Sue (eBay ID catherinethegreat) began her original art collection when she discovered independent artists on eBay. Her approach to collecting is most revealing and insightful.


How did you come to discover independent artists on eBay?

I have become friends with one of the artists on ebay whose work I collect, and we were just talking the other night about finding art on ebay and how hard it is for some artists to get their works seen. I only discovered the art category on ebay in November, and quite accidentally at that. I was doing a "cat" search for some reason or other, and some paintings in the Self-Representing Artists category came up. I was curious and did some browsing. And that's how it all got started. Before that I only had some vague awareness of the fact that there was art out there in places besides museums, and most of that art seemed to be in expensive galleries or beyond my financial reach for whatever reason. Suddenly I discovered art that appealed to me that I could actually afford. At first I sort of went crazy and bought whatever "looked neat", but my tastes have evolved significantly, and some of the art I bought when I first started looking at ebay art is not art I would buy now. I was just like a kid in a candy store and bought rather indiscriminately. Now I am more careful, although I still only very occasionally get pieces I'm not so happy with. I have gone from having no original art to having more than I have room for.


How do you search for artists on eBay?

There are quite a few eBay artists I enjoy. I have developed a "core" group whose seller lists I have bookmarked, and I spend most of my time looking at their work. Occasionally, I will look through the "ending today" auctions in the Self-Representing Artists category, and even less frequently through the "ending today" auctions in the American Contemporary art category. The main reason I tend now to stick with my core group of artists is that even only looking at "ending today" auctions in the SRA category, there are at least 7 or 8 pages of auctions to wade through, out of which I might like only 1 or 2 paintings that are by artists I haven't seen before. Most of the time I don't find any. In the American 1950+ category, there are even more paintings to look at. The problem for me with this category is that many of the pieces are either too expensive or too cheap, that is, someone found some original painting of questionable quality somewhere and stuck it up on ebay to sell as "fine art". There are also lots of pieces from other countries (Romania, for example), and shipping and the fact that these are usually on unstretched canvas makes these more expensive. Also, many of the good paintings in this category are being sold by dealers, and for some reason I feel better buying directly from the artist. So, basically, I like to look from time to time, but with the bookmarked artists I have I usually know what to expect and don't have to look through pages of auctions that I'm not interested in. From time to time I will do a search of artist groups, usually ebsq or ebsq+, since some of the artists I've bought from belong to these groups. This is why I did an eMOMA search. I can be pretty confident searching ebsq+ that I will at least find art that I don't mind looking at, even if I don't want to buy it. Since Michael Bailey and Onelio Marrero are artists whose work I really enjoy, I thought that I might find new (to me) artists searching with eMOMA. And I did! :)




The Model by Michael Bailey, ebay seller mike62174


How you might compare this experience with exposure to fine art in other venues?

I don't normally go elsewhere to buy art, since most of that is not affordable to me, although I will occasionally look at it. I think it helps me refine my tastes. I have found some interesting art in advertisements in Raw Vision magazine. If an artist that I buy from has some of his or her work at a site, I will look around from time to time (e.g., Michael Bailey). There is a well-organized site called the Internet Art Database (http://www.fine-art.com/), but much of the art is too expensive for me. (Just so you know, I am not looking for cheap art! I would buy the expensive stuff, if I could. I am looking for good art that I can afford. What I pay for it is not necessarily what I think it's worth, if that makes any sense.)


How has the experience of buying original art refined your tastes? What do you look for in terms of quality, emotional impact and technique?

This is a toughie. I feel like buying original art has changed my entire way of looking at things, not just art. I find myself wondering how an artist might try to represent something and appreciating the talent and skill it would take to render it artistically. As far as art itself is concerned, buying original art has allowed me to see with my own eyes what's good and what works, and, more importantly, what speaks to me in some way. This is probably the primary quality of art that I look for. The art must speak to me in some intangible way. I buy art that I feel a connection with, and it's difficult to describe this connection. When I see a piece that I must have, I know it right away, because I become frozen in front of the screen. Even if my rational mind is telling me that I don't have the money or that I have enough art, I will keep coming back again and again to the piece, and I know I will eventually succumb. In general terms, I look for art that reveals the unique vision of the artist. It can be abstract or representational, as long as it provides some fresh glimpse of reality or thought or ideas or existence in general. Someone once said that a genius is a person who answers the questions that no one asks. This is the kind of art that moves me.


Is it possible to describe the feeling you get when you receive a piece and you know you have chosen well?

Pure joy, elation, ecstasy. I have to say that this feeling is like no other. I know it sounds crazy, but I feel like I want to give the painting a big hug and never let it go.


Buying directly from the artist is definitely a major perk. Why do you prefer to buy from the artist directly? Do you have any advice for artists about how they might personalize the collectors experience further?

Because the art I buy is always very meaningful and personal to me (it moves me), buying directly from the artist allows me some brief connection to the imagination and talent behind the art. I have bought all but a couple of my many paintings on ebay directly from the artist. I have even become friends with some of them. These transactions are always a pleasure, and it's great to hear from the artist how meaningful the piece is to them as well. I also like to see other work the artist has done. It helps me "get to know" them better, so it's nice when I find a new (to me) artist if they have a website. Or at least they have not taken down the pictures in completed auctions. Some artists take down the images immediately, and I find this frustrating. If they only have, say, one current auction, I have no idea what their work is like in general. Having access to images in completed auctions can take the place of having an actual website. And just using the collector's name in email correspondence would be good (some don't!).




The Art Student by Onelio Marrero, ebay seller oneliom


Can you give any advice to newcomers on eBay regarding how to find your voice as a collector and choose art carefully?

I would say spend a lot of time looking and don't buy very expensive pieces at first. You will make purchases that you might later regret, which is part of the learning process, but it will be better if your "mistake" cost $80 and not $800. Looking might seem daunting with thousands of pieces listed at any given time, but you can start small by using artist group keywords, or specific listings, e.g., auctions ending today in the Self-Representing Artists or American 1950-Now categories. When you find a piece that appeals to you, check out that seller's other auctions (current and completed) or website. You might even check out other auctions that the high bidder of that piece has bid on. They probably have similar taste to you, if they've bid on a piece that moves you. The more you look at, the more refined your tastes and the louder your "voice" becomes. I would recommend not bidding right away, if you find a piece you think you must have, unless it's about to end. Watch it (eBay has a feature that lets you watch auctions). If you keep going back to it every time you log on, and it still moves you, then bid.


What would you say to people who think original artwork is not available or affordable?

Absolutely not true. I have found most of my pieces on ebay for less than $80. Some as low as $1, and I love those just as much as the ones I paid $200 for. Art is not necessarily worth the price you pay. Just because the price is low doesn't mean that the quality of the art is too.


What do your friends think about your art collection?

I've told friends about art on ebay. Most people are really surprised to learn you can buy original art on ebay, and then they become skeptical, as if art on ebay must be like stuff you might find at a garage sale or flea market. But they see my pieces and know that can't be the case. One friend who was an art student in Moscow, Russia, comes over just to see my new paintings. She is amazed that I can find pieces on ebay and only pay what I pay for them. She says "they belong in all the best galleries and museums."


Final Thoughts...

Wow, I didn't mean to write a book! I hope you found this interesting/helpful. I enjoyed talking about it. The art I've found on eBay has greatly enriched my life, and I'm glad to be able to share that with others.