Our art policy is designed to create a safe marketplace for buyers and sellers of art.
Frequently Asked Questions
Am I allowed to sell my own artwork on eBay?
Yes, you can sell your original artwork and other artwork that you're authorized to resell on eBay.
Are there restrictions when selling artwork on eBay?
Yes, our policy outlines restrictions related to the sale of many kinds of artwork. For example, the policy gives guidance on how to handle sales of items such as:
- Reproductions - You can sell reproductions, like posters or exact replica paintings, if it doesn't violate laws, copyrights, or trademarks
- Exact replica paintings - You have to clearly state it's a reproduction in the listing title and description
- Other artists' work - You may include the artist's name in the title if the work is actually by the artist or is an exact replica of the artist's work
- Art with alterations, conservation, or repairs - Your listing description should provide details of exactly what work was done
Read our full policy
Selling art policy overview
eBay encourages the lawful sale of art on its website. eBay has worked with members of the art community on eBay as well as various third-party organizations serving the industry to develop a code of conduct for selling works of art on the site.
Activity on eBay is required to:
- Follow all applicable laws
- Respect the rights of third parties
- Follow the eBay User Agreement
- Follow this eBay policy
If activity doesn’t meet these requirements, eBay may take action consistent with applicable laws and the eBay User Agreement, and may even be legally required to do so. Such actions may include, as an example only: administratively ending listings or canceling transactions, hiding or lowering the placement of listings in search results, lowering seller rating, restricting buying or selling, forfeiture of fees, loss of buyer or seller protections, restricting access to member communication and rating tools, removing feedback, and account suspension.
What are the guidelines?
The following guidelines been drawn from specific terms of sale that are considered "general trade practice" within the organized art community. It neither replaces nor supplants eBay's User Agreement or general seller policies, but rather, supplements those policies. Sellers are encouraged to abide by these guidelines when selling works of art on eBay:
Allowed
- Selling your own original artwork
- Selling artwork that you are authorized to resell
Restricted
- You may only sell a reproduction (in the form of a poster, print, or exact replica painting) if it does not violate any applicable laws, copyrights, or trademarks
- When listing an exact replica painting:
- The words "Reproduction" or "Repro" must be included in the title
- The item description must clearly state that the work is a reproduction
- You may include the artist's name in the title of the listing only when listing a work by the artist him/herself or an exact replica of the artist's work. You may not include the artist's name when listing a work done "in the style of" an artist
- If any alterations, conservation, or repairs have been performed on the work of art, you must disclose this information in a clear and prominent manner within the item description
Not allowed
- Knowingly selling, exhibiting, trading, producing, or advertising any unauthorized copy or reproduction of any work of art
- Disclaiming knowledge of, or responsibility for, the authenticity or legality of an item that you describe as genuine
- Describing or marketing any item as genuine if you cannot provide reasonable evidence to prove its authenticity
- Knowingly participating in any way in the advertisement or sale of any work of art using any deceptive practices, including, but not limited to, false or misleading claims of the item's scarcity, value, provenance, condition or investment potential
In addition, when selling art on eBay, you must abide by all laws relating to the sales of works of art and assist in the prosecution of violators of the law in this respect
Tip
Visit Seller Help - opens in new window or tab to find details of any policy issues with your account or listings, and get the information you need to quickly resolve them.
Why does eBay have this policy?
This policy was written to support safe trading for eBay members who buy and sell art.