Auctions and the secondary market

Online auctions are the cheapest source of real secondhand art and the least forgiving way to buy it. The number you bid is never the number you pay: add 9-28% in buyer fees, then shipping, which on framed work can exceed the hammer price. Bids are binding, and returns mostly do not exist.

Watch out: Bids are binding and returns mostly do not exist. Read the condition report and the attribution wording ('attributed to' is not 'by'), not just the photo.

Catawiki

$$$ EU-first

The most beginner-friendly auction experience online: curated art auctions, escrow-style payment holding, and fees that are at least honest and upfront (9% plus 3 euros on every win). But it is still an auction: no cooling-off after a winning bid, 'expert curated' is not 'guaranteed good', and for US buyers most lots ship from Europe with customs on top.

Best for

Entry-level auction buying with training wheels

Avoid if

You want the option to return something you overbid on

Returns: Bids are binding; payment is held until you confirm the item matches the description, but there is no change-of-mind return
Artist payout: Secondary market; sellers pay a 12.5% success fee plus a small fixed fee tiered by sale price (from EUR 0.75 at EUR 25+ up to EUR 10 at EUR 1,000+); buyers pay a 9% + EUR 3 buyer protection fee
Ships: EU-first, ships to US

Verified July 9, 2026

LiveAuctioneers

$$$ US-first

A window into real regional auction houses, which is where actual bargains still live. The homework is all yours: every house sets its own premium, shipping is often a separate third-party quote that can exceed the hammer price on framed work, and returns basically do not exist. Rule of thumb: mentally add 25%+ to your bid before clicking, then add shipping.

Best for

Hunting estate and regional-auction art below retail

Avoid if

You want one predictable checkout, shipping and returns experience

Returns: House-by-house terms; usually none
Artist payout: Secondary market; each auction house sets its own buyer's premium, commonly 20-28%, and online bids can carry up to 3% extra
Ships: US-first

Verified July 6, 2026

eBay (Art)

$$ Global

Still the biggest flea market on earth, art included, and the Money Back Guarantee genuinely protects against not-as-described listings. What it cannot protect you from is optimistic attribution: 'school of', 'attributed to' and 'in the manner of' do heavy lifting in art listings. Buy prints, posters and decorative pieces with confidence; treat 'original oil by famous name' with extreme suspicion.

Best for

Decorative art, prints and the occasional estate sleeper

Avoid if

You cannot read auction-speak attribution qualifiers

Returns: eBay Money Back Guarantee covers items that never arrive or are not as described; change-of-mind returns are seller-optional; live-auction lots carry buyer's premiums
Artist payout: Mixed primary and secondary market; seller fees vary by store type
Ships: Global

Verified July 6, 2026

Nine checks that catch most of what goes wrong when buying art online; the long version lives in our guide to saving money on art.

Find the return window and who pays return shipping before you pay, not after delivery.
Read the asterisks: change-of-mind fees, restocking fees, and final-sale flags on framed, oversized or international orders.
Make the product page tell you the ink and paper; if it will not say, assume poster stock and pay poster prices.
Buying framed? Search the reviews for the word 'frame' before you order.
Total the landed cost: shipping, customs and buyer fees, not the sticker price.
Pay by credit card or PayPal goods-and-services; never bank transfer, crypto or friends-and-family.
Trust a certificate of authenticity only as much as you trust its issuer.
Buy an edition because you love the work; treat any appreciation as a bonus, not the plan.
At auction, know the buyer's premium and the shipping quote before you bid; you cannot un-win a lot.