Innovative New Website Scoops Prestigious Industry Prize.

The directors of My Art Broker, a web service that is set to revolutionise the way the general public buy and sell artwork, were thrilled on Saturday night at the annual Fine Art Trade Guild, Art & Framing Industry Awards when their name was announced as winner of Art Business Website of the Year.

Launched only 18 months ago, myartbroker is a carefully tailored online marketplace, peopled with friendly knowledgeable staff, where anyone can list all or part of their art collection for sale. Like Auction giant ebay, and traditional auction houses, myartbroker takes a fee from both buyer and seller at the point of sale (listing is free), but unlike ebay, this is a personalized service, designed as an alternative to the uncertainties of any auction-based process. Instead, myartbroker does exactly as described, and brokers deals between sellers and buyers.  In fact the company even funds an escrow service, which allows people to buy on approval.  In this way the company functions much more like a good local gallery, facilitating sales with good service, and occasionally even collecting and delivering artwork.

The revolutionary aspect of the business lies in its aim to provide a stable alternative secondary market platform, and in the fact that this platform is not limited to any specific area of the art world.  In time, myartbroker could become the favoured place to trade all manner of art, already listing big names such as Banksy, Picasso and Damien Hirst, alongside popular published artists such as Caroline Shotton, Fabien Perez and Rolf Harris.

And the website itself, which so charmed the judges at the Art and Framing Industry Awards, is excellent. It is as easy to list work for sale, as it is to make an offer on a desired piece. It is bright, colourful, well designed, and a pleasure to use.