Welcome readers to a brief guide on collecting Mexican Folk Art.  As the author of this guide, I must first offer you my credentials: I do not sell Mexican Folk Art on EBay.  Every now and then I find something at an estate sale, but usually I keep it.  I do order container loads of Mexican folk art as part of my job.  We get about three shipments a year and have sales by invitation about five times a year.  First and foremost, I am a collector of Mexican folk art and I will give you my knowledge and point of view based on my experience as a buyer.

I love Mexican folk art.  It covers a whole spectrum from the cute and fanciful to museum quality artwork.  Lots of the items are decorative, but there are also many practical items for daily use.

I predict that someday Mexican folk art is going to be all the rage and it will not have the availability and reasonable costs that it currently does.  On a recent Oprah show, a designer decorated a new home for Eva Longoria?s parents He used lots of vibrant Mexican folk art: vessel pottery, big giant clay pineapples, green calabazas decorated walls and chunky wooden crosses.  It was fabulous.  I am convinced that designers are going to discover Mexican folk art. It looks great in all kinds of houses and there?s wonderful garden and yard stuff, too.  So, congratulations on your interest and may I encourage you to learn as much as you can and start collecting.  Mexican folk art is almost an insider secret right now and there are bargains to be had.

First the basics:

What is Mexican Folk Art?
Mexican folk art is as diverse as Mexico itself.  Some examples are numerous types of decorative and practical ceramics, ancestral style pottery, ornate painted and gold leaf wood objects, ceremonial masks, hand woven textiles, musical instruments, woven grass fibers and metal work.  Some very well known types of Mexican folk art are Day of the Dead objects, Talavera dinnerware and Tonala pottery.

What are the origins of Mexican Folk Art?
Great stuff here, Mexico?s history is well illustrated through its folk art.  Some folk art reflects ancient Mesoamerica and lost indigenous cultures.  Exploration and colonization brought Spanish and Muslim influences that are also seen in folk art.  Christianity, paganism, folklore and depictions of daily life are also themes commonly used in Mexican folk art.  An understanding of Mexican folk art involves examining social structures, belief systems and other cultural values and leads to an appreciation of Mexican heritage and culture.  Almost every piece of Mexican folk art has a story or is symbolic or commemorative.  You can?t say that about home décor items from Costco or Pottery Barn.

What are the hallmarks of authentic Mexican Folk Art?
Good question!  The use of indigenous, raw materials, highly skilled craftsmanship and superior aesthetics are the most important things to look for.  Materials for producing folk art are rarely imported.  Authentic folk art is made of clay, fibers, metals grasses and wood that are indigenous to the region of Mexico that the art comes from.  In some forms, the art is produced as much as possible according to the original methods, in others it has evolved and purposely depicts changes in culture. 

Look at the aesthetics, there are a lot of FAKE alebrijes, the carved wood, fantastical painted animal figures from Oaxaca.  The paint should not be shiny and gobby.  The decoration should be itty bitty and light handed.  It probably strained the eyes of the painter.  And, good pieces will be signed with a flourish usually including the name of the village it was produced in.  Also remember that variations and individuality are a part of ALL folk art.  You cannot usually get a piece that is exactly like another one.  That?s part of the charm, individual handmade pieces that are not made in a factory.

How do you avoid purchasing fakes or overpriced Mexican Folk Art?
It depends on the item.  You need to use your eyes and your hands, much of it is tactile.  So, if you buy on line, make sure your purchase is refundable.  Another important tip, if something, like dinner ware is made lead-free, it will say so somewhere on the item or in front of the displayed items.  There is a lot of lead free dinner ware being made now.  It is available.  But if it doesn?t say lead-free somewhere, it probably isn?t.  Another thing to avoid are vendors you can walk to from a cruise ship dock.  There are a lot of Mexican tchokes that were made in China. And a lot of people on cruise ships buy them.

Why buy Mexican Folk Art?
This is important.  Buying it is part of preserving it.  When you purchase Mexican folk art you generate income for folk artists who are abandoning their heritage to work in maquiladoras and immigrate to the United States.  And you benefit as well by owning high-quality folk art as opposed to cheap imitationsproduced by exploitive labor practices and inferior materials.    

How to Buy on Mexican Folk Art on Ebay
Just like anything else you are buying on Ebay, you should check your seller?s feedback.  I like to equate the feedback with the cost of the item.  Really expensive item requires lots of positive feedback.  Does the seller seem knowledgeable in the descriptions?  Does the seller mention where the item is from?  They should, a reputable seller will know their stock and where it?s from.  You can get yourself a guide, too.  Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art is a great resource, beautiful book and hard to find.  I highly recommend it.  Also, match the cost of the item to the content factors.  For example, copper is expensive in its raw form to start with.  Coppersmiths are highly skilled craftsmen. The work is time intensive and demanding.  The artist has to keep heating and banging on the molten chunk until it is just right.  There is no stopping for a break.  Therefore, almost all copper work is expensive.  Sometimes even small pieces will be expensive because novices can?t work the copper as well and it?s heavy.  You aren?t paying for the artistry.  You are paying for the copper.  Only skilled artisans will produce large pots.  Now that doesn?t mean all Mexican folk art is expensive.  Pottery, rebozos, wood crafts are very reasonable compared to the Native Americans crafts.  Like all art, you should buy what appeals to you.  Enough lecturing time to start shopping!