How To Sell Art On eBay And Make Money From Your Artwork

Do you want to know how to sell art on eBay?

These days, people can’t rely on just one source of income. Of course, that rule applies to artists as well.

While there are many websites where you can sell your artwork, eBay deserves your special attention:

According to Statista, eBay is the second e-commerce site in the USA that gets the most monthly visits, with Amazon being the first.

Over 885 million people spend time on eBay every month – that’s too giant of a pool of potential art buyers for you to ignore.

So, let’s talk about how to sell paintings online using eBay, shall we?

Does Art Sell Well On eBay?

Before we go any further, how about we spare a minute to glance at the overall picture?

Many of you may wonder – why eBay?

With so many other options, is offering artwork on eBay worth the time and effort?

Well, yes and no. Hear me out:

By all means, eBay is one of the longest-existing e-commerce websites up until now. After all, it came to life way back in 1995.

Over the years, the platform gained enormous marketing and sales power after attracting millions of monthly visitors.

However, we also have Etsy these days. If you research selling art on eBay vs. Etsy, you’ll understand what I’m talking about:

On many levels, selling art on Etsy makes more sense than doing it on eBay.

Be that as it may, reading this article to its end will prove to you that listing your artwork on eBay is worth the shot:

At the very least, knowing how to sell art on eBay will diversify your art revenue streams!

If you’re unsure how to start selling art online, check this step-by-step guide.

See Also:

How Much Does It Cost To Sell Art On eBay?

eBay will charge you a fee for every painting you manage to sell. That fact shouldn’t come as a surprise, though:

The platform will showcase your original artwork to millions of potential buyers. Taking advantage of such exposure comes at a cost.

How much should you expect to pay eBay once your painting has a new owner?

When someone purchases your art for over $2,000, the platform will charge you a one-time transaction fee of $125. For listings over $2,500, you should prepare to pay a commission of 35%.

I can’t point out a fixed price since the commission depends on the price tag of your piece of art.

How To Sell Art On eBay And Make Money

Now, it’s time to walk you through the process of selling paintings on eBay.

Here are the steps you need to take to start offering your art to potential customers on the platform:

1) Create An eBay Account

Above all, you can’t do anything on eBay unless you have an account first. Maybe you have a personal account already?

Great, feel free to keep using it, but you’ll need a brand new one for selling art. Starting a new eBay account from scratch is necessary because it will make you look like a legitimate art seller.

People visiting the platform to purchase paintings prefer to go after original art – they see it as an investment worth making. Having an account that deals with selling art will allow them to see you as a serious player.

So, go to eBay, click Create A Seller account, and follow the instructions to complete the process.

2) Connect A PayPal Account

I doubt any of you are unfamiliar with PayPal – a popular online payment system that works in most countries. Assuming that you don’t have a PayPal account yet, sign up for a personal one:

There is no need to have a business account to sell art on eBay – a personal account will do just fine.

You can add a bank account or a credit card as soon as you set it up. Then, you must verify it to be eligible to sell artwork on eBay.

Once you complete the certification process, connect your eBay account with your PayPal account. Doing so is simple:

Click the My eBay link (you’ll find it at the top of the page)
Next, click the Account Tab
Choose PayPal Account from the drop-down
Push the button for Link My PayPal Account

eBay will ask you to log into your PayPal account so you can finish the process.

As you can guess, not all your earnings from selling artwork on the platform will go directly into your PayPal account.

3) Pick A Niche And Research The Competition

Is your eBay seller account ready? It must be since you should move on to the next step – choosing a niche and exploring your competitors.

Why do you need to pick a niche? Focusing on one niche is one of the best practices you’ll stumble upon while researching how to sell art on eBay:

Working within a niche will help you find your target audience and reach active buyers. Most successful artists on eBay have a niche – that allows them to make more online sales in as little time as possible.

What about the competition? You must know who your competitors are to gain insights into their marketing strategies and pricing habits. How else will you get the eBay seller spotlight to shine on you?

4) Decide On Products To Sell

Do you know what’s the name of the game when selling art on eBay? Reaching the enormous customer base and conquering the art world on the platform will win you half the battle.

The first step to achieving that is not searching to download the free eBay app or picking the best Shopify theme for your online store. No, it’s deciding the type of art you want to sell on eBay.

These are your options:

Original Work

It might be hard to believe, but you can sell your own art in many ways on eBay.

For instance, you can list an original painting for sale or use it to create Print-On-Demand or digital products. I would consider both options:

The income you’ll receive from selling your own work twice will be a nice addition to your bank account. And eBay has an extensive history as a great place to do that.

Art Posters

Art posters are worth considering – most independent artists selling tons of work already swear by them. Why selling art posters is a good idea for your business?

Firstly, you can sell them at the lowest price possible and still earn a profit. Posters are easy to ship, and that will reduce your shipping costs.

Secondly, it’s easy to gain a new client constantly if you focus on that art category – the chances of damaging posters while shipping are slim to none.

That matters for the success of your eBay store – your work must attract positive feedback and escape bad reviews.

Home Decor

Selling digital art (instead of small paintings) is an excellent idea – you can transform your original work into different home decor products.

I’m talking about the opportunity to print art designs on pillows, shower curtains, etc.

Any professional artist doing that will tell you that selling art on such products is an easy way to earn online. After all, selling artwork on home decor products can find potential buyers more easily than offering Picasso paintings!

5) Take Stunning Pictures Of Your Artwork

Art is subjective – it means different things to different people.

Be that as it may, an artwork is a visual medium. Therefore, you should ensure that the photographs you upload on eBay are your best work.

Blurry and out-of-focus pictures will not do you any favors as a seller – I shouldn’t even have to mention that! Nowadays, most smartphones come with the type of camera that will do the trick, but it’s not enough:

Research and learn as much as possible about proper lighting and background – that’s probably the most important thing when uploading product images on eBay.

While buying a professional camera means additional costs, maybe you should consider it since your goal is learning how to sell art on eBay successfully – high-quality photos are a must!

6) Price Your Artwork Accordingly

Heads up – this is one of the most essential paragraphs in this article – you better pay attention if you want to learn how to sell art on eBay!

Coming up with a price that doesn’t undervalue your artwork and makes it sellable on the market is not simple. That’s why devoting considerable time to research is vital.

How should you go about such research to ensure it will be productive? Well, take a good look at sold listings.

Going through the search results to discover purchased paintings is the right approach to finding a connection between price and art size, subject, and medium.

For example, you can ask for more money if you plan to list an oil painting for sale.

While you should aim for low prices, you must also keep material costs in mind – creating fine art is not that cheap!

7) Add Description To Your Art Listing

Alright, you’re almost ready to start selling!

Before you move on to listing a second painting, you need to add a detailed description to the first one. Here is the deal:

More often than not, a well-thought description can determine whether you’ll sell that painting. Stories sell, so don’t limit your creativity or inspiration when adding yours to every piece of art you offer:

You never know how the story behind each painting will affect the people looking at it, so make it as personal as possible.

Other Platforms To Sell Art And Make Money:

Tips And Ideas To Make More Money Selling Art On eBay

Generally, this article aims to show you how to sell art on eBay and to help you earn more doing it.

To achieve that, I’ll provide you with a few strategies you can use to increase your chances of making a sale.

Build Your About Me Page

Right now, eBay allows all sellers to boost their presence on the platform through a free feature – the About Me page. Taking advantage of this opportunity is a must:

Share who you are, how you run your art business, and why you’re selling artwork in the first place. Let the buyers and new collectors establish a connection with you as a business owner and real person, too.

Don’t underestimate the power of the About Me page – it’s a marketing tool that exists to help you grow as an eBay seller.

Don’t Overprice Your Artwork

While you’re on eBay to sell art, that doesn’t mean you should go overboard with your prices.

I’m not saying that you should offer your paintings for less than they are worth. No, I’m saying that it’s essential to be fair when picking prices for your art.

Most people buying art on the platform are not doing it for the first time:

They know the approximate cost of a painting when they see it.

So, don’t lose potential customers by bumping your prices too much.

Offer Free Shipping

These days, most selling platforms favor businesses that offer free shipping.

For example, Etsy will boost your reach on its platform if you don’t charge shipping costs to your customers.

If you decide to offer free shipping on eBay as well, that will work in your favor:

People love free stuff. And allowing customers to receive your artwork without paying for its shipping is a great way to increase your sales.

Calculate the shipping cost into the final price of your paintings, and then you can start offering free shipping.

Add Keywords To Your Descriptions

By all means, the search feature of eBay is there for a reason:

It helps collectors search for art by subject, medium, style, size, color, etc.

With that said, you should carefully research what keywords will have an impact on your descriptions:

Help buyers discover your art, and you’ll sell more of it, too.

Social Media Platforms You Can Join To Sell Your Art:

How To Sell Art On eBay FAQs

Selling Art On eBay Vs. Etsy – Which One Is Better?

Etsy is a niche online marketplace that will serve you better if you’re in the business of selling handmade or vintage products.

At the same time, eBay will work for you no matter what kind of art you’re planning to sell:

The platform has an enormous reach and an incredible diversity of inventory.

What Kind Of Art Sells The Most On eBay?

All kinds of art are selling well on eBay.

Still, landscape paintings seem to be converting in sales more than any other artwork.

Is Selling Art On eBay For Thousands Possible?

Yes, you can sell your artwork on eBay for thousands of dollars.

With over 800 million monthly visitors on eBay, you never know when your painting will catch the eye of a collector.

Also, the most expensive paintings sold on eBay have made their owners way more than a thousand dollars.

Do You Need A License To Sell Art On eBay?

eBay will let you sell any original artwork or artwork you’re authorized to resell.

However, the platform has a few restrictions to keep in mind.

If you want to sell reproductions (exact replica paintings and posters) you can do so if you don’t violate copyright, trademark, or other laws.

Time To Wrap

OK, we’ll have to cut this article short here!

I’ll keep updating it with more info every time there is something new about how to sell art on eBay.

Until then, don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Ask me anything you want, and I’ll get you answers as soon as possible.

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2 Comments

Elsie Smith says:

October 7, 2023 at 9:51 am

What are guidelines regarding selling reproductions?

1. admin says:
  
  October 15, 2023 at 8:31 am
  
  Hi, Elsie. I want to apologize for the late reply.
  There are many guides and details about selling reproductions on eBay.
  I suggest visiting the site and reading everything carefully to make sure you won’t do anything wrong once you start selling your art.