3 Things to Keep in Mind for Your First Fine Art Purchase

The first serious purchase is the one people remember, and often the one they regret. Not because they chose badly, but because they did not know what to check. Whether you are buying for pleasure, for the long term, or for a particular wall, three things are worth settling before any money moves.

1. Start with what you actually like

Taste is personal and it takes a little time to find. Before buying anything, look widely: galleries, fairs, auction previews, museums. Notice what you keep coming back to, which is often not what you expected, and read about the artists behind it. The purchase that follows from that is the one you will still be glad of in ten years. The purchase that follows from a sales pitch usually is not.

2. Check the provenance

Provenance is the work's ownership history, from the artist to the person selling it to you. It is the main support for authenticity and a large part of value, and it is the thing new buyers most often forget to ask for. Ask the seller for the paperwork: invoice, certificate of authenticity where the artist or publisher issues one, prior sale records, exhibition history. Then check what you can yourself. A seller who cannot produce any of it, or who gets vague when asked, has told you something important. Keep every document you receive; the next buyer, insurer or auction house will ask for them.

3. Set the real budget

Art ranges from a few hundred dollars for a photograph or print to whatever you can imagine for a painting, so decide what you are comfortable spending before you start looking, not after you have fallen for something. Then remember that the price of the work is not the whole cost. Framing, shipping, installation and insurance add up, and for a larger piece they add up quickly. A budget that includes them keeps the purchase a pleasure rather than a stretch.

The first conversation

A first purchase should be enjoyable, and it is a lot more enjoyable when you know what you are looking at. If you want someone on your side for it, from narrowing down what you like to checking a piece before you commit, get in touch. The first conversation with Basher Fine Art is always complimentary.