Used paintings in Canada typically sell for C$38 to C$565 (about $27 to $405). Original works and prints sell in completely different markets, and establishing which you have is the first step in any valuation.
What paintings are worth in Canada
| Condition | Typical | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| New with Tags | C$566 | Unused, tags or seals intact |
| Like New | C$481 | Barely used, no visible wear |
| Good | C$368 | Light signs of use, complete and working |
| Fair | C$255 | Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part |
| For Parts | C$142 | Not working or incomplete, sold as seen |
Guide ranges converted from sterling at the 2 August 2026 rate, not quotes — sellers set their own price. Grades are seller-declared; WishThrift does not inspect or verify them.
What lifts the price
- Artists with an established auction record
- Original frames appropriate to the period
What pulls it down
- Prints and reproductions mistaken for originals
- Flaking paint and craquelure needing conservation
Selling paintings in Canada
Interac e-Transfer is the norm and is instant and traceable, which suits a private sale well. It is what most buyers will suggest before anything else.
Canada’s resale market is concentrated in a handful of metro areas separated by very long distances, which makes it unusually collection-led — most buyers are looking for something they can pick up the same week.
Canada Post, Purolator and UPS cover the country, but rates change sharply between provinces and remote postcodes carry surcharges.
Two practical things shape a Canadian sale. Interprovincial shipping costs can exceed the value of a mid-priced item, which is why so much trade here is collection-only. And winter genuinely interrupts handovers in much of the country, so agree a window rather than a fixed day between December and March.
Working out what yours is worth
- Look closely at the surface — prints show dot patterns under magnification
- Photograph the signature, the back and any labels
Getting it ready
- Photograph the reverse before anything else. Labels, stamps, inscriptions and gallery marks on the back are often where attribution comes from.
- Do not clean, varnish, retouch or reframe. Amateur cleaning removes glazes permanently and is the most common way value is destroyed.
Photograph
- The painting square on, whole, in even daylight without glare or reflection
- The signature close up, legible
- The surface raked with side light to show texture, craquelure, and any damage or repair
Put in the description
- Dimensions of the work, and separately with the frame
- The signature as it appears, and any date or inscription
- Condition of the surface and support, including craquelure, tears, flaking or previous restoration
Artist, subject, medium and size: “Oil on Canvas Seascape, Signed [Name], 60x40cm”. If the signature is illegible, say so and photograph it clearly — buyers who collect a particular artist will recognise it faster than you can research it. Say oil, acrylic, watercolour or print.
Collection is far safer for anything sizeable or framed. If posting, use corner protectors, a rigid double-walled box and a face-protecting board, and never let bubble wrap touch the paint surface directly.
It costs nothing to list
There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the C$566 a buyer pays is the C$566 you keep. You and the buyer settle up and arrange the handover between yourselves; WishThrift does not hold the money or ship the item.
Where in Canada
Canada is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of Canada with their own page for paintings.
- Toronto
- Montreal
- Calgary
- Ottawa
- Edmonton
- Winnipeg
- Vancouver
- Brampton
- Hamilton
- Surrey
- Quebec City
- Halifax
- Laval
- London
Common questions
Where can I sell paintings in Canada?
List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Interac e-Transfer is the norm and is instant and traceable, which suits a private sale well. It is what most buyers will suggest before anything else.
Is it oil or a print?
Look at the surface at an angle in raking light. Real brushwork casts shadows; a print is flat even when textured varnish has been applied over it. Photograph it that way and the buyer can see for themselves.
How do I tell an original painting from a print?
Look at the surface under magnification. Prints show a regular dot pattern; originals show brushwork and texture.
What should I do with labels on the back?
Photograph them and leave them alone. Gallery and exhibition labels are provenance and can add real value.
More: how to sell paintings, what paintings are worth, or Art & Collectables across Canada.