Built By An Artist Who Got Tired Of The System
I've been selling art online for years.
Like many artists, I've listed my work on platforms such as Bluethumb, Artmajeur, eBay and Fine Art America.
My work has also been represented by galleries in Brisbane.
I've experienced the excitement of making sales. I've also experienced the frustration of watching fees, commissions and complicated systems slowly eat away at the reason I started creating art in the first place.
The Sale That Broke Me
Recently, I sold an artwork for around $950 through an online platform. An artwork I had not updated in over 7 years. I have only 3 artworks listed on this site.
After commissions, fees and associated costs, my share was closer to $400. This wasn't a small artwork. It was over 100cm wide.
Then came the shipping.
The platform controlled the communication. The platform controlled the shipping process. The platform sat between the artist and the buyer.
A simple misunderstanding around courier bookings turned into a nightmare.
The first courier booking I cancelled was collected anyway. The artwork was sent through the wrong service. Two weeks later, the artwork arrived back at my studio.
After all the stress, confusion and wasted time, I cancelled the sale entirely.
Not because the buyer did anything wrong.
Not because the artwork wasn't wanted.
Because the process had become more painful than the sale was worth.
The Problem Isn't Selling Art
What frustrates me is when platforms put themselves between the artist and the collector.
Communication goes through the platform.
Shipping goes through the platform.
Questions go through the platform.
Problems go through the platform.
The sale wasn't the problem.
The system was.
Why RedToe Exists
RedToe exists because I believe there is a simpler way.
A platform where artists and buyers can connect directly.
A platform where artists manage their own communication.
A platform where artists organise their own shipping.
A platform that doesn't try to control every part of the transaction.
Most importantly, a platform that doesn't take a massive chunk of every sale.
If an artist knows how to package their work, ship their work and communicate with their buyer, why should someone else take 30%, 40% or even 50%?
Keeping It Simple
RedToe is not designed to become another giant corporation squeezing artists for every dollar.
The model is simple.
When you list an artwork, you pay a flat listing fee - $1 for works under $1,000, $5 for works $1,000 and over.
That's it.
No commission when it sells.
No featured artist packages.
No premium placement upgrades.
No pay-to-win visibility.
No hidden surprises.
The listing fee helps cover the cost of running the platform while ensuring artists keep every cent from their sale.
Why I'm Doing This
I'm not building RedToe because I think it's going to make me rich.
I'm building it because I know how hard it is to get artwork in front of people.
One of my own artworks sat listed online for more than a decade before finally selling.
That sale reminded me of something important:
Art doesn't always sell quickly.
But it can't sell if nobody sees it.
If RedToe helps artists gain more visibility, reach more collectors and keep more of what they earn, then this project has done its job.
