How to Start Collecting Art: A Beginner’s Guide

The global art market reached $67 billion in 2018, with nearly 40 million transactions that year. More people are buying and collecting art as a hobby and an investment, but many would-be collectors feel intimidated by the art world's cold and closed reputation.

Getting started isn't as complicated or expensive as you might think.

Start Small

Rome wasn't built in a day, and your art collection shouldn't be either. Start small. Take your time. Find a piece that really speaks to you.

Don't buy a painting or sculpture because you think it will be worth a fortune someday. Buy art that you love. Buy to keep. Treat it as an investment portfolio that you will build over time.

If you have a modest budget, focus on buying a few quality pieces to get started. Check out galleries that feature emerging artists. Look for limited photography art prints, particularly those that are signed.

Do Your Research

Galleries are a great place to start, but they're not the only place to buy art. Check out charity auctions, or look for auctions outside of New York and Los Angeles.

Don't just accept a dealer's price. Use tools like askART's auction records to compare prices of similar pieces.

Instagram is a great place to not only find new artists, but to also buy art. Many artists sell their work directly through their own websites. Check out the artist's bio section for a website link. If an artist is represented by a gallery, contact information may also be listed in the bio.

Ask Questions

Starting an art collection can feel like a daunting task. It's natural to have a dozen - or more - questions - and it's important to ask those questions.

People who work in art love what they do, and they love talking about art.

Ask as many questions as you can about the artist, the materials used in the piece, the best way to display the work, and, of course, the price.

Even if you aren't ready to start buying, it's important to get comfortable asking questions.

Find Your Taste

One of the most important steps in starting an art collection is finding your taste. The best way to do that is to get out there and start exploring.

Hunting down a new piece of art is half the fun.

Go to art fairs, browse through art books and check out social media for emerging artists. Figure out what you like and what you don't like.

Over time, you'll find that you tend to favor certain artists and aesthetics.

Starting an art collection doesn't have to be a daunting task. Take your time, start small and ask a lot of questions. Once you find your taste, your collection will start growing faster than you think.