How to Buy Vintage Art
Art is one of the easiest ways to spruce up your home decor and really showcase some personality. While I love contemporary art as a former art professional, I love shopping and collecting vintage art to decorate my home.
For starters, not all art is good art (even if it’s vintage or antique), so don’t feel like you need to love or be moved by every piece that you see. It pains me to say that because my job as a gallery director was to gather art, both experiential and performance, that stirred up emotions, both good and bad. It’s the entire point of its existence, to evoke emotion, but when it comes to collecting art and decorating your home with it, it becomes personal. A piece you purchase should be something you absolutely love, connect with, and consider a great piece.
Building Your Collection and Identifying Your Style
The first step in collecting artwork is identifying your aesthetic and the type of art you like. If you’re not sure what you like, make note of what inspires you or catches your eye at a museum. If you prefer to research at home, then head to Chairish and look at the art for sale. Again, see what catches your eye and what you like then make note of how the artwork is described. This is the easiest way to identify your art aesthetic and refine your eye to search for the right pieces for you. It also helps keep you focused when you run into deals while shopping. For example, if you’re a midcentury lover, you’ll likely want to pass on that 19th Century French Louis XV Style Gilded Mirror on Facebook Marketplace, even if it’s a great deal.
As you know it’s usually hard to plan out the perfect vintage piece in your space when it comes to size and dimensions, although unicorn pieces like to show up from time to time. The same goes for art. Think of curating your vintage art collection as a constant work in progress that you add to and change up as it suits you.
Original versus Print
While vintage prints are fun, original art is where I like to spend my money. To determine if it’s an original artwork, touch the surface and look super close at the details. Reproductions often have tiny dots which are supposed to mimic the look of original artwork. Original art, especially antique art, will have craquelure, which is a web of fine cracks that appear on canvas over time.
It’s important to note that both reproductions and original prints can be signed and numbered by the artist. Be aware that just because it’s signed, it doesn’t verify that the piece is original.
Another way to determine originality is to examine texture, the brightness or lack of colors, or the patina of the piece, such as dirt and dust that accumulates over time. Check the patina on the back of the canvas and notice darkening of the canvas, which is common with older artwork.
If you’re still unsure whether the artwork is a reproduction or original, ask the seller! This is especially true when you’re shopping online.
Research
Right after negotiating, your phone is your second most important tool when thrifting as you can use it to look up any vintage item. If you’re lucky enough to find a piece that has a signature, look up the artist to find out about their work and what value their pieces hold. Even if the piece ends up not being valuable, it’s a great way to find new artists you might just end up loving.This was the case for me and my sister after discovering Fay Singer’s artwork. We loved it so much that we started collecting it.It’s important to note that a signed piece of artwork can go either way. It doesn’t necessarily mean it’s valuable or any good, but on the other hand, it doesn’t mean it isn’t a great piece of artwork that holds value. Use discernment when choosing based off something being signed and ask yourself these questions: “do I like this?” “is this what I had in mind?” and “is this any good?”
If an art piece doesn’t have a signature, consider snapping a picture of it and running a reverse google image search to determine more information about the artwork or style of art. While the artist may not be valuable, the type of artwork could be.
Not All Character Counts
A common issue with artwork (even antique mirrors) is moisture or mold damage. While this is fixable with a serious DIY or professional assistance, I would pass unless you’ve somehow uncovered an extremely valuable piece. On the other hand, some imperfections can add to the charm of artwork like craquelure or darkening of the canvas. If a canvas is torn or missing, that’s also a pass for me unless I’m buying something cheap for a decorative prop for Halloween, for example.
Framing
Reframing can be a lot of work and expensive to do, which is why I usually try to buy artwork that is already framed (even if the frame isn’t my favorite). Once in awhile, I do have to pay for framing which I don’t love to do. For example, I bought the sketch below for $5 at Brimfield but the framing was $150. It’s in our dining room so I wanted it to have a distinct look; however, I usually opt for framed pieces so they’re ready to go.
It’s common for vintage artwork to come in unique sizes, many even being custom size. Changing the frame will likely be expensive if it’s not standard size, so another great option is to paint it. Sand it down if need be and choose a color that suits your style for a quick, easy, and inexpensive refresh.
Do I Love It?
If I need a second opinion, I’ll ask Alan. I only do this in the art department since I generally make up my mind pretty quickly when it comes to decor, furniture and clothing – sorry husband. Alan has a great eye for art and has more formal education in art than I do, so I trust his gut and taste. Find yourself an Alan or feel free to DM me!
Where To Buy
Antique Stores and Vintage Shops
My go-to for a curated selection of very good art. While it’s not as cheap as shopping at the thrift store or flea market, the dealer has done all the work for me. Most dealers specialize in particular types of art such as mid century modern woodwork or a general vibe like modern bohemian, so knowing what you want helps identify the sellers and dealers that will have what you’re looking for. Many dealers also collect what they like and will have a variety of art that is expertly curated and ready for you to shop.
Note that many dealers exist solely on Instagram which makes shopping from anywhere in the world so easy. I recently interviewed a dealer, Rhett Baruch, and he shared tips for identifying your aesthetic and how to find sellers on Instagram. Watch here.
Prices at antique shops are usually $200+ in Los Angeles.
I haven’t purchased art from FBM, but I do see a lot of promising finds every time I do a quick search. The prices are similar to that of flea markets (under $150). When shopping on FBM, definitely ask all your questions before going to check it out in person in order to weed out any problems with the artwork. When you do find something that aligns with your style, regardless of where it’s located, remember to save your search so the FBM algorithm will show you more pieces that you’d be interested in.
Flea Market
Most of my art is from the flea market and I paid less than $50 each for all of my finds. There are plenty of vendors that only sell art and can give you detailed information on the artwork. Some dealers will clean out an artist’s estate or an art school’s collection, so if you find a piece you like that is signed, ask the seller if they have any more from the same artist. Artwork at the flea market runs about $5-$150.
Similar to most searches on eBay, pour a glass of wine or coffee and be prepared to filter through pages of artwork. There are lots of finds and seriously good deals, so use your keywords to narrow down your search to find exactly what you want. Just be sure to ask a ton of questions and ask for pictures if you need more details on the artwork. Check out my guide for using eBay’s saved searches to find exactly what you want.
Thrift Stores
It’s been a solid 3 years since I’ve found original art at a thrift store, much less anything that is purchase worthy in the art department. You will likely have to dig and then dig deeper to find a gem, but you can find pieces for less than $15.
Keywords
These are the search terms I use on eBay, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, etc.
- 19th century painting
- 20th Century Text Oil Painting
- Abstract Expressionism
- Abstract figurative drawing
- Acrylic painting
- Antique oil on board
- Antique/vintage floral
- Antique/vintage landscape
- Antique/vintage oil on canvas
- Antique/vintage pastoral
- Antique/vintage portrait
- Assemblage
- Collectible design
- Contemporary abstract
- Mid century modern abstract
- Post-impressionist
- Vintage nude sketch
- Vintage original art
- Vintage watercolor abstract
- Vintage watercolor painting
