What is an ACEO?

From my July Newsletter:
Ever since I started to sell my art on eBay and now Etsy, I keep seeing other artists selling ACEOs and wondered what they were all about. After a little internet research, I found that this is a new art craze with roots that go back a few hundred years.

ACEO stands for art cards, editions and originals. They are like sports trading cards for artists! They are similar to ATCs, artist trading cards, that are traded and not sold. In the 1700s ATCs were often used for advertising and for portrait miniatures.

Today, ACEOs are a very popular item being sold and collected over the internet. The only requirement for creating one is that it should measure 2.5" x 3.5" (the standard size of a sports trading card). The medium used to create one is limitless - watercolor, acrylic, pencil, photography, oils, just to name a few. The support can also be on almost anything as long as its not too flimsy. Some examples are thick paper, wood, metal, plastic, etc...

ACEOs can be sold as originals, prints, limited editions, or even photography. If it is a limited edition, it should be numbered and signed on the back.

Collecting and making ACEOs sounds like a lot of fun. They are usually priced very reasonably ($5-$50), which makes collecting art very affordable. I'm going to produce some of my own ACEOs in the future, and I challenge you to do the same!