There are many things to consider when thinking about selling artwork. Is this the right time to sell your work and what might the work be worth today. People often explain what they paid for it years ago and although that can help determine if a piece was of significant value decades ago its likely very valuable today. However, that’s not always the case. Market trends play a big part into that or what was popular or sought after at a specific time do not necessarily mean they are today.

For Instance, if an artist had a movie come out about their life such as Maud Lewis. Its natural to see an increase in the value of her works. However, this can be short lived hype or a single auction result can sometimes make people think the work they have should be worth a similar price as the single high result. This can also lead to a selling frenzy of her work from others tryping to capitalize. This then floods the market and prices continue on a downward trend for a while. Stabling out after awhile, usually still much higher than the pre-event leading to what caused the increase. In 2010 the average price for a Maud Lewis might have been around $10,000, in 2024 the average is 3 to 5 times that.

Contact us to arrange to view the art that you have. Depending on the quantity of art our staff can arrange to visit you in your home to discuss what the best course of action is to list the work for sale. When there is a large quantity of art a speciality art auction is the best way to go. This ensures the majority will be sold, some will end up higher than expected, some will end up slightly lower but all of the art can be moved in a few short months. If theres only a work or two we can discuss gallery consignment or purchase.

Art is an acquired taste, very few people that first look at an artwork completely fall in love immediately and simply have to have it. We suggest you ask questions about the artist and artwork you like. Once you learn more about the work, you will appreciate it more than simply its decorative value. We take great pride in ensuring the artwork we offer for sale meet several conditions and are of the highest quality for collectors.

Whether you`re looking for an investment quality art piece or something to fill an empty spot on a bare wall, our knowledgeable staff can help you. We often suggest to people to try not to purchase art like you do a piece of furniture. Styles and opinions change over time and the couch or curtains will likely be changed over the years with both eventually being things that are thrown away. Quality artwork will not be and family members usually want to keep or hold onto as they remind their family members of the The frame may be changed over the years but an artwork is something that your family and friends may want to keep after An artwork tells a story, maybe the artist travelled a great distance to paint the work you get to enjoy in your home or office each day.

Questions to ask when thinking about purchasing a work

Is the work something you like?
- You need to first like the art, keep in mind this is likely something you will look at for years and years, first like the work, then fall in love with its story. If you don’t like the work but someone says you need it or have to have it, because of this or that - its not for you and move on.

Can you tell me more about the artist or this work?
- When would of this been painted in? Depending on the artist this can play a big part into what the piece’s value. A piece by Canadian Artist Allan Sapp from later in his life is simply not as valuable as when he was producing his best work earlier on in his career. The same can be said for every artist in the world but some artists became better artists with age, others not so much. Knowing where an artist lived or painted may mean something to you, some collectors what to support the best artists that live locally. Was this work painted in plein air or in a studio? Was the work exhibited or shown in any shows to the public? All of these are things that should go into your thought process or if a piece is right for you.

What medium is this?
- An Oil on Canvas is traditionally much more valuable that an Ink on Paper. This is not true for every artist but for the majority it is. An exceptional watercolor on paper can be much more valuable that an oil on canvas but there are many factors to consider and taking to a knowledgeable art expert can help.

Is this artwork a good value or investment?
- If you get to enjoy the artwork every day you look at it, then it’s a good investment either way. However when you look at the financial aspect of it there are a few things to consider. Just because art artwork in hanging in the gallery for sale doesn’t mean every art piece has the same value for your money. An art dealer can help explain which pieces are the best deals or more likely to increase in value over time. A good rule of thumb is spend what you can afford. If you can afford $700, spend a $700, but if you can spent $10,000; spend that, its very unlikely you will be disappointed. I realize not everyone can spent large amounts of money on art but we offer leasing options on all artwork and its never money that’s gone. When you buy a car and drive it around for years, you got something out of it but its worth a small percentage of what you paid for it. This is not the case with high quality art.
- When we look back at the Canadian art market prices from 30 years ago, the better works continue to climb sometimes astronomically, while the less expensive relatively unknown artists only increase slightly.