Embracing Magic Art - Where to Buy Original Magic Art
After two weeks of my Embracing Magic Art series, readers’ interests may be piqued, and they may begin asking, “Where do I go to purchase a piece of Magic original art?” Traditional sites players use to purchase cards are not the right place to go. Neither TCGplayer nor Card Market contain original art listings, so shoppers will have to go elsewhere.
EBay is another popular option for cardboard, and technically one can find some original art pieces on the online auction site. The selection is limited, stagnant, and often overpriced, however. Readers are encouraged to browse eBay’s options, perhaps saving a search in case a deal is suddenly listed.
In the meantime, there are far better options to explore.
Buying From a Magic Art Site
In 2023, there really is a website for everything, and original Magic artwork is no exception. In fact, this very article resides on a site that sells art! OriginalMagicArt.com carries a diverse stock of paintings, sketches, prints, playmats, etc. To browse, use this direct link.
The “paintings” page contains 17 unique Magic originals, and more are being posted all the time. Original Magic Art carries an eclectic mix ranging from the affordable Mole Worms to the Legacy icon Battle of Wits. The frames on some of these listings are also well-designed and executed, making them living room ready.
Another site with a large group of art listings is Amazing MTG Art. This site has been around a bit longer, and you’ll find a different selection of original pieces here. Items for sale range from some basic sketches for $150 to the original art for Alpha card Soul Net, with a $50,000 asking price.
With any shopping experience, these sites offer pros and cons worth considering before making a purchase, especially for new collectors like myself.
On the positive side, it’s extremely convenient to browse all available options a site has to offer at once. Sites like Original Magic Art and Amazing MTG Art organize their wares efficiently, making it easy to find something that catches a shopper’s eye. Both sites have ample diversity in offerings, with options for both budget-conscious and the extravagant seekers.
The fixed price points remove the hassle of bidding on auctions or negotiating (though I’d encourage prospective shoppers to try negotiating anyway). The process can be as simple as adding a piece to the cart, checking out, and receiving the artwork ready-framed. It is truly a one-stop-shop experience.
Does this mean these sites are the end all be all for MTG art shopping? Not necessarily. There are some noteworthy disadvantages to shopping directly from a Magic art site, and I’d be remiss to not at least mention them.
First, if someone is looking for art from the most recently spoiled sets (as of today, that’s Commander Masters), they won’t be found here. At least, not right away. The owner of Original Magic Art is constantly shopping for new pieces and some of them will eventually make their way to the site, but there won’t be an option to buy something directly from the artist. For the “straight from the source” shopping experience, one must look elsewhere.
Second, it’s difficult to price something that is one-of-a-kind. As a result, some paintings’ prices may be out of sync with the rest of the market. This is why I encourage negotiation. If a site has been sitting on a given piece for a long time, it doesn’t hurt to at least drop an email with a fair offer—it just might be accepted!
Despite these shortcomings, shopping for art directly from a site is rising in popularity and should not be overlooked.
Facebook Groups
As far as I can tell, auctions are the most popular method for selling artwork is on the MtG Art Market Facebook group. There are currently about 19,100 members of this community, and new listings are posted almost daily—especially during spoiler season!
During Commander Masters spoiler season, as soon as a card is spoiled, the artist can post their work for sale. As a result, I’ve seen numerous legendary creatures, slivers, and popular Commander spells go on sale over the past couple weeks. Most listings are posted as auctions, with the highest bidder winning the piece. Occasionally a post will be made seeking best offers or with a fixed price, though these tend to be a little less common.
What I like most about browsing this Facebook group is the recency of pieces being posted for sale. This is the place to go when seeking out art from Magic’s most recent sets. There’s plenty of diversity in listings too, with a wide range of price points for sketches and finished art. When bidding on auctions, there’s the opportunity to gage how popular a given piece of art is, helping me determine how desirable the art may be. No risk of paying $5,000 that no one else seems to want (though that may not matter…more on that in a future article).
One of my favorite positives to shopping from this Facebook group is the opportunity to buy artwork directly from the artists themselves. That means they receive all the proceeds from the sale (minus a fee for those that use an agent to run the auctions). Auction winners sometimes receive little bonuses, such as signed thank you cards or artist proofs, along with their artwork. Purchasing artwork secondhand from a site, on the other hand, does not benefit the artists financially.
Unfortunately, there can be downsides to shopping on the Facebook group as well. The biggest one I’ve experienced thus far is the difficulty of winning one of these auctions! It seems every time I find a piece I like and make a bid, I’m immediately outbid. I’ve been through multiple bidding wars already, losing every time.
The very first item I attempted to bid on was Zara Alfonso’s sketch for Kithkin Billyrider.
I bid on this sketch eight times, and each time I was promptly outbid. Towards the end of the auction, the same person immediately outbid me as soon as I placed a higher bid. It wasn’t meant to be.
Be careful chasing auctions on this site—it’s easy to experience a wave of FOMO, leading to a bidding war and paying much more than expected. Even though I have yet to win an auction, I still check the Facebook group every day for new postings, placing the occasional bid here or there. One of these days I will win something!
Other Options
While these sites seem to be the most popular ways of buying and selling Magic art, I can think of a couple others worth mentioning.
Some artists offer various pieces of artwork directly. This may not be the easiest way to purchase an original piece, but repaints, alters, sketches, etc. may be purchasable via commission. For example, <href="#5b45defc-3ac0-4735-a429-07e8b43d54a0">Douglas Shuler is willing to repaint some of his art on a strict once-per=year basis. If it’s not Serra Angel (for which there is a six-year wait), a repaint may be straightforward to purchase going this route.
Other artists may have similar offerings. To check, search for their websites and find their contact information. If you’re polite and professional, many artists will at least consider a deal. Many artists also work through agents on the art Facebook group—contacting the agents to inquire is also a viable option.
Going to the extreme, some pieces of Magic art are sold via different channels. Heritage Auctions recently auctioned off a few pieces of art, including one of the original Alpha swamps.
Auctions
I don’t think this is a common source of original Magic art, but it does happen occasionally. Other major auction houses may also sell a piece here or there.
Lastly, it’s also possible to purchase art directly from another third party (who isn’t the artist). If the owner of a given piece is known, it doesn’t hurt to contact said owner with a reasonable offer. Not every art owner is willing to sell, but it costs nothing to ask. In fact, this is how I purchase my single piece of Magic art: with some help, I tracked down the owner for a piece I liked and they were willing to sell. It’s not unheard of, especially if both parties are reasonable and motivated to make a deal.
Wrapping It Up
Original Magic art can come from many different sources. Whether it be from an online shop, a Facebook group, or from the artists themselves, there are numerous methods to purchase a unique piece of art from the game.
Of course, with so many options it’s natural that they all have their own pros and cons. When choosing how to proceed from here, it all comes down to personal preference. My advice is to at least explore each option I mentioned above, providing the most opportunities to find and acquire a desirable piece of art. Casting the net widely and keeping an open mind is sure to lead to the most open doors for possible deals.
Just make sure not to rush into any given purchase. Original Magic art can be costly, so decisions to purchase a piece should not be taken lightly. If adequate research is done, we can ensure we aren’t overpaying for a piece or giving into the emotional fear of missing out, leading to the right purchase at the right price.