Art & Antiques

Paintings, prints, sculpture, calligraphy, antiques and art supplies from partner stores, with last-checked prices.

Buying art and antiques online: originals, prints and provenance

Online art listings mix originals, limited prints and mass-produced decor, often with similar words. The price only makes sense once you know which one you are looking at, who made it and what proof comes with it. For antiques, age and legality add two more questions.

Original, print or reproduction

An original is a unique work by the artist's hand. A limited-edition print is numbered (for example 12/100) and usually signed; a giclée is a high-quality inkjet print, which can be a legitimate edition or simply decor. An "open edition" or "art print" has no limit and little resale value. Read the medium line carefully: "oil on canvas" and "print on canvas" are very different things.

• Ask for photos of the back of the canvas or paper, the signature and any gallery labels.
• "AI art" and "digital download" listings are files or prints, not paintings.

Provenance and certificates

Provenance is the documented history of ownership: gallery receipts, exhibition records, auction catalogues. A certificate of authenticity is only as credible as whoever issued it; one printed by the seller proves little. For expensive work by known artists, check whether the artist or estate keeps a catalogue or authentication committee.

Antiques: age, condition and legality

"Vintage" usually means older than about 20 years and "antique" older than about 100, but sellers use both loosely. Restoration should be disclosed and affects value. Some materials cannot legally cross borders, such as ivory and certain tortoiseshell or coral, and many countries, Türkiye included, restrict the export and import of cultural property. Check the rules before buying an antique from abroad.

• Ask the seller about repairs, replaced parts and previous restoration.
• Fragile items need professional packing; ask how it will be shipped and insured.

Price, shipping and returns

Compare with sold listings or auction results for the same artist and size rather than asking prices. Framed work and glass are expensive and risky to ship; unframed works on paper travel more safely. For buyers abroad, import duty and VAT may apply to art as well.

How this page works

Products from our own partner feeds appear first, in our usual order. Live eBay listings are shown in a separate, labelled section in eBay's own order; commission never changes either order. Prices come from the store at the time shown, and the store page has the final word.