"Hmmm... so you're looking for a painting with flowers in it?
We've got just the thing,
but you'll have to be quick
...those still lives go fast!"
Alright, alright...
(how many good 'find-the-right-art' jokes do you know?
and if you've got any please let me know.)
Enough bad humour - here's how to find what you're really looking for.
It all starts wth a good browse.
A SEARCH LINK ON EVERY PAGE
At the very top of every page there is a 'Search' link which will take you to the
search page. From here you can browse by artist, medium, price, in fact you can
choose from more than 60 search criteria. Pop what you're interested into the search
box and click 'FIND'. Once you start browsing, you'll see a smaller, but complete
version of this search tool on the side of every catalogue page.
AND EXTRA LINKS ON THE HOMEPAGE
As well as the 'Search' link at the top of the page, you can also do category searches
from the labels under any of the eight images that run through the middle of the
homepage.
A FREE expert to help you choose
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If you're at all like me
the first thing you'll want to do is poke about in the art and who knows,
you may find something that's just right,
but if you'd like some expert advice
and a systematic approach
to what, why and how to hang it
- as well as how to avoid the pitfalls -
then I recommend you
grab a copy of our free e-book
'The Insider's Guide to Buying Art'
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Alright, putting 'The Guide' to one side,
here are a few other things that can help you...
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Choosing and checkout
When you find what you are after, you can add it to your wishlist for later consideration
or your shopping cart if you think you may like it this session. Of course, if you'd
like to show it to someone else for a second opinion, all you need to do is click
the 'e-mail this page' button.
When you've finished selecting, click 'My Cart' to take you to the check out where
you can purchase with credit card or PayPal. Fill in your shipping details and then
click the pay button.
You (and the artist or reseller) enjoy a further level of protection, as payment
is held by ArtSales.com.au, until both the buyer and the seller are satisfied with
the transaction.
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Receive and approve
All artworks come with a standard
21 day money back guarantee to allow you time to get to know the work or
have it professionally appraised. We suggest trying the work in various spots as
you may surprise yourself with where it looks best.
You'll get an official e-mail receipt on purchase, a "3 days to go" reminder copy
on day 18, and a final copy on day 21. On each of these you'll find two buttons:
RETURNED BUTTON
Click and follow the prompts if you wish to return a work. For conditions and terms
please see our policy on
refunds and returns. All works sent to you are insured so essentially,
"You take the work and we take the risk."
ACCEPTED BUTTON
Click this to complete the transaction and release payment to the artist.
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Congratulations
Clicked 'ACCEPTED'?
Well done, you are now the owner of an original work of art.
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"Get a better look!
Ahh yes... I can picture that."
I don't know about you, but I "get it" better when people show me how something
works. If your internet connection speed is up to it, (dial up is probably too slow)
then this video will show you how these features work. Otherwise, read on and then
try these features for yourself... (after all,the absolute best way to "get" something
is by doing!)
Found an image that you'd like to take a closer look at? Check out the brush work
or scrutinise some detail? As long as the artist or seller has saved the image with
enough resolution, the magnifier's just the thing. Click to activate it, click and
drag on the gray bar to move it around.
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WALL COLOUR CHOOSER
Right in the middle under the image (on the close up image page) you can click on
the 'See it framed' option. Want to know how that work will look against the colour
of your lounge room wall, well, now you can choose your colour and see.
FRAME CHOOSER
ArtSales.com.au doesn't sell frames but while you're at it, you can get an idea
of how your work might look by choosing from our selection of some of the more popular
frame styles commercially available.
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"How about culture on your terms?"
Browse and buy, learn and and be part of the scene
all from the comfort of your own home
so you can relax and be yourself...
there's no pressure here.
An art world you can relax in and express whatever view you want,
now there's a new world for most people!
Well, this small screen into the vast world of art will let you do just that, and
with more fun and less stress, life can take shape as it should. Easy exposure to
the better things in life, that's definitely an advantage. Want more 'concrete'
advantages, better prices, tax breaks that sort of thing? You'll find those in the
index below, once you get past my initial rave that is...
"There is no defense against the impact of a new idea!"
New tools: new views - but these often sit awkwardly with tradition.
Take the art establishment and courtesy of the Internet, a suite of 'virtual' advantages
that could be bolted on to wow the world with a new creature, let's call it: Gallery
2.0. Talk about a tough marriage and a difficult birth.
But first, let's take 2 minutes of history to put it all in perspective.
It all began when Art met 'Net...
"The marriage of a practice so old,
to a technology so young...
Well, there ought to be a law against it!"
With apologies to Mrs. Whistler
Too conservative?
After all conservation is all about
protecting valuable and precious resources,
and art is definitely one of those.
However, get too conservative
and you run the risk of missing the big picture –
this was very nearly the approach
of the entire art establishment.
Despite the Internet being the fastest growing retail outlet on the planet for more
than a decade, it was only last year that one of the bastions of the conservative
art world, dipped a cautious toe into cyberspace.
A little nudge from Sotheby's...
and the online artsales ball
started rolling.
Art auction giant, Sotheby's,
decided to hold their annual contemporary art auction
not, as they have traditionally done,
at their York Avenue headquarters,
but instead on their internet site, Sothebys.com.
The public response was overwhelmingly positive.
''That we would be selling works in the (USD) $20,000,
$30,000 and $40,000 range is a surprise,''
said Craig Moffett, president of Sothebys.com.
Across the Atlantic in London, The Saatchi Gallery Online,
(which does not provide promotional tools or e-commerce facilities)
has claimed dealers already spending ₤100,000 (AUD $250,000) on paintings
without seeing them in the flesh, while offline galleries have reported that
"Ten years ago,
we used to have 500 people coming to an opening.
Now it's closer to five than 500."
Art galleries are discovering
that many people prefer the comfort of
choosing art online.
CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) 04.12.00
At least in the short term, we expect that purists will still want to see
the most expensive works in the flesh, but
"the current trend strongly indicates
that when collectors buy art in the future,
it's more likely to be with a click of the mouse
than a nod at the auctioneer."
It's an unstoppable trend and
the art establishment embracing online sales
is clear progress, but
online and offline, art auction houses and private commercial galleries
can still be daunting places if you're not used to them.
Most people wouldn’t dream of poking their noses in for a quick look.
"Ere, Fiona what're you up to Friday evening?
Fancy a quick squizz at MetroMax Gallery before nipping out for a drink?"
Probably not the standard line echoing across the city mid-week...
Most art sites still don't get the whole Internet thing
and simply transpose the traditional gallery business model to the 'Net
without embracing any of the new possibilities, but despite this
Online art has reached a tipping point
with the 'Net being adopted
as the new mode
for sophisticated buyers.
Safe to say that it's no longer just the province of early adopters,
but enough of the big picture, what are
some of the 'Gallery 2.0' advantages that make it worth adopting?
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advantages
Lower prices
In conjunction with our artists we can offer prices up to 40% (sometimes more) below
that of our competitors. How does this work?
Lower commissions mean lower prices
The traditional business model for galleries is representation and commission, where
the gallery seeks to be the commercial outlet for the artist and takes 25%, 33%,
or 50% in commission for this service. For the artist to make a reasonable amount,
this commission is added to the final price paid by you. Be aware, that most online
art sellers use this same traditional business model which results in one of the
'Net's largest potential benefits not being passed on to you.
Auction houses will also charge a buyer's commission and a seller's commission which
can add up to 25% to the actual sale price of a work.
ArtSales.com.au by contrast, charges a low 10% commission (helping to cover our
secure online merchant services and running costs), which allows our artists to
price their works lower while still making the same or larger profits. This extra
40% potentially goes straight back into your pocket.
Long term strategies mean lower prices
ArtSales.com.au provides artists and resellers with a strategy for sustainable long-term
marketing as part of our pricing guide, which explains how lower pricing can work
to an artist's long-term advantage. This is the position we encourage, and choosing
these artists will provide you with better buying opportunities. Of course, some
sellers will take this advice and others may not.
Amateurs and emerging artists testing the market mean lower prices
Because ArtSales.com.au is not selectively based, many beginning and emerging artists
who may have difficulties breaking into the commercial gallery circuit, can show
their work and accelerate their careers through offering low starting prices. This
also provides better buying opportunities for you.
If you are interested, you can click here to read our artist's guide for pricing works.
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advantages
Speed and security
You can have an entire transaction completed in a matter of minutes, safely and
securely.
By using a credit card, any transaction that's not exactly what you agreed to can
be easily cancelled. Simply contact your credit card company, follow their instructions,
and the funds will not be withdrawn from your bank account.
Apart from third party protection through credit card companies, how safe are we?
ArtSales.com.au uses 128 bit encryption, the same as used by the United States military
and currently considered unbreakable. These measures protect the loss, misuse and
alteration of the information under our control. When you place an order online,
your personal information and credit card information are encrypted (scrambled)
using this technology before being sent over the Internet. This makes it virtually
impossible for your information to be stolen or intercepted while being transferred
through cyberspace (the Internet). All orders are kept encrypted until they're ready
to be processed.
When you proceed to the online checkout, your browser will automatically be switched
from our regular server a special secure server. This can be verified by the "https"
displayed in your browsers address field as shown in the image below:
At key points throughout the transaction, users will be alerted that their compute'rs
unique IP address and location is being logged and recorded with the transaction
and that we take fraud attempts seriously. ArtSales.com.au also has real time fraud
detection programmes in place.
In addition to this, the various merchant services we offer have their own security
measures.
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advantages
Convenience
Browse, buy and be kept in touch 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, from virtually anywhere
in the world.
Unlike galleries, the Web never shuts. It's accessible from virtually anywhere,
and now you can be alerted whenever new content is added to the site. This is thanks
to the convenience of RSS (Really Simple Syndication), a standard form of communication
in all new browsers, which is like a cross between a news ticker and e-mail without
the need to supply an email address.
Imagine having your own personal gallery director who lets you know whenever any
interesting new art comes in. That's the beauty of RSS. You can get the full story here.
You can also have e-mail notification for new postings of specific types of work
or new postings by a favourite artists. There'll also be a newsletter, and blogs
for discussing all things art. One of our aims is to develop a complete online art
community that is friendly, educational and always there.
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advantages
Variety
Bargain hunt through our full range of art, or switch to viewing only investment
and high quality works.
This service will be available in the near future.
ArtSales Select is a subscription based curated service for clients without the
time or perhaps the inclination to browse the contents of the entire site, preferring
instead, to view works specially selected with an eye to artistic merit and longer
term market value.
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advantages
Tax advantages
Save 7-10% on sales tax.
Buying outside of state or national borders can often mean that local sales taxes
are not applicable, a saving generally of 7-10% on the sale price. Clients outside
of Australia for example, would not be subject to a Goods and Services Tax (GST),
just as a client outside of Britain buying a work by a British artist would not
be subject to that countries Value Added Tax (VAT).
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advantages
Discretion and flexibility
Enjoy the privacy of the internet
Some of our clients wish to maintain their privacy and that of their collections.
Dealing online has anonymous advantages and client purchases are always kept strictly
confidential. Payment options such as e-mail funds transfer can further enhance
this option.
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advantages
More nurturing: less elitist
No frowns or disapproving looks: here you enjoy art the way you want to
Art should be for everyone but the exclusive nature of many galleries and auction
houses can intimidate buyers and artists alike and, until the advent of the 'Net,
much of the population would rarely enjoy the opportunity to view and own, or be
educated about, many of the art works that are continually available.
A conversation I had with a childhood friend, about how enjoyable galleries are,
led to the comment that he never went to galleries because “they were boring
places for rich snobs”. The look on my face must have been obvious because
he was quick to point out that he wasn't talking about me. Through my eyes, the
art world is an endlessly inspiring fantastic experience but through his, it's a
dauntingly exclusive place: austere galleries displaying precious, expensive works,
often overseen by dismissive gallery directors, which he pointed out to me, left
him and lots of others, feeling financially uncomfortable or scared of saying the
wrong thing.
My friend's perspective was an eye-opener to the need for friendlier, easier and
cheaper access to art for everyone, and a knowledge base so people to learn about
art in the comfort of their own environment. This site is designed to remove the
traditional barriers to entry, letting some of the hot air out and hopefully, having
a few fresh breezes blow through.
By removing these barriers, the 'Net is establishing a broader market with new players.
The game just got bigger and now everyone can play.
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advantages
More benefits
Protection
•Sales history and buyer feedback: you can find
this at the top of each
gallery and product page. How collectable is this artist, what have their prices
done and what have other buyers experienced when dealing with them? All useful information
for making an informed purchase.
•Secure purchasing facilities:
•14 or 21 day money back guarantees
Guides and tools
•An online magnifying glass
•A 'how will it look' facility
•'Show a friend' and 'personal wishlist' facilities
•Our guide to 'Which art is right for you?'
•And we will soon offer gift vouchers as part
of our service
Even a few things for free
The art world's getting bigger, and we intend to give you the big picture, but right
now we also offer the little pictures: free art in various electronic formats for
you to look at, play with, jazz up your computer and personalize your online communications.
What do they look like and how do you use them? Click here for free art.
In the near future we will offer a knowledge base to help you expand your understanding
and appreciation of art. There will be artist's blogs so you can share in their
thoughts, processes and perhaps even a virtual tour of individual studios and workspaces.
How about an online forum and the chance to meet other art lovers in your area,
as well as a news letter and a monthly art diary for exhibitions and happenings.
As technology develops and the art world with it, ArtSales.com.au will be there
to bring you all the latest always with convenience and security.
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advantages