guest post - my crafty home life

Hello Little Black Door Readers! I'm Linda, from the blog My Crafty Home Life.  Elizabeth is at the beach, as you all may know...so she asked me to help fill the blank pages while she is gone. Yes, I know, I call that RPP (Rich People Problems). 
Nevertheless, I'm always game to play on someone else's blog. Recently I did a gallery wall with my collection of Chinoiserie Paint-By-Numbers.

As loyal readers of LBD, I know you are familiar with the fact that Elizabeth knows how to rock a gallery wall.

In fact, when I was working on mine I emailed her for help. Hours went by, then...finally, she emailed me back saying she was sorry....she was at the pool...YUP RPP!
I'm over it...I did it without her. Today, I would like to give you some tips for buying Paint-By-Number prints...and a perdition on an upcoming trend. Let's start with the trend

Apartment Therapy

Eric Roth Photography via Canadian House & Home

See it? No, I am not suggesting that the Equestrian Chic trend is a prediction. It has already made the rounds on many blogs. Here is my prediction

When you put Equestrian Chic together with Paint-By-Numbers...what do you get?

Country Living

Yes! That is my prediction...OK, Country Living may have caught on a tad bit before me...but they didn't do a galley wall with horses.

Now that we know what we are hunting for, here are my tips....

Shopping for Paint-By-Number horse prints on EBAY

1. Know how to word search. Remember we want prints already painted.

A quick search under "used paint by number horse" brought up a total of (23) prints. Here is a sample of the search.

Sold here$7.99 + Free Shipping!


This Pair

Sold Here$29.99 + Free Shipping


This Pair

Sold Here$45.95 + $15.95 Shipping
Which brings me to tip number 2
2. Set a price limit...and stick to it!!
Let's face it, the third option from above is way out of line. I would suspect that after horse prints become hot, that seller would stand a better chance. Remember, it never feels good to pay too much for anything.
A word search under "vintage horse paint by number" resulted in (36) prints.
One of the auctions that did not show up with the first search is this one

Sold Here$9.99 + $5.35 Shipping
To me, this is by far the best deal and choice so far. Three paintings that are all vintage and in original black frames.
My final tip3. Be patient and check back. A collection takes time. Trust me, whatever you see....it will come again if you miss it this time. Sometimes, the next option is better than the one that got away.
Now just for fun, I thought I would show you this one

Sold HereThe price? Are you sitting down? $99.99 + $18.15 for Shipping
As Elizabeth would say, "Does that include the crack you are smoking, or is that separate?" 
Those are my secrets for collecting Paint-By-Number prints. If you are currently collecting horse prints...sorry! This probably gave you a bit of competition. 
Thanks for having me, Elizabeth. I hope you come back with a few new cocktail recipes.