AITA for refusing to give my friend the money I made selling her artwork?

Shirley Stafford Hours
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The aroma of fresh coffee mingled with the buzz of a small gallery as two vibrant art prints found new homes, fetching a tidy $300 profit. But the triumph turned sour when the artist, a friend of the seller, demanded the cash, igniting a heated clash. The seller, who’d warned her friend about underpricing her work, saw the profit as a lesson earned, not a debt owed. Now, their friend group is split, and whispers of betrayal fill the air.

This Reddit saga dives into the thorny mix of friendship and business. Readers feel the tension, wondering if keeping the profit was a savvy move or a stab in the back. Can a friend cash in on another’s talent without sharing the spoils?

‘AITA for refusing to give my friend the money I made selling her artwork?’

My friend is a new artist that has been getting a lot of attention lately. She recently started selling prints. When she listed them, she criminally underpriced them. I told her this. I said she could easily charge double for these prints. There is high demand. She didn’t believe me.

I bought two of her prints. I work in a coffee shop that doubles as a gallery, so I asked my boss of I could hang the two pieces. I listed them for sale, and they both sold for triple what I paid for them (like I thought). I ended up making around $300.

I told a couple of people and word got around to my friend. She started demanding the money from me for the sales. I told her absolutely not. I told her from jump that she was undercharging. I think that this $300 is payment to me for showing her that.

She’s mad and has went to others for solace. Our friend group is really heated about it, they want me to give her the money. They think she’s a “hungry artist” and I’m robbing her. Now I feel bad she missed out on the money, but does that make me an a**hole? AITA

This art sale squabble exposes the tricky balance between friendship and fair dealings. The seller’s decision to resell the prints for a profit, after warning the artist about her low prices, feels like a business move—but in a friendship, it stings.

Art consultant Sarah Percy-Dove notes in Art Business Today that “artists often undervalue their work, but reselling without transparency can erode trust, especially among friends” (ArtBusiness.com, link). The seller’s choice to keep the $300, while legally sound, ignored the emotional bond of friendship, fueling the artist’s sense of betrayal.

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A 2023 report by Artsy found that 60% of emerging artists struggle to price their work, often relying on trusted networks for guidance (Artsy.net, link). The seller’s access to a gallery gave them an edge the artist lacked, amplifying the perceived unfairness.

Percy-Dove advises sharing profits or credit in such cases to maintain relationships. The seller could offer a split of the $300 or help the artist display more work at the coffee shop, turning a feud into a partnership. Transparency and collaboration keep friendships intact while supporting artistic growth.

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Here’s the feedback from the Reddit community:

The Reddit crew didn’t hold back, serving up a mix of shade and sympathy with their hot takes. Here’s the unfiltered scoop, fresh from the comments:

Character-Blueberry − YTA. At least give her some of it. Isn't she your friend? You're not treating her like one. Also, you have access to an art gallery, she doesn't. Why not at least split it with her? If I were in her position, I honestly wouldn't really want to be friends with you anymore.

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[Reddit User] − Not the a**hole as a business associate looking out for themselves YTA as a friend who told this person they were underpricing, then took advantage of that fact by making it profitable for *you*.

Funkativity − YTA - this would be fine if the artist was some rando... but this is supposedly your *friend*, right?. at the very least you should've offered to split the profit with her.

NonToxicPaint − YTA- while its technically ‘yours’ now u bought it, you KNOWINGLY exploited your friends skill and talent by reselling it and refusing to give her some of the cut, art is so hard to price especially when its your own, speaking as an artist myself it is almost impossible to find a price that seems appropriate.

If she wasnt your friend its would be a lot less of a d**k move, but shes your friend. GIVE HER SOME OF THE CUT AND WORK TOGETHER INSTEAD OF COMPETING! you both will have so much more success then

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[Reddit User] − YTA. Yes, she might be naive and undercharging, but you used the coffee shop as point of sale, which immensely helps with generating traffic and quicker sales.. Tell her you're sorry, and help her sell some more pieces through your place of work.

UnicornCakeQueen − NTA - you're allowed to resell art. You tried to help her, she refused, so you proved a point and earned some money for yourself. She should be gratefull, and thank you, that she now earns more

abandoned_angel − This feels like a grayish area. I’m going with a very light ESH. 1. Your friend was given the advise to sell higher beforehand, it sounds as though maybe she didn’t believe in her own skills and/ or didn’t take the initiative that you saw possible.

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You paid her the price SHE thought was fair, after you took the initiative and sold higher to someone else who saw the same worth you did. After seeing that you were right she demands to be paid more and even drags others in to guilt you, but she already was paid the price she thought she was owed and it was no longer her property. For this she is TA.

2. Okay the question is You have every right to that money, but is the price of your friendship $300? If this was a stranger no harm no foul, but this is a friend who may not have believed in themselves as you did. I wouldn’t say you’re an AH but you do kinda suck for even bragging about how you got more money than your friend.

3. Going Forward  go ahead and split the money with your friend. Talk to your boss about making this a reoccurring thing, heck maybe even branch out to a few other places like this. If it’s good to go Negotiate with your friend and take a small fee arranging this and for bringing in more art.

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Many artists aren’t great at business and don’t even know where to begin when it comes to that leg work (I’m speaking personally here). It could be a great venture for both of you in the future!

VCWCVW − I was on your side until you hid the fact from your friend that they sold. If you genuinely cared about your friend and her art, you would've shared in the joy of making a big profit. 'Hey I'm going to put these up and see what happens ...omg look how much I got for these!

You should change your prices! And here's [at least 50%] of the profit because this is your art and even though I bought them, we're friends and it's only fair ' Instead you bragged to others 'see I told her she should up her prices! Look how much I got for these!'. YTA

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LimitedCorri − YTA. You’re legally ok, but YTA nonetheless. Why not split the profit with her and ask your boss if she can hang her artwork as a regular thing? (She would keep that profit, with perhaps a 10% cut to the coffee shop).

americangamergirl − No NTA. Even though, as an aspiring artist, I would like to have the credit for the art you might buy from me, it would be yours to sell or whatever after buying the piece. If I undersold it and you resold it for a way higher price, I guess that I just lost a bit of money.

But that was your property by then. Your friend is not entitled to the money you got from you selling your property. I do think that maybe you should credit her for her work though. Maybe she'll learn from this and raise the prices for later customers.

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These Redditors were split, some slamming the seller for exploiting a friend’s talent, others defending their right to profit from a legal purchase. Some saw a missed chance for collaboration; others called the artist entitled. But do these fiery opinions capture the full picture, or are they just adding heat?

This tale of prints and profits shows how quickly a friendship can fray when money and art collide. The seller’s stand—keeping the cash as a lesson—raises questions about fairness, loyalty, and the value of creative work. Should friends share the wealth or play hardball in business? What would you do if your friend’s talent became your profit? Share your thoughts below—let’s keep the conversation rolling!

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