Sell Your Original Artwork in the US

Used original artworks in the US typically sell for $54 to $810. Original works are valued on artist, medium and provenance, and establishing the artist is most of the job.

What original artworks are worth in the US

Condition	Typical	What it means
New with Tags	$808	Unused, tags or seals intact
Like New	$686	Barely used, no visible wear
Good	$525	Light signs of use, complete and working
Fair	$363	Heavily used, or a described fault or missing part
For Parts	$202	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

Signed works by artists with an auction record
Original frames appropriate to the period

What pulls it down

Flaking paint and craquelure needing conservation
Water damage on works on paper

Selling an original artwork in the US

Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.

Distances are the real constraint. State plainly whether you will ship or collection only, because a buyer three states away will otherwise ask.

Demand rises through the spring cleaning season and again around college move-in in August, when furniture and small appliances move fastest.

Working out what yours is worth

Photograph the signature, the reverse and any labels
Note the medium, dimensions and any damage

Getting it ready

Measure the work itself and the frame separately, and note the medium: oil, acrylic, watercolour, print.
Do not clean or restore it. Amateur cleaning destroys value far more often than it adds any.

Photograph

The signature close up
The reverse, showing any labels, stamps or inscriptions

Put in the description

Signature and any inscription, transcribed as it reads
Provenance: where you acquired it and any documentation, plus condition

Medium, subject and attribution: “Original Oil on Canvas, Coastal Landscape, Signed, 60x80cm”. Say “signed” only if it is, and describe the signature rather than naming an artist you cannot verify. Framed or unframed belongs in the title too.

Slower and more considered than most categories, often weeks. Well-documented pieces with clear provenance sell far faster and higher than vague ones.

It costs nothing to list

There is no listing fee, no selling fee and no commission, so the $808 a buyer pays is the $808 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 the US

The United States is a big place and what sells well moves with it. These are the parts of the United States with their own page for original artworks.

Common questions

Where can I sell an original artwork in the US?

List it free on WishThrift and deal with the buyer direct. There is no selling fee, so the whole amount stays with you. Peer-to-peer payment apps dominate private sales, and buyers will usually offer one before they offer cash. Sales tax does not apply to a private sale between individuals.

Who is the artist?

Describe the signature exactly as it appears and say what you know of its origin. Never assert an attribution you cannot evidence — WishThrift does not authenticate items.

Do labels on the back matter?

A great deal. Gallery and exhibition labels are provenance and can add real value, so photograph them and leave them alone.

Should I have a damaged painting restored?

Get advice first. Amateur restoration and overpainting reduce value more than the original damage did.

More: how to sell an original artwork, what original artworks are worth, or Art & Collectables across the United States.