The True Cost of Selling at Auction
When you hear that a painting "sold for $20,000 at Sotheby's," that number tells an incomplete story. The auction house earns fees from both sides of the transaction — and those fees add up fast.
On the buyer's side, a "buyer's premium" of 20–26% is added to the hammer price. On the seller's side, a consignor's commission of 5–15% is deducted before you receive your check. In practice, a $20,000 hammer price might mean the buyer paid $24,500 — but you received $17,000 after the house took its cut. That's a combined 27% in friction.
Beyond percentage fees, there are often additional charges: insurance during the consignment period, cataloguing fees, photography, framing or restoration requirements, and shipping to the sale location.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Factor | MoveArt | Auction House |
|---|---|---|
| Total Fees | $149–$699 flat | 25–35% of sale price |
| Minimum Value | No minimum | $5,000–$25,000+ |
| Timeline to First Contact | 3–5 business days | 3–6 months to sale |
| Payment After Sale | Direct from buyer | 35–45 days post-auction |
| Buyer Quality | Targeted collectors & galleries | High — vetted room bidders |
| Price Discovery | AI-researched comparables | Live competitive bidding |
| Geographic Reach | Worldwide, 100+ contacts | Strong, sale-location focused |
| Works Accepted | Any value, any medium | Selective — value thresholds |
| Seller Control | Full — you negotiate price | Limited — reserve, then public |
| Personalization | 100+ individual emails | Catalogue listing only |
| Exclusivity Required | No | Yes — during consignment |
| Prestige Signal | Growing | Established globally |
When Auction Houses Win
Auction houses are the right choice in a narrow but important set of circumstances:
- Very high-value works. For pieces valued over $100,000 — especially works by name artists with strong secondary market records — the prestige of a major auction and the presence of institutional bidders can drive prices that no direct outreach campaign can match.
- Established blue-chip artists. If your work is by an artist with an active auction record (Koons, Basquiat, Hirst, Kusama), the auction market has transparent price discovery and ready buyers. MoveArt's outreach adds value here but the auction route is equally valid.
- Estate liquidations of significant collections. When an estate includes dozens of museum-quality works, the catalogue appeal and room drama of a dedicated sale can maximize aggregate returns.
- Works requiring public authentication. Auction sales create public provenance records that some collectors specifically seek. If your work needs that documented sale history, auction provides it.
When MoveArt Wins
For the majority of sellers — those with work valued between $1,000 and $100,000 — MoveArt's model produces better net outcomes:
- Mid-range values ($1,000–$50,000). A $10,000 sale at auction nets you roughly $8,500 after the 15% seller's commission. The same sale through MoveArt — with a $349 campaign fee — nets you $9,651. That's 13% more money in your pocket on a mid-range piece.
- Emerging and mid-career artists. Auction houses rarely accept work from artists without an established secondary market record. MoveArt finds galleries and collectors who specifically collect emerging work.
- Speed is a factor. If you need to sell within weeks rather than months, auction timelines simply don't work. MoveArt begins outreach within days.
- Niche or specialized work. Folk art, outsider art, regional art, photography, and works in non-mainstream mediums often underperform at auction because the bidder pool isn't specialized. MoveArt identifies the collectors who specifically pursue these categories.
- Declining the publicity of auction. Some sellers prefer that sales happen privately. MoveArt's outreach is direct and confidential — there's no public listing or hammer-price record.
✓ Bottom Line for Most Sellers
If your work is valued under $100,000 and not by a blue-chip auction-record artist, MoveArt will almost certainly produce a better net result than a major auction house — faster, with lower fees, and with outreach to buyers who are specifically matched to your work's style, period, and medium.
◆ When to Use Both
Some sellers use MoveArt first — running an active outreach campaign while simultaneously approaching an auction house. If a direct sale closes first, you've avoided the auction timeline entirely. If outreach doesn't close within 60 days, the auction consignment process can be initiated with no conflict. This parallel approach captures the upside of both channels.
The Math on a $15,000 Painting
Consider a contemporary oil painting estimated at $15,000:
- Auction outcome: Hammer price $15,000 → Seller's commission 12% = $1,800 deducted → You receive $13,200. Timeline: 4–5 months.
- MoveArt Premium ($349 campaign): You negotiate directly with interested buyers. If the piece sells for $14,500 (buyer negotiates a modest discount), you net $14,151. Timeline: 3–8 weeks to first offer.
- Difference: $951 more in your pocket, 3 months faster.
Multiply that difference across multiple pieces and the economics become decisive. The flat-fee model is specifically advantageous for mid-range work where percentage commissions take the biggest proportional bite.