Art, like beauty, is in the eye and mind of the beholder. The quality, emotional impact, and investment value of a work of art often cannot be determined without seeing it in person. Nonetheless, online auctions for artworks are growing in popularity, and safeguards are usually in place to help bidders and sellers have successful transactions. A small sampling of sites follows.

ArtByUs

ArtByUs (www.artbyus.com) calls itself “the premiere online auction market exclusively for real art by real artists.” ArtByUs does not allow sellers to list mass-produced artworks “unless the artist is selling their own high-quality, fine art prints.” It promises works of art within any collector's budget and opportunities to connect with the artist. The listings can range from classical landscapes to pottery, mixed media, and studio supplies. The site does not charge buyers a fee, and sellers do not pay listing or final value fees when a high bidder purchases their artwork.

Heritage Galleries

Along with works of art, Heritage Galleries (www.heritagegalleries.com) offers collectible antiques such as Tiffany lamps, works of ceramic and porcelain, silver flatware, and vintage clocks in its online and live auctions. There are six different ways to place a bid:

• Over the Internet: If the auction has a live floor session, Internet bids are accepted until 10 P.M. CST the night before the live auction.

• By e-mail: Bids are accepted up to twenty-four hours before the start of a live auction.

• By postal mail: If your mailed bid is the highest, Heritage Galleries will act as your representative and buy the lot as “as cheaply as competition permits.”

• By fax: Bids sent by fax are accepted until 3 P.M. the day before the live auction.

• By phone: Call at least twenty-four hours in advance of the auction and ask for bidding assistance.

• In person: At Heritage Galleries in Dallas, Texas.

Art Brokerage.com

The Art Brokerage.com (www.artbrokerage.com) online auction site claims that it buys and sells more works by Andy Warhol than any other outlet. It also boasts getting more than 2 million hits per month from Web searchers. Buyers do not have to register at the site. Once a price is agreed upon, the seller ships the art to Art Brokerage.com for inspection. After it passes inspection, it is sent to the buyer. Sellers can list artworks free. If an artwork sells, the seller pays a 20 percent commission to Art Brokerage.com.