We've all heard about people who paid $10000 for a painting on eBay that they thought was an original Picasso and turned out to be a scam, as well as a number of other art buying horror stories.  What many people don't talk about is the vast array of amazing undiscovered artistic talent who list their original works for very affordable prices.  You can buy some incredible pieces at more than fair prices from talented, educated and experienced artists who happen to not be famous (yet).

As a painter myself (Carrie-Falquist, my eBay store), eBay has become an invaluable way for me to connect with collectors who might otherwise never see my work.  And being able to stay a self-represented artist without a gallery (and gallery fees), the cost to purchase one of my works is usually less than half of what you would expect in a gallery or retail situation.

The growing trend for homeowners and decorators now is ORIGINAL artwork, rather than prints, copies, etc.  People have gotten turned on to the wealth of wonderful work out there, and most collectors now want to own the original pieces. 

Some folks, however, are hesistant to purchase an item online, especially from an artist who isn't one of the "big names" on eBay, the ones you find at the top of all your searches.  To ease your trepidation, there are a few helpful tips to follow.

1.  Check the seller's feedback, or visit their "My World" or "About Me" page.  They may not have sold a ton of artwork online, but make sure that the people who have purchased their work have positive things to say.

2.  See how long they have been a member of eBay, and make sure they have completed their transactions in a way that satisfies both buyers and sellers.  Like Dr. Phil says, the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.  So if this person did not ship their collector plates carefully to a buyer, or tried to pass off a cheap overseas knockoff as an original Rolex, you might want to think how they will package the precious artwork you are considering purchasing or if they are selling authentic works of art.

3.  ASK QUESTIONS.  If you are interested in a piece, contact the artist.  I know I am always happy to answer questions to potential clients.  If you want to know what the back of the painting looks like, as for an email of the back.  If you want to know what brand of paint was used, ask.  If you want to know where the artist went to college, what their inspiration is, anything, contact the artist and find out. 

4.  Don't expect to get quality artwork at garage sale prices.  This expectation causes frustration for everyone.  Let's look at it this way:  You wouldn't expect a mechanic who just spent 10 hours fixing your car to charge you $20 for the job, would you?  Many original works of art are not only expensive to create, but very time consuming.  For example, I recently sold a commission piece to a client for $350.  The painting was 36"x36", acrylic on stretched canvas.  The painting took a total of 15 hours to paint, and supplies (stretcher bars, canvas, paints, listing fees) ran me approx $110.   That's $240 left, divided by the hours painted comes out to $16.00 an hour.    I made $16.00 an hour as a temp admin assistant in college answering phones.  Consider that when you bid on a piece, the time, effort, and supplies it takes to creat the piece of work.

5.  Look past the Featured listings.  You will find MANY wonderful paintings, sculptures and other artwork outside the featured listings.  Keep in mind that Featured listings cost money, starting at $19.95 per item.  I only use that on some of my larger items, and list my smaller pieces and daily paintings with regular listings.  This allows me to keep my starting bids low and limit the use of reserves on my paintings.  You can do a search for an artist name (click here to search for falquist) or by a subject (click here to search for abstract zebra)

6.  Consider shipping costs when calculating your artwork budget.  Shipping art is expensive.  Shipping large scale canvasses is doubly expensive, but worth it to ship with a reputable, insured carrier.  Keep in mind that a 48"x48" triptych (three paintings put together to form one scene), diptych (two paintings) or polyptych (four or more) shoudl cost much less to ship than a 48x48 single canvas because the canvasses can be shipped stacked if packaged carefully.

7.  Finally, use PayPal!  Not only is it convenient, and most artist would much rather have a PayPal transaction and pay the fees for it than wait for a check or money order, with PayPal you are also covered by their buyer protection.  There have been rare occaisions when I have had a disreputable seller either not send me an item or send a grossly misrepresented item.  These instances have been resolved quickly and efficiently by PayPal.  Both times I was able to recover my funds from the seller and they were dealt with.

 In closing, buying artwork on eBay can be a gratifying experience for both the artist and collector.  You are able to connect directly with an artist, which is almost unheard of in a gallery, and can often find just what you're looking for without ever leaving your office chair.