How to sell a work of art in Mexico: private sale, consignment and what to have ready
Three ways to sell a work in Mexico: open it to offers with its certificate, consign it to a gallery, or sell it privately. Which documents you need, how the price is set and when you get paid.
ByErick González
Selling a work of art is not like selling furniture: the buyer pays for the work and for the certainty that it is what it claims to be. That is why the shortest route to selling well is having the work's history in order before offering it. This guide walks the three routes that exist in Mexico and what each asks of the seller.
1. Open a work to offers
If the work came from Avant.Dev, it already has a certificate of authenticity in your wallet. From Account → Certificates you can open it to offers: it appears on Art Auctions & Private Sales with its certificate and its stamps, and nothing about you. Offers reach the gallery, which conveys them to you, negotiates and closes. The certificate is transferred to the new owner and the artist receives a resale royalty, booked in the same ledger.
2. Consign the work to a gallery
A consignment means the gallery offers the work on your behalf and earns a commission only if it sells; the work stays yours until the day it is paid. At Avant.Dev there is no listing fee, the commission is agreed in writing before the work is offered, and you can withdraw it at any moment if it has not sold. Tell us about the work at Sell Art: artist, title, year, medium, dimensions, how it came to you and a few photographs.
3. Private sale
The gallery finds a buyer among the collectors who follow the artist or the medium, without publishing the work. It is the route for works of higher value or when you prefer discretion. The terms are agreed the same way: in writing, before anything moves.
What to have ready
The identity of the work: artist, title, year, medium, dimensions, edition if any.
The provenance: how it came to you (invoice, gallery, inheritance, gift) and where it has been shown.
The certificate if it exists, or the original invoice. Without either, the work will need an appraisal and the price will reflect it.
Photographs: front, back, signature, details and any damage.
Your price expectation, even as an idea. The gallery checks it against the market and tells you what is possible.
How the price is set
From the artist's record (exhibitions, galleries, comparable sales), the condition and size of the work, and what the market is paying today. A work with a certificate and a complete provenance sells faster and better than the same work without papers; that difference is usually larger than the commission.
When you get paid
Once the collector has received the work. The sale is paid through the site, delivery is insured and quoted by destination, and the certificate is issued or transferred the day the work leaves.
Frequently asked questions
Can I sell a work I did not buy at Avant.Dev?
Yes, by consignment or private sale. We look at it first and tell you whether we can place it and at what price.
Does my name appear anywhere?
No, unless you want it to. Offers and questions reach the gallery.
Are there taxes when selling?
It depends on your tax situation and the buyer's country. The gallery issues the invoice; ask your accountant about your own return.
How avant.dev helps
Art advisory is what we do every day from Mexico City: we help collectors discover, acquire and build collections of original contemporary art, with the paperwork, the delivery and the certificate handled. If you would like a second opinion before your next acquisition, book a free 30-minute consultation or browse the works available now.
This content is for information and education only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice.
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