Things to Look At - 10 Great Websites for Buying Cheap Art (Part I)

The problem with moving is that all of a sudden you have a house full of blank walls begging for "something" to fill them. Lately I can't stop browsing cheap art sites searching for ideas. Here are 10 of my favorite online shops that sell multiple artists (I'll post next week on some of my favorite sole artist sites) - any suggestions for other good places to buy "cheap" art?









1. Saatchi Online - I can spend hours on this site. Hours. It goes on and on. Most of the artists sell prints for reasonable prices (under $100). Special "collections" often feature low priced art (such as 100 prints for under $100).







2. Art River - Sells posters and prints from famous modern artists (Cy Twombly, Paul Klee, Damien Hirst, etc.), often from museum shows. Prices are reasonable (approximately $50 - $100) and most of the prints aren't sold through conventional resources like Art.com. Though keep in mind that (obviously) none of these are limited editions, so it is not a collector's site.









3. 20x200 - This website introduces at least two new editions a week: one photo and one work on paper. Most are available in three or four sizes. The smallest prints (usually 8"x10") are printed in batches of 200 and sell for $20 each. As the size increases, so does the price. 20 print editions of the 16"x20" size sell for $200 and the site also offers 2 editions of a large size (usually 30"x40") for 2,000. I love their prints and have bought quite a few in the small size. Note that you can buy all their prints framed or unframed.








4. Postercabaret - Really beautiful posters and prints for low prices ($30 to $50), the site represents several different artists, with unique styles. A few of them sell "rock posters" for bands like Beirut, Ray Lamontagne, and Andrew Bird.







5. Worthwhisland - A new site I just discovered through Daily Candy, it doesn't have much yet but the art is good (so far). Almost all prints are offered in limited edition prints of 50 or less. Most prices range between $100 and $200.





6. Etsy - An obvious choice but hard to navigate. Etsy has some amazing stuff and some not-so-amazing stuff. Prices are all over the place; you just have to dive in and search. One of my favorites is Debbie Carlos, who sells poster-sized photographs on vellum (pictured above). I want one. Also, the blog Best of Etsy, does a great job showcasing wall-worthy artwork.









7. Purephoto - I found Purephoto through Gweneth Paltrow's blog (click here for the article), where she also listed other cheap art websites (Purephoto was my favorite). The site sells some really good photos (and some really cheesy awful ones). I find several of the prices ridiculously high, but the site offers a "shop by price" search that goes as low as "less than $25" so you can screen for your pocketbook. (Note that the photos for purephoto are embedded, so clicking on one will take you directly to the website).









8. The Beholder - This site sells prints and originals. Prices range from $10 to $4000, the selection is both diverse and really good (lots of photography and paintings). You can also run searches based on price or size.







9. Land of Nod - Sort of an odd choice, but they sell some really great prints (for the nursery or elsewhere) for only $19.95 each. Land of Nod also sells frames that match the size of their prints, so you don't have to worry about professional framing.









10. Society 6 - A great site, prints sell between $20 and $30, with an incredibly diverse selection. They also sell tshirts, framed prints, stretched canvases, iphone covers, and hoodies.