Picks from my Ebay Watchlist
I am a professional art appraiser. I spend a large chunk of time each day watching the art market, and looking at sometimes hundreds of paintings. The area of the art world that I know best is American Art, from about 1880-1950. This is the sector that I keep the closest eye on (and I also frequently buy and sell in this market, so have a personal stake in how it’s doing), and let me tell you, in comparison to other art markets that I follow, this guy is alive and kicking. And in some cases, it’s doing better than ever.
It is no secret that the art market has outperformed the stock market in recent years; the stock market’s been pretty easy to beat lately. But I also get the sense that there’s a new influx of buyers to the market, who have money to invest but don’t want to risk putting it back in stocks, or in accounts that can promise only very low returns. If you have an interest in the art market, are a collector, or just like artwork, please bookmark my blog right now. In the coming months I will include a series of art buying recommendations that I have learned through years and years of experience as an appraiser, buyer and seller.
Starting today the series in which I throw out some of the most compelling works of art that I have on my Ebay watchlist. Since I cannot buy and sell it all, and since I am doing this out of a certain passion that I have for artwork, I offer it up so that someone might take advantage of my expertise in getting something that they love and admire. I will not post anything capriciously, but only those pieces that have passed my appraiser’s sniff test. Believe me, I look at loads of artwork for sale on Ebay daily, and am very very familiar with the fakes and the unscrupulous dealers and the too-good-to-be-trues. If anything smells wrong in the slightest, I will not post it.
Here we go:
ORIGINAL ISABEL BISHOP THE SUBWAY OIL ON BOARD PAINTING
Okay, okay, the 6500 price tag is steep, but the seller is entertaining offers. But here’s the thing: there is a 2004 auction record for this very piece with a sales price of 9200 (this price includes the auction house’s buyer’s premium; had been estimated at 3-5000). Even at the seller’s asking price of 6500, this is a Very Good Deal. The market for Bishop’s work remains strong, particularly for exactly this kind of urban subject matter.
BEAUTIFUL OIL PAINTING BY THE FAMOUS ARITST HENRY PITZ
A little gem of a painting and at a reasonable price. Pitz, a Pennsylvania artist, was best known as an illustrator in the second quarter of the 20th century, but it’s a landscape like this one that set a sales record of 2250 (albeit a larger piece) in 2007. A fantastic piece in its original frame, the seller connects the ownership of the painting directly back to the artist himself. Pennsylvania is big in 20th century regional art right now. At the opening bid, it’s a great buy.
GUY PENE DU BOIS OIL PAINTING, SUPERB
Oh my. This is a wonderful painting. This is also the third time that I’ve seen it listed on Ebay, with a lower and lower opening bid. I was thisclose to buying it when he had it listed at 5000 – even at that price, it would have been a good buy. Pene du Bois is a very well known early 20th century artist and a very good investment, and I think the painting is just beautiful. I didn’t buy it because my husband didn’t like it nearly as much as I did, and at that price, we should be in better agreement about it. But now here she is again at 2500. Someone please buy this painting!! I believe that she is a victim of a too-high opening bid (this can kill just about any art auction); not high for Pene du Bois, that is, just high for Ebay. But believe me, at this price the painting is a steal.
[...] of all, a hearty congratulations to the new owner of the fantastic Guy Pene duBois oil that was on my last list — at 2627, it was a magnificent [...]