Internet's role in the world of collecting has come a long way since 1999, when we first established PicassoMio.com. In 1999, we had a hard time selling a single artwork on the Web; on the other hand, these days, PicassoMio.com sells art to some of the biggest fortunes in the world and some of the leading companies worldwide. Every year, we are selling artworks by thousands of selected artists to collectors in all major countries.
It is often to my surprise that we still hear questions or doubts about purchasing art online. Some mention the credibility factor, while others point to the real-life experience. The ironic thing is that most physical galleries disappear within a period of 5 years or less and have a smaller revenue-base than an average high-street store. On the other hand, PicassoMio.com has served thousands of clients, in over 50 countries, worldwide, since 1999. Similarly, purchasing art at PicassoMio.com and then viewing it at your home or office, before deciding to keep it or return it, goes far beyond the experience offered at an art fair, that tend to be overcrowded and excessively commercial, these days.
It is true that original fine art sales on the Internet are still not as intuitive as purchasing books or concert tickets or hotel reservations. While receiving over a million hits each day, we still struggle to convert every visitor into a client, despite that fact that we have original artworks ranging from $200 to hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I expect the Internet should reach a point of inflection in art sales, within the next 5 years. Further, within the next 10 years, the majority of the original art will be purchased and sold online. During the next decade, the key to being the leader in the gallery world, albeit a mixture of physical and virtual one, will be to provide incredible choice in art, high curatorial standards and an unbeatable client service. At PicassoMio.com, we continue to work had to ensure that we will remain the industry standard and global leader in art sales.
Allan Majotra
Founder
PicassoMio.com
August, 2007