Buying Vintage Artwork

February 2023

There are “tons” of art pieces out in the markets (Poshmark, eBay, Etsy, your local yard sales, etc.), and many are being sold for ridiculously cheap prices. While you may not find that hidden $1 million dollar gem, often you can find valuable works if you know what to look for when browsing.

(1) First, identify it as a painting and not a print (reproduction of an original). The Berkeley Library has a clear discussion of how to do this.

(2) Examine it to see if it is signed by an artist (and possibly dated). You might also discover it is marked as a numbered piece, meaning the artist only produced a limited number of that work.

(3) If you can identify the artist, then you can research the artist to see when they were painting, what style they produced, what medium they used, and if their works are deemed valuable.

(4) The charcoal painting I have pictured to the right (part of my personal collection), was found at a local thrift shop. It caught my eye because my husband and I are both born under the Aries astrological sign (2 rams - what could be better!). As it turns out, the painting was done by a regional artist (it is signed). I purchased it for $3 and it has an appraised value of $95 to $135. Not a bad investment!