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10 Top Tips for Buying Art

Hands up if the thought of buying artwork sends you into a mild panic mode! If you’re a novice buyer, the feeling of anxiety is most probably double the fun. Lucky for you, we’ve compiled our top ten tips to remember when buying art:

  1. Buy art that you like, that moves you and draws on your emotional senses. Don’t be fooled into buying art because someone else or a gallery owner tells you that it’s a good one.
  2. Do your research so that you are confident you are not over-paying for the artwork. Many galleries will publish their prices online. There is a wealth of free information on the internet so take advantage of this to help you purchase confidently. No one likes being ripped off!
  3. Build a trusting relationship with companies and artists you want more information from, sign up to newsletters and blogs.
  4. Don’t be put off if you think you don’t know enough about art, you don’t need to have a degree in this area! Leave this to the professionals and take and trust the advice they give you. Most of us have worked in the ‘art world’ for many years, so there’s a lot of free information you get to obtain from us.
  5. Don’t buy the ‘sizzle’ or the hype that some galleries will push on you, most of them have a select group of artists that they represent and therefore their agenda is set – be aware of this!
  6. Be sure that the artwork you are buying comes framed and ready to hang or you might find that it will cost you another $300 + to have your artwork prepared for hanging.
  7. When buying Aboriginal art you should check: Does the artwork come with a Certificate of Authenticity? Is the information provided with the certificate clear and accurate? Is the origin of the artwork ethical and fair?
  8. Don’t be afraid to think outside the box when selecting art for your home or office, remember art can be a central talking point of your space so make it as interesting as possible.
  9. Make notes: measure the wall spaces in the rooms you have, think about colour schemes you’d like taking into consideration the furniture you may already have in place, and keep them on hand, then fill the spaces confidently, the bigger the better!
  10. Feel happy and confident about your purchase, because if you have followed our above tips, you will love living with art!!