Buying direct from artists

Buying from an artist's own shop or studio is the best deal on both sides: the artist keeps essentially everything, and you often pay less than marketplace price for comparable work. There is no marketplace referee here, so pay by card rather than bank transfer and check the artist's track record before you buy.

Watch out: No marketplace safety net. Your protection is the payment method you choose (card or PayPal, never bank transfer) and the artist's track record.

Big Cartel (artist shops)

$$ DigitalGlobal

Where working artists actually run their own shops, and the closest online equivalent of buying at a studio sale: the artist keeps essentially everything. The trade: Big Cartel gives you zero marketplace protection, so your safety net is the payment method (card or PayPal chargeback rights) plus the artist's track record. Check for years of consistent posting on their linked socials, and never pay by bank transfer or friends-and-family.

Best for

Supporting a specific artist you already follow

Avoid if

You want a marketplace to mediate problems

Returns
Whatever the individual artist's policy says; Big Cartel itself provides no buyer protection
Artist payout
Effectively all of it: artists pay a flat monthly plan (free tier upward) and card-processing fees, with no per-sale commission
Ships
Global, per-artist shipping
Verified July 6, 2026

The Other Art Fair

$$$ US + UK + AU fairs

Emerging-artist fairs where you meet the actual person who made the thing, plus year-round Online Studios (from about $100) with a 7-day return. If a fair hits your city, it is the single best low-intimidation way to start buying originals: you can ask the artist anything, including 'why does this cost that'. Fair prices are honest but not flea-market; haggling is not really the culture.

Best for

A first original bought face to face from the artist

Avoid if

No fair comes near you and you dislike Saatchi's online machinery

Returns
Online Studios offer a 7-day no-questions return with flat shipping; at a physical fair, terms are whatever you agree with the artist
Artist payout
Artists sell direct at fairs (booth-fee model); the Online Studios run through Saatchi Art's machinery
Ships
US + UK + AU fairs, online globally
Verified July 6, 2026
What to check before you pay

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.

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

Keep reading

Affordable Wall Art Prints: Gallery-Worthy Art for Less Wondering why original art costs so much? We break down the time and techniques behind the price tag, and why affordable wall art prints are the perfect alternative.

New to the jargon? Art buying terms, explained.