What I Learned Buying Art on eBay + Living Room In Progress
So I told you that I have a new eBay addiction, right? Well, I got so caught up in all the excitement of bidding that I ended up buying 4 paintings in one week. (I know. I’m out of control. But that’s another topic.) Now that the paintings have arrived, I thought I’d share my experience with any other eBay newbies looking to buy art.
(This is one corner of our living room. The painting on the top is from an antique mall and the one on the bottom is from eBay.)
The four paintings came from two different galleries in Europe. Both sellers were fantastic in terms of service and communication and while I like two of the paintings a lot, the quality of the other two are not that great. I don’t hate them but let’s just say had I seen them in person, I would not have bought them. I went back and really scrutinized the seller’s photos after I received the paintings and I have to say they were accurate so this is totally on me, not the seller. So the lesson I learned is this: Study the photos of the art very, very carefully, especially the details. I thought I had but I obviously didn’t study them closely enough.
This is even more important when you’re buying from a foreign seller. Many of the sellers will accept returns but you’re responsible for shipping costs which are pretty high if it’s from overseas so it may not be worthwhile. That’s the case with me. Like I said, I don’t hate them so I’m just going to hang those two in a less prominent space.
You eBay veterans are probably thinking “duh” at this point but for the rest of you, I hope this is helpful!
As for the living room, it’s coming along. One of the things I need, as you can see, is a side table for this orange chair. Why is the right side table so hard to find?
