The internet and eBay, in particular, have provided artists with a new way to share their wares with their collectors.  Buyers can now find affordable art for their home or office without having to search a number of galleries to find that perfect piece.  Now collectors can browse hundreds of original paintings online and purchase them at a fraction of their gallery counterparts.  But you may have to view a few dusty stones before finding that diamond in the rough.  As both a buyer and seller of artwork on eBay, I have learned several tips to finding what I want on eBay.  Hopefully these tips will help you as well.

Tips on Buying Original Paintings on eBay.

1. Have a good idea of what you are looking for before you start browsing through the selection.  There are thousands of artists selling their art on eBay.  Are you looking for a particular style of painting such as abstract, contemporary, modern, cubist, folk, outsider, etc.?  If so, include this information in your search criteria.  Many artists describe their style of painting in the title and/or description of their auction.

2.  Once you perform your general search, use the expanded search options on the lefthand side of the eBay screen to refine your search criteria. Otherwise, you will dig through many auctions before finding exactly what you like. I usually list my paintings in Contemporary American Paintings or in the Self-Representing Artists categories.  This is where I usually find the best value for the paintings that I purchase and where my collectors tend to look for my artwork.

3. Are you looking for a particular medium, such as oil, acrylic, watercolor, mixed media etc?  If so, you many want to search on the type of medium.  You may have to click on "search title and description" in order to find mediums as they are often excluded from the auction title.

4. Are you looking for a particular ground (i.e., canvas, paper, wood, etc)?  If so, you will want to see if the auction describes the ground in addition to the medium.  Are you looking for paintings on stretched canvas?  If so, you will want to confirm that the painting is prestretched onto stretcher bars.  Otherwise, you may be stuck with having to stretch the canvas yourself when you receive the painting.  Most artists will say if the painting is prestretched  and will tell you the depth of the stretcher bar (i.e., 0.75 inch, 1.5 inch or 2.5 inch among others ).  If the artist doesn't provide this information in the description, you may want to write and ask before placing your bid. 

5.  Do you intend to frame your paintings?  Gallery-wrapped stretched canvas has staple-free edges.  This is especially nice if the work is going to be displayed on the wall without a frame.  The edges on gallery-wrapped canvas are smooth and staple-free.  If the artist doesn't say "gallery-wrapped" or "staple-free" edges, you should write and ask before placing a bid.  Also, you may want to ask if edges of the painting are painted.  Personally, I have paintings with bare canvas edges that show drip marks and layers of paint.  I also have paintings with the edges fully-painted and I like them all equally. But, if you prefer one type over the other, be sure to know how the sides of the painting look prior to placing your bid.

6.  Interested in bidding on a custom painting auction?  Have you found an artist whose work you like, but they don't currently have a painting on auction that meets your needs?  Write to them and ask them if they will create an auction for you?  Many artists work on custom paintings and will be more than happy to create a custom art auction for you.  You and the artist can then work together to create the perfect match for your home or office.  But, before you agree to purchase something without seeing the finished product, be sure you know the details of how and when the custom painting will be completed?  Most importantly, check the seller's feedback to be sure that the artist has experience selling on eBay and can be trusted to complete your transaction.  Request a time-frame for completion of the project and ask for digital pictures of the final painting before the item is shipped to you.

7.  As mentioned in buying tip #6, view the seller's feedback before placing your bid.  Viewing the feedback can let you know the history of selling by this artist and how much you will likely need to bid in order to acquire the painting.  Many collectors are upset when a painting is "sniped' out from under them. One way to avoid this is to place a high enough proxy bid so that your bid remains even when faced with the last-second snipe.  By viewing the feedback before placing your bid, you will know how high to bid to increase your chance of being the highest bidder. Also, reviewing the feedback can help alleviate uncertainty on whether the artist will fulfill your expectations.  It is difficult to buy art online given that you cannot see the depth and/or texture of the painting, but viewing the feedback can help you know if the artist's work is likely to meet your expectations.

8.  Be wary of sellers who offer a gallery price for their paintings.  Unless these artists sell regularly in galleries, it is very difficult for an emerging artist to know the "gallery price" for their painting.  It is true that galleries will charge more for the paintings than the price you are likely to pay on eBay.  This is because eBay allows artists to sell without the gallery middleman.  Galleries often give the artists only 40% - 60% of the selling price of the painting.  But, I would still be suspicious of the "gallery price" that many artists on eBay list in their auction descriptions.  Having said this, there are artists who exhibit their work in galleries and they will have a better idea of the market value for their work.  Information such as this can often be found on their "about me" page.

9.  Buy artwork that you like first and then think about investment value.  You are going to be viewing the artwork on your walls for many years.  So, buy something that you like!  Of course all of us hope that the artists we collect will be famous in the years to come and that our initial investment will appreciate over time.  But, don't buy a painting just because you think it has potential to appreciate.  Buy something you like.....and hope for the best.

10.  Finally, if you are looking for original paintings directly from the artist, be sure that the artwork on which you are bidding has been created by the actual artist and is not a cheap imitation, rip-off or a low-quality copy/print of another artists original. If you are the least bit suspicious of the seller or the artwork, you may want to review the feedback, the artist's "about me" page,  and/or the origination location of the artwork. These can be helpful in weeding out the less honest sellers. If you have any lingering questions about the artwork, be sure to write to the seller before placing your bid.  In most cases, the artist is more than willing to supply you with all the answers to your questions.

I have several other tips, but these are my top ten.  Most importantly...HAVE FUN.. there is a wealth of talent on eBay and you are sure to find something you love at a fraction of its gallery-counterpart.