There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to buying original art. Most people assume that collecting original art is only for wealthy people. At least that was my thought the first time I entered an art gallery in New Orleans and convinced myself that I wasn’t supposed to be there. Every painting I saw seemed to have another zero tagged on to the price tag, and I quickly decided that original art was always going to be out of reach for me.
As I got older, I’ve come to realize that I actually do have a bunch of original art, but none of it was purchased in a gallery. They were all uniquely acquired by methods that people don’t really think about it. It all started with friends gifting me with pieces they have done, through thrift stores, estates sales, coffee shops, and art festivals.
You don’t need a big budget for original art; you just need to know where to look.
In this guide, I will show you the places I actually shop, what I look for, and how you can start building your art collection without spending a fortune.
Most of the artwork in my home came from places many people overlook.
Why Buy Original Art?
One of my favorite parts of decorating my home is remembering where each piece came from. I love it when people come over and I can share those stories with them. It really gives a home character when each piece was created (or given) with passion and love, not to mention it supports artists.
These paintings became some of my favorite pieces, and they came from an estate sale.
What Counts as Original Art?
I consider original art to be anything made by human hands rather than being mass produced. This includes paintings, drawings, watercolors, charcoal pieces, mixed media, and many other handmade works. Prints can be an excellent alternative; especially if they are signed or limited edition prints rather than one-of-kind originals. But the most important thing is understanding what you’re buying so you can decide what fits your goals and budget.
Original artwork doesn’t have to come from an expensive gallery.
You Don’t Need to Know Anything About Art
I know the feeling of being intimidated to start collecting art, and I still am to a degree. I have imposter syndrome bad. I think most people feel like at least a little, but you don’t need to be an expert to like something. You don’t need an art degree, know what styles are what, or know famous artists. Rest assured that your style will develop naturally and morph over time.
Start Small
I don’t want you to feel like the first piece you buy has to become the centerpiece of your home. I mean, my first piece of original artwork was gifted to me by a friend. Overtime, I started finding pieces at art festivals, thrift stores, and estate sales. Everyone starts somewhere, and your taste in art will naturally evolve as your style becomes more defined and discover what you love.
Decide What You Love (Not What’s Expensive)
I can be guilty of it too, buying something for investment value even if I don’t necessarily love it. But, my home is the place I spend the most time in, and I should be surrounded by things that bring me joy, peace, or happiness. So, buy what makes you smile. Your home décor should be a reflection of you.
Buy artwork that makes you happy every time you walk by it.
My Favorite Places to Find Affordable Original Art
| Where to Buy | Typical Price | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Thrift Stores | $5 – $75 | Hidden Gems |
| Estate Sales | $20 – $300 | Vintage Artwork |
| Coffee Shops | $50 – $500 | Local Artists |
| Art Festivals | $25 – $2,000+ | Meeting Artists |
| Artist Galleries | $50 – $5,000+ | Original Art |
| Facebook Marketplace | Varies | Estate Finds |
Thrift Stores
Thrift stores can be an excellent way to find hidden gems, especially if you are in a bigger city and inventory turns over quickly. It does take some patience, but if you enjoy looking at thrift stores anyway, it makes it easy to incorporate looking for affordable art into the day. You should probably check often for new inventory as well. My favorite thrift stores in the “big city”, Albuquerque, where there a several thrift stores all on one block. I negotiated an excellent price for an original drawing of a well known artist there.
If you’d like to learn more, check out my article on finding artwork at thrift stores:
What I Found at 6 Thrift Stores (And Why I Didn’t Buy Anything)
Estate Sales
Estate sales are like yard or garage sale, but it’s the entire contents of the house that are typically for sale. These are homes with decades of collections at times. You can end up with some amazing pieces for an extremely affordable rate. If you go on the last day, you can get even deeper discounts, sometimes up to 50% off. I will always remember my favorite estate sale that was the home of an artist. There were dozens of painted canvases that were all being sold from $5-$10 each in the upstairs craft and art room. My boyfriend and I picked out our favorite ones and now they hang above our bed. I wish I had just offered them $100 for the whole lot though and see if they would have let them go for that price.
If you’d like to learn more, check out my article on estate sales:
Estate Sales: My Favorite Place to Hunt for Affordable Art
Local Art Festivals
Going to art festivals is a great way to find one of a kind affordable art, but also a great way to spend the day. I love art festivals so much, I actually travel specifically to different art festivals. Some in bigger cities, and some in small mountain towns. You can browse all different styles of art and it’s a great way to help you discover what your favorite it. It’s also fun to chat with the artists and figure out what inspires them. If you end up purchasing something from them, their inspiration becomes part of the story of the piece you take home.
Art festivals are one of my favorite places for beginners to start their art collection and to discover their favorite style. Stay tuned for more festival guides!
If you’d like to learn more, check out my articles on art festivals:
Why I Always Visit the Art Booths at Local Festivals
I Went to the Rio Grande Arts & Crafts Festival… Here’s My Honest Take
How I Find Art Festivals and Affordable Art Events Throughout the Year
Coffee Shops
Coffee shops and local artists go hand in hand. I don’t make the rules. No one knows where this rule comes from either. It’s just an “always been and always will be” situation. All joking aside, I love that this rule exists. One of my favorite things to do while traveling is to get coffee at a local coffee shop and check out the local art while I am there. At the very least, it can be like a mini gallery tour, but it can also be the perfect place to grab a souvenir to take home.
My hometown has a local coffee shop like this, but it also has the artist’s studio spaces as well, which makes it even more of an experience. It’s definitely worth a try in your own hometown, and while traveling.
Check out this article on finding art at coffee shops:
Looking for Local Art? Start With Your Favorite Coffee Shop
Local Galleries
Normally, galleries can be intimidating, and they are not my first choice for beginner art collectors. But there are some that are owned by the actual artist instead of the gallery owning multiple high dollar pieces from different artists.
I have traveled to some town where the artist owned gallery has a wide variety of different items to choose from including originals, prints, t-shirts, postcards, etc. If you like what you see from the window, it may be fun to pop in and just see if there is anything you like that fits your budget.
Facebook Marketplace & Local Listings
Local listings of any kind can be a good way to find affordable art for sale. Facebook Marketplace is the prevalent place to check for people selling used items from the homes when they have moving sales, need to downsize, or are having their own estate sale not managed from a 3rd party company.
Another way to use social media to collect affordable artwork is to follow artists on Instagram and learn about how to purchase directly from them. Sometimes they have their own gallery, or online gallery, or they are planning to be at certain art festivals.
What I Look for Before Buying
- Does it make me stop and look?
- Does it make me feel something?
- Is it an emotion, memory, spark the imagination, or something else?
- Can I picture it in my home?
- Or as a gift for someone else?
- Do you have the space for it?
- Could you look at it everyday and still love it?
- Does it fit with the rest of your home?
- Is the price reasonable?
- Always shop with a budget in mind.
- You can do a quick online check to see how the piece compares to others that are similar. Always negotiate.
- Is it original?
- How do you know?
- If you’re unsure, don’t worry. Learning to identify original artwork takes time. I’ll show you exactly what I look for in an upcoming guide.
- Is it a print?
- Prints are excellent alternatives to originals if you love it and it fits better in your budget.
- Is it signed?
- Important for originals and for prints.
- Helps identify the artist and the value of the piece.
- Adds to the story.
- Is the frame worth keeping?
- Sometimes the frame is worth more than the art it contains.
- It can also tell you a lot about the age of the piece.
- Check the back for valuable information.
- There may be a gallery sticker, receipt, certificate, or information about the artist. All of this information preserves the story of the artwork and can be helpful to research the artist.
- Does it need restoration?
- For me, I won’t buy a piece that needs restoration unless I found a piece by a highly sought after artist that I also loved. I know myself too well and know that I probably won’t get it restored.
- Not every piece needs to check all these boxes. As long as some of them are checked and you love it, that’s all that matters.
Should You Buy Originals or Prints?
This all depends on your budget and whether it’s important to you to have originals. I started out buying unsigned prints, then moved to signed prints, and now I am looking for affordable originals. There is absolutely nothing wrong with decorating your home with prints if that is what is in your budget, in fact, many artists rely on the income they make from prints, so you would also be supporting the artist.
| Pros | Cons | |
| Originals | – One of kind – Artist created it | – More expensive |
| Prints | – Affordable – Still beautiful – Supports artists | – Not unique |
How Much Should You Spend?
What is reasonable to you is a personal decision based on your circumstances and how much you can budget for. There are options for every price point, whether it be at estate sales, art festivals, or coffee shops. The first piece of art I had was free, given to me by a friend.
You don’t need thousands or even hundreds of dollars for your first piece. I am confident that you could go to an estate sale or art festival with $20 to spend and leave with something you love.
Spending $100 or so on one amazing piece is better than buying five pieces you don’t really love. It all just depends on how much you can spend and where you’re getting it from.
| Budget | What You Can Expect |
| Under $25 | Small originals, thrift store finds, estate sales, student artwork |
| $25 – $100 | Framed originals, signed prints, local festivals |
| $100 – $300 | Larger originals, established local artists |
| $300+ | Statement pieces and well-known artists |
Common Mistakes Beginners Make
- Buying because it’s cheap, not because you love it.
- Not staying within budget.
- Ignoring size.
- Forgetting framing costs.
- Filling every wall immediately. Take your time and curate your home.
- Thinking expensive automatically means better. All that matters is if you like it.
- Buying because someone online said it’s valuable.
- Waiting until you know “enough” before buying.
My Best Advice
Enjoy the hunt of finding something you really love that your budget can get away with. So go often, look slowly, meet the artists, go to new places, enjoy yourself, and the experience. You’ll eventually build your collection and probably have pieces you never expected to own from unexpected places.
Final Thoughts
Collecting original art does not have to be expensive, and it’s not reserved for wealthy collectors. The normal person like me or you can enjoy it too, along with the hunt for it in thrift stores, estate sales, coffee shops, or art festivals. If you are willing to put in the time, you will start finding art that speaks to you and tells a story, and eventually your home will develop a story of its own.
It’s funny that I have been collecting for so long, I can’t even remember what I paid for what I have anymore, but I do remember where I found it, the trip involved, and conversation I had with the artist, or the friend that gave it to me. The memories are the real value of the artwork.
