This great artwork by Vestìe Davis sold for $5700!

Introducing Auction Bay Classics - great success stories from years past at your favorite consignment store!  We’ve been open for over 4 ½ years now, and there are many items to share, so make sure to watch for these old favorites!

Back in 2008, a consignor brought in a lovely artwork done in a charming style, which captured a scene from Coney Island.  The art was signed in the lower left corner as painted by Vestìe E. Davis, who we discovered was worth learning more about!  Born in Baltimore in 1903, he worked as a circus barker, newsstand manager and undertaker in New York before seeing a gallery painting and stating, “I can paint like that.”  Completely unschooled in the arts, he began painting and unlocked a natural talent.  Davis died in 1978, but collectors still vie for his artworks!

This painting measured 24″ by 18″ (the frame added 6 inches to both dimensions), and was in need of minor restoration, but was in good shape overall.  With a starting price of just $3,500.00, we let the auction run for a week, and it was bid up to a final sale of $5,700.00!

When it comes to selling art on eBay, the artist’s name means everything.  Artworks from a listed artist will sell for significantly higher (and with a greater likelihood of sale) than art made by lesser known individuals.  In this case, the combination of a popular artist and a collectible subject matter combined for a great sale, even with minor condition issues! Give us a call at Auction Bay, and we’ll give your artwork our Free Item Assessment, and maybe yours will bring a strong sale on eBay, too!

We've found big sales for Wesley Willis original drawings! This Chicago artist is a hit!

At Auction Bay, we frequently encounter artwork of all types, from original oil paintings to fine art prints signed and numbered by the artist.  On eBay, there’s tons of artwork for sale, so it all comes down to the artist’s name to determine a value.  Identifying the artist can mean the difference between a $50 sale and a $500 sale (or more).  If an artist isn’t listed (noted as a sought-after name), then their works could be lost amidst the glut of art on eBay.  Well, here we’ve got a highly-sought-after name:  Wesley Willis; and his drawings are real winners!

Chicago native Wesley Lawrence Willis was a self-trained artist, and is considered by many to be the premier intuitive city artist, east of the Mississippi River.  His art has been exhibited in multiple galleries, and his life has been documented in film.  Willis was just 40 years of age when he passed away in 2003, his life cut short by Leukemia.  We’re pleased to have had several of his original drawings at Auction Bay, and they’ve brought some impressive sales as well as some great attention!

One of his artworks, drawn at the age of 21 and depicting the world’s most well-known restaurant franchise, sold for $750.00!  Yet another, showing the Sears Tower looming over the town with a Union Pacific freight train passing in the foreground, sold for $650.00.  Still others have brought similar figures, and it was still is a thrill to list them.

Update June 4, 2012: We’ve still got MORE Wesley Willis art for sale right now, so check HERE to see them!

Another Wesley Willis Artwork sold at Auction Bay

Auction Bay can help you sell your art collection, so feel free to contact us for more information!

Artwork can be a tough sale on eBay, but if you have the right elements, it can bring in the bucks.  Take for example this original painting by Willi Bauer, which we recently sold on eBay.

This original Oil Painting by Willi Bauer sold for an impressive $1,100.00 on eBay!

This piece was an original work in great condition, with a visible (and legible) signature.  The artist is a known name, which means that collectors and enthusiasts are searching for that name on eBay, which gives a much greater chance for an item to sell.  Even though it was fairly large (which has an effect on shipping costs), the frame looked sharp and the value of the artwork was recognizable.  What further helped this was the letter included with it, which was from an established art gallery, and confirmed its origin and the identity of the artist.

While a ‘Certificate’ like this is not necessary for the sale of artwork, it certainly helps.  If you have a piece of original art that you’d like to sell, a little bit of research can go a long way.  A letter or two sent to a dealer can add credibility to your item in a market where anything can happen.  Often, a gallery or art dealer will charge a fee to identify or appraise your item.  As always, keep in mind that any appraisal or estimate of sale value is often 2-4 times higher than the potential sale of an item on eBay!  Appraisals are intended for replacement value or insurance costs, and are consistently not representative of an item’s sellability.