Q: I'm just starting out in my career and one thing really bothers me. I think about selling my art for low prices today and then, years from now, watching people resell it for many times what I sold it for. It's a problem for me and I'm sure plenty of other artists feel the same way. How do I deal with this?

A: Hopefully, you'll be fortunate enough in your career to have this "problem." Artists continually complain about it when, in truth, they should be thankful that it exists. Many people who would never otherwise buy art do so primarily because they hear about dealers and collectors reselling for far more than they originally pay.

One of the main reasons why people buy art is they believe, right or wrong, that it might someday increase in value. They buy it because they like it, of course, but in the back of their minds they also see themselves as speculating to a certain extent on the artists' futures. That a percentage of these collectors ultimately turn big profits on their investments significantly contributes to the overall health of the art market by making news and attracting new collectors-- and that's good.

Rather than complain, artists should pray that their art sells for big bucks on secondary markets. When it does, this means that all the art they've ever produced and have yet to produce also goes up in value. They may hate to see money changing hands on art that they no longer own, but look at it this way-- when a collector pays a big secondary market price, he only gets one piece of art and the dealer or collector who sells it only profits from that sale one time. The artist, on the other hand, enjoys greater profits every single time he sells a work of art for the rest of his career and is the biggest financial winner by far when his resale market takes off.

Artists and collectors share a mutual interest in that they both want their art to sell for as much as possible. They share the additional interest that if their art does sell for a lot of money, they want as much of that money as possible-- and here lies the conflict. Collectors say that they took risks and had the foresight to patronize and support the artists when they were young and struggling. Artists say that collectors did nothing to advance the them in their careers other than buy art years ago and hold onto it.

Well-- they're both right. Without each other, neither would be anywhere. When artists are young and unknown and their art is cheap, collectors who buy it do so primarily because they like it. They know that the chances of it going way up in value are remote. And if it does go way up, hopefully they express their gratitude to the artists in one way or another even though this is not a requirement.

Similarly, the early collectors are the people artists should be the most grateful for. They're the ones who show faith first and show it with money. Those initial sales are the most critical in artists' careers because they provide much needed funds for food, shelter, and the freedom to continue making art. Think of the number of artists who never make enough sales to survive early on and have to give up their careers, take jobs in other fields, or relegate their art to the status of a hobby. Those consistent early sales keep artists "in business" and ultimately become the foundations for their successful careers.