eBay Collective

Photo; Peter Estersohn/Architectural Digest, April 2012. Interior Design, Suzanne Kasler Interiors

This should be interesting. It's not the first time that art works have been sold via on line, but who is doing the curating? I think they will go from the dreadful to the sublime (one hopes for the sublime). How can a dealer tell if an item is authentic via a photo on the Internet? A quick look at the fine arts pages shows a lot of works by unknown artists, selling for $1000 and up.

"Today, eBay launched a new destination, eBay Collective, an elevated shopping experience to provide interior designers and consumers with curated inventory of furniture, antiques, contemporary design and fine art. The bespoke experience has been specifically developed for eBay’s 164 million active buyers looking for sought-after products from trusted dealers and galleries. Dealers featured on the destination have been invited by eBay, and they meet eBay’s criteria to ensure a high-quality shopping experience. “eBay’s brand is about helping every person find their version of perfect. Following our launch of eBay Wine this spring, eBay Collective is another example of how we’re committed to providing our consumers with curated experiences that are complemented with unique inventory and increased scope of choices to shop from,” said Jill Ramsey, eBay’s Vice President of Soft Goods."

http://www.ebay.com/rpp/collective