Buying Art: Following in the Footsteps of the Top Art Collectors:

There are three areas that may be of interest when researching the artwork you would like to buy: on-line galleries, art-fairs and auction houses. Art consultants may also prove useful when researching and deciding on the type of artwork you are interested in and would like to buy.

Firstly and arguable the most important as it is the most accessible are on-line galleries. These have revolutionised the sale of art!

You, the client can view a number of sites and a vast number of artists work at your convenience in the privacy of your home at any time.

The beauty of on-line galleries is that they can open you up to an artist and style of art you had not previously been familiar with. You can think and ponder before returning to it to once more and consider whether the art is right for you.

Another advantage of an on-line gallery is that they is not the pressure one may feel to buy which may be the case if you visit a gallery (particularly for the first time.)

Art Fairs offer a comparatively more relaxed experience and approach to buying art. Art Fairs comprise a number of galleries selling a wide and eclectic range of art varying from the experienced and established artist to new gradate. 

Again, it can be argued that they may be less formal and you feel less pressure to buy than if you were to visit a gallery.  The ‘down-side’ is that these art fairs are for a limited time only. They can be busy; the bustle can create an excitement where you may decide to buy an artwork on impulse…

Thirdly and arguably one of the most exciting experiences of buying artwork is at auction. Distinguished auctioneers such as Bonham’s, Christie’s and Sotheby’s project dazzling images selling notable artwork by celebrated artists to distinguished collectors:

I think of the Damian Hurst ‘stand alone’ sale on the same day that Lehman Brother’s ‘crashed’. This was dubbed ‘a white gloves sale’ because all the lots sold despite the dismal financial crash that greeting the financial markets that morning.

Auctions are in my opinion thoroughly exciting and have been practised since the seventeenth century. Well worth a visit and trip to London as these are by far the most exciting and dramatic!

They are also, arguably the most reasonable in price: an item sold at auction will have a reserve price (a minimum value they can be sole at) and the auctioneer will start the bidding at the price and seek to increase the value at regular increments. Peter Horner the Director of Brompton’s Auctioneers in Mayfair coined the phrase: ‘Let the Market Speak’ when discussing the value of an artwork sold at auction.

Consider these different art venues when considering the artwork you are considering buying.  Take your time and, as the quote says: let the art speak to you.