Sale & Consignment · Art
Sell My Art Privately, With Strategy Not Hope
Passion Asset Advisory route test. The office compares private sale, dealer placement, and auction on buyer reach, confidentiality, seller fees, timing, public no-sale risk, and likely net proceeds before recommending a route.
Provenance review comes first
Before we offer a work, we review its ownership chain, acquisition documents, exhibition history, and literature references. We also identify gaps that a buyer's adviser is likely to find. A problem found early can often be resolved. A problem found by the buyer can reduce the price or stop the sale.
Choose auction or private sale based on evidence
The auction houses will tell you auction; the dealers will tell you private. We model both:
- Auction route: realistic estimate range, seller's commission and fees, sale calendar timing, and the cost of a public failure to sell
- Private route: the actual buyer landscape for this work, achievable pricing, timeline, and confidentiality
- Net proceeds comparison: what each route actually puts in your account, after everything
The recommendation comes with reasoning. The decision stays yours.
What does the art sale mandate cover?
A private art sale mandate runs the work from provenance to settlement: a documented chain-of-title review, an independent condition report, sequencing and grouping for collection sales, discreet matching to collectors and institutions, and negotiation managed by the office with your reserve protected. Nothing is publicly listed unless you approve it.
- Provenance review: chain of title examined and documented before any approach
- Condition report: independent assessment, so the work's state is a fact, not a negotiation surprise
- Collection sale support: sequencing, grouping, and channel strategy when selling multiple works
- Discreet buyer matching: collectors, institutions, and advisors approached selectively, under confidentiality
- Negotiation: offers managed by the office, with your reserve protected
- Transaction coordination: contracts, payment, release, insurance, and climate-controlled transport
Selling a whole collection
A collection can compete with itself if too many works enter the market at once. We identify which works support the collection's reputation, which should sell privately first, which may benefit from a later auction, and which should wait. The goal is the best total result for the collection, not the fastest first sale.
FAQ
Questions about selling art privately
How do I sell art privately without going to auction?
A private sale places the work directly with interested collectors and institutions. It avoids a public listing, buyer's premium, and the risk that a public no-sale will affect the work's market. Your ownership stays confidential, and we negotiate only for you. This route is useful when discretion or timing matters.
Should I sell my art at auction or privately?
Auction suits trophy works with broad demand, offering competition but full publicity and a seller's commission; private sale suits most works and protects both your privacy and the work's market. We quantify both routes against real results for that artist before you decide.
How do you value a work of art before sale?
We assess the artist, period, medium, size, condition, and provenance. We compare these factors with recent public and private sales. You receive an evidence-based range and a clear account of anything that may affect saleability. We price the work for the right collector instead of chasing an unrealistic headline.
What does it cost to sell art through an advisor?
Our private art sale fee is 10–15%. It is success-based and confirmed in writing. This is materially below the combined buyer's premium and seller's commission charged by a major auction house. You keep more of the result, and the sale stays private from the first conversation through settlement.
Art
The right buyer already exists. Publicity is optional.
Tell us about the work or the collection. We respond with a confidential assessment: provenance position, realistic value, and the channel strategy we would recommend.