How To Collect Art :: Buy What You Like

When I ask the question, “Do you collect art?” the top two answers I get are:

1. No, I don’t know anything about collecting art.
2. No, I can’t afford it.

Thank goodness I’m here today to break the cycle of the non-art collector. Yes you do know about collecting art because everyone knows what they like and yes you can afford it because all art isn’t expensive.

First of all collecting art is really fun. It’s not at all like action figures, coins or baseball cards. It’s not the type of collection that sits in a box in the closet for no one to see. It’s on your walls and brings you joy every single day. It represents a bookmark of your life and reminds you when and why you bought it.

My First Art Collection

So what if the first piece you buy cost $25 at an estate sale, the more you collect the more defined your tastes will become. The most important factor is that you are purchasing work that makes you happy. Happiness comes from the inside and there is no right or wrong way to go about finding it. Consider collecting art a treasure hunt and everywhere you go you’ll be looking for those pieces that reflect something true inside of you.

A great way to start collecting artwork is to attend local fairs and festivals. See what the artists in your community are creating. There’s a great chance you’ll find something that resonates with you when it’s local. If you have the time to dig try out estate sales, garage sales and even Goodwill. I mention Goodwill because there have been many stories of donations turning out to be fine works of art. Now of course this is extremely rare, but still fun to think of what you might find!

Once you’ve outgrown those types of venues try out your local galleries and gift shops. These stores typically carry established artists so the prices will be higher. Higher prices doesn’t mean you’ve entered into a scary art collectors world, all it means is that you can expect the artwork to be higher quality. That’s one thing I’ve learned as my artist career grows, the materials I use and my skills become better and better warranting a higher price.

I must warn you, once you start collecting it’s going to be hard to stop. Instead of saving up for a new dress and pair of shoes, you’ll be dreaming of an original piece by your favorite local artist.