How to Buy Art on eBay
for Under $100

By Reena Jana
October 5, 2010

Fall is a big season for the art world—it’s when New York’s galleries host some of the year’s most anticipated exhibitions. But even if you’re on the tightest of budgets, you can find art for under a hundred dollars on eBay that looks like a million bucks.

For affordable works by art stars—even by big names such as Jeff Koons or Takashi Murakami—try searching for limited-edition pieces, or what art collectors call "multiples." These are hard-to-find prints or everyday items such as home accessories designed by famous artists. They’re produced in small batches for rarity’s sake.

Even if you’re not in the market for collecting work by big-name contemporary artists, you can dig up some pretty cool pieces that will carry personal value for years. On eBay, type in the keywords "custom portrait," for instance, and you can commission lesser-known artists to create one-of-a-kind drawings and paintings that can be as gorgeous to admire as anything you’ll find in a gallery, at a tiny fraction of the cost.

Here's what our eBay browse-athon turned up, along with some tips to have you shopping eBay like a gallerist or curator.

Roll over items for details

NEW Takashi Murakami Multiple

(buy it now price, $79.50)

Pet Portraits from Photo

(buy it now price, $79))

Richard Serra Lithograph Print Poster

(buy it now price, $64.99)

NEW Shepard Fairey Skateboard Poster Print

(buy it now price, $99.99)

Elizabeth Peyton Beach Towel

(buy it now price, $95)

Vintage Victorian Couple Silhouette

(buy it now price, $19.99)

Set of Five Vintage Fashion Photos

(buy it now price, $4.50)

Set of Three Jeff Koons Espresso Cups and Saucers

(buy it now price, $99)

Ellsworth Kelly Lithograph

(buy it now price, $99.99)

Original Custom Drawing Photo

(buy it now price. $19.99)

How to Buy Art on eBay <br>for Under $100

1. TAKASHI MURAKAMI MULTIPLE: This Japanese artist is best known for his high-profile collaborations with Louis Vuitton. Murakami produces plush—and nicely priced!—pillows featuring his cartoony floral imagery, which serious art collectors are known to display at home. And if you happen to be in the neighborhood, Murakami has a sculpture show at the Chateau de Versailles (yes, that Versailles!) outside of Paris going on now.

2. COMMISSIONED PORTRAIT: Hire an artist to capture your pet’s essence in an original painting that’s low on kitsch and high in personality.

3. RICHARD SERRA POSTER: Only museums and galleries have enough space for a monumental Richard Serra sculpture, but a rare promotional poster for a knockout show can bring his elegant works into your living room.

4. SHEPARD FAIREY SIGNED PRINT: Fairey, one of the world’s best-known graphic artists, designed his hip poster to promote a launch party for a new skateboard. Fairey signed it, making it a true collector’s item.

5. ELIZABETH PEYTON PORTRAIT: Shown in top galleries around the globe, Peyton’s haunting portraits feature pop culture icons. This limited-edition towel, featuring her sketch of punk rocker Sid Vicious, is an affordable and unusual way to own one.

6. VINTAGE SILHOUETTE: Search the keywords “silhouette picture” on eBay and you’ll find these classic, shadowy works of art that work well as decor in both traditional and modern settings.

7. VINTAGE FASHION PHOTOS: Frame a set of antique photographs of models from bygone eras sporting chic clothes and hang the images in a grid or cluster for a gallery-like display.

8. JEFF KOONS ESPRESSO CUPS: The Jeff Koons exhibition is opening at the ultra-chic (and exclusive, as in collectors only) gallery Luxembourg & Dayan in New York in October. Even if you don't get an invite, this set of limited-edition espresso cups from Illy offers a colorful and practical way to become a collector of Koons’ work. Display them as mini-sculptures.

9. ELLSWORTH KELLY LITHOGRAPH PRINT: Ellsworth Kelly is one of the most important living American painters, known for his abstract work that made an art historical impact in the 1950s and '60s. This colorful Kelly print isn’t signed, but it bears the copyright inscription of the workshop where Kelly made this lithograph.

10. ORIGINAL DRAWINGS: One of the most-watched portrait listings on eBay points you to these simple, custom line drawings (made from photos you email to an artist). They offer an insanely inexpensive way to own an original work of art.