Recruiter's Glossary

Examples: Art Storage • Art Brokerage • Market Value

Secondary Market

Term from Art Dealing industry explained for recruiters

The Secondary Market in art refers to when artwork is resold after its first sale from the artist or gallery. Think of it like a pre-owned car market, but for art. This includes auction houses, art dealers, and private sales of previously owned artwork. When artists first sell their work (through galleries or directly), that's called the primary market. Everything after that is secondary market. This is where most art trading happens, and it's an important part of how art value is determined over time.

Examples in Resumes

Managed Secondary Market sales generating over $2M in annual revenue

Developed pricing strategies for Secondary Market artwork acquisitions

Coordinated with auction houses for Secondary Market consignments of major artworks

Typical job title: "Secondary Market Specialists"

Also try searching for:

Art Dealer Art Broker Secondary Market Coordinator Art Trade Specialist Art Market Analyst Auction House Specialist Art Resale Specialist

Where to Find Secondary Market Specialists

Professional Organizations

Industry Resources

Job Boards

Example Interview Questions

Senior Level Questions

Q: How do you evaluate the potential value of an artwork in the secondary market?

Expected Answer: A strong answer should discuss analyzing artist's market history, recent comparable sales, condition reports, provenance, current market trends, and relationships with collectors and institutions.

Q: Describe how you would handle a high-value private collection coming to market.

Expected Answer: Should explain the process of collection assessment, market timing, choosing between auction/private sale, marketing strategy, and managing client relationships throughout the process.

Mid Level Questions

Q: What factors influence pricing in the secondary market?

Expected Answer: Should mention artist reputation, artwork condition, provenance, size, market conditions, recent comparable sales, and current collector interest.

Q: How do you maintain relationships with collectors and auction houses?

Expected Answer: Should discuss regular communication, market updates, networking at art fairs, understanding collector preferences, and maintaining professional integrity.

Junior Level Questions

Q: What's the difference between primary and secondary market in art?

Expected Answer: Should explain that primary market is first-time sales from artists/galleries, while secondary market involves resale of previously owned artwork.

Q: How do you research artwork provenance?

Expected Answer: Should describe basic steps in tracking artwork history, using databases, checking certificates of authenticity, and working with gallery records.