[Chris Saper]

Dear Stanka et al,

There are many painters who are interested and able to handle their own marketing, but there are also some wonderful artists who cannot...and for these painters, it may make great sense to hire an agent to do this work. The major problem, as I see it, is in the transition from a market and price structure that was never built to accommodate the finder's fees that are required by agents/brokers, to one that can. No one can essentially double their prices overnight without risking the disenfranchisement of the local market they have worked to build. If one so chooses, then there exists the threat that you become a painter who works at the mercy of another, since you can no longer work your own market at the new rates. It's a very, very, tough call.

It's a decision that is uniquely personal to each painter, given their temperament and desires.

Chris