Guide to Buying Art Online
‘t the Internet wonderful? With a click of a mouse it can bring the whole world into your living room, it facilitates shopping, communications, research and interaction with people from around the world.
Buying art online has become very popular in the last 10 years. Buying contemporary art straight from the artist’s website means you no longer have to pay ridiculous prices for a piece of art, due to the elimination of the middle-man, in this case, the art gallery.
Whilst in most cases this is a enjoyable experience and investing in art has been proven to usually generate a profit – there are also pitfalls that you need to be aware I will list some of them:A�
1. Always buy from a seller which accepts returns and is based in the same country you are! In some cases when you receive the artwork purchased, it will look different in reality than it looked on the screen. You may be disappointed, so you should always have the option to return it. But what good is this option to you if you are in UK and you need to post the artwork back Thailand? The postage for an artwork can be very expensive and most sellers will not cover this cost for you. This is also true for any item you buy online, so if the option of returning the item is not viable then don’t buy.
2. Don’t buy un-stretched canvases posted to you in a roll. They may appear to be cheaper initially but by the time you manage to find a stretching service and have paid for it you will realize that it cost you almost the same as a painting sold on a stretched canvas. Also, a painted canvas loses its elasticity, so it can’t be stretched properly on a wooden frame. Too often I have heard unhappy buyers complaining: ‘I have a pile of rolled canvases at home I don’t know what to do with?…’
3. Buying paintings from a websites that offers you clear pictures of the artwork and also detailed photos (close-ups) will ensure that you buy the actual painting and not just an ‘image’. Some websites will sell an image and the artist will only paint the painting after it was purchased.
4. I also don’t recommend buying an artwork as a present for someone else, unless you know for sure that the person likes it, or it is considered to be a good investment. Art is highly subjective, and just like in a restaurant, you wouldn’t order food for someone else, if you want them to enjoy their meal, you can’t decide for them what to hang on the wall in their home.
So baring in mind these few tips, purchasing a quality artwork is probably one of the most solid and enjoyable investments you will make, one that will bring joy to you and your family, perhaps for generations.