good, honest line that sells.
Say the materials and the support
Oil on canvas, acrylic on board, watercolour on paper, ink, mixed media. And the support: stretched, unstretched, mounted, framed, on paper. A buyer is planning how to hang it before they bid.
Measurements
Image size and overall size, in centimetres, both of them. Framed or unframed. This is the category where scale surprises people most.
Show the surface and the back
- The work straight on, in daylight, with no glare
- The surface at an angle, so texture and any damage show
- The edges of a canvas
- The back — labels, stamps, inscriptions, old frames, repairs
- Any signature and edition number, close
For your own work
Say it is yours, say how long it took, and say what the materials are. Selling handicrafts covers making-to-order and variation.
Delivery
Glass, corners and surfaces. Packing art.
More: how to sell on Metzee, pricing art.
Questions people ask
Can I sell a print of a famous painting?
As a reproduction, described as one. Sold as an original it is a serious misdescription. Counterfeits policy.
What about old tribal or ritual pieces?
A genuinely old piece may fall under antiquities rules, which are on the prohibited list. Contemporary work in a tradition is a different thing. If unsure, ask before listing. Prohibited items.
Should I frame before selling?
Usually not. Framing adds glass to the journey and takes the choice away from the buyer.