How to start an art collection

While reading a blog post called How to Start a Fine Art Collection I realised it has been a while since I posted about art collecting rather than my own work, so thought I would make a post with my thoughts on how to begin as a collector.

Tiina Heiska - Waiting Room 

When I first started buying art I didn't have much of a budget, but at the same time had an eye to the future value of any pieces I bought. Editions by established artists seemed to be an ideal place to start. Websites like Counter Editions, White Cube and Serpentine Gallery proved excellent places to buy pieces by names I recognised such as Sam Taylor-Wood, Jenny Saville and Darren Almond. These artworks tend to come in and edition ranging from 10-200, and are signed by the artist and come at a fraction of the cost of a an original piece by artists like these.

Annie Kevans - Venus II

When I graduated onto buying original pieces I was less concerned with the short term value of the piece and preferred to play the long game by buying artists that I thought would still be around in the future. Art fairs like the Affordable Art Fair and the London Art Fair are great places to start as there is a wide variety of artists and mediums on display, much easier to see what you like - and what you don't.

Research is highly recommended before making an expensive purchase. Websites like Invaluable or even Ebay are great to see if your chosen artist has been sold on the secondary market, and what kind of prices their works generate, much easier than trawling round the traditional Art auction houses.

The main tip I would give for you Art collection is to only buy works you love. For all my talk of prices and value in this post, I should point out that I have never sold any of my artworks, I love them too much!