Art has long been one of the most popular ways of improving the decor of homes or putting your money into a safe asset. It’s hard to find someone that doesn’t enjoy great art hanging on the wall. That’s why the art market reached a value of $448.92 billion in 2022.
However, buying art isn’t always as easy as going to an art show and picking something random to buy. If you want to make the right choice, you have many important considerations to make.
You need to avoid the most common artwork buying errors if you want to get the most value for your money. Below are seven common mistakes people make when buying artwork.
1. Picking Art That Doesn’t Work for Your Space
Some people see a piece of art that they think looks cool and immediately make the purchase. While you may not regret the purchase as much if you truly enjoy what you purchased, you won’t be able to enjoy it if you can’t find a spot in your home to put it.
Before you buy a piece of art, think about its intended use. Are you buying it to support an artist and don’t plan to put it on display? Or are you planning to put it on display in your home for everyone to see?
The last thing you want is to buy art to display and not have it fit any of your current home decors. Make sure you consider the space you’ll put your art in before you buy.
2. Getting the Sizing Wrong
If you plan to display art in your home, size plays an important role in your purchase. Sure, you can fill the entire wall with artwork or confine it to a tiny space. However, that doesn’t mean it will look good in those spots.
The space around art can play a huge role in how it looks. That’s why you need to consider the space you plan to put your art and what size will look the best in that area.
If you don’t get your sizing right, you may waste your money on artwork that doesn’t look good in your home.
3. Ignoring Frame Quality
The frame of your artwork plays as much of a role in how it looks in the space as the art itself. The wrong frame will impact the visual impact of a piece of art and diminish its impact on your space.
Take contemporary art, for instance. Many artists use metal frames in this type of art because it helps it stand out. Here are a few other types of frames to consider:
- Canvas frame
- Wooden frame
- Painted frame
Once you learn the types of frames out there, you need to start considering the quality of your frame material. You don’t want your frame to degrade over time and need replacement.
4. Buying From Bad Actors
There are a lot of people selling art in the world. The problem is that not every person you come across is reputable and will try to pull one over on you.
This is true even if you’re buying art for enjoyment, not investment. You can get charged too much money for the art you buy.
Make sure you research the people you buy art from to see if they have a good reputation. This is even more true if you’re buying artwork online. You may not get to meet the people behind the website, so you must do your due diligence and see what other people say about their experiences.
5. Not Considering Your Goals
Your goals with artwork will play a big role in the types of artwork you buy. If you plan to buy your art for display and don’t care much about the monetary value of art, you don’t need to do as much research. You only need to find something that works well in your home and doesn’t cost too much money.
However, things change if you’re investing in art in the hopes of making money down the line. In this case, you’ll need to learn more about how to make smart investment choices, research different artists, and make predictions about the artwork in the future.
6. Following the Trends
Trends are just that: trends. There’s no guarantee that something that quickly gained popularity will retain that popularity as time goes on. In many cases, trendy art items will decline in popularity over time and decrease in value.
That’s why buying on trends is a mistake, especially if you’re buying for an investment. Try to focus on art that’s expected to hold value over time. When you do, you’ll find the artwork you love and retains its value.
7. Buying on Impulse
One big mistake people make when buying art is not taking the time to consider their purchase. In some cases, bidding occurs for artwork with many people competing. That competition leads to bad decisions and people spending more money than necessary on artwork.
Don’t feel pressured into buying artwork if you aren’t sure if it’s for you. Take the time to consider your options, so you don’t buy something that looks good at the moment and ends up not being what you expect. You may not get the first piece of art you like, but you’ll eventually purchase the perfect piece of art for your home.
Now You Know the Common Artwork Buying Errors
Art buying can be a great investment that doubles as a way to make your home look great. On top of that, you can buy countless variations of art that fit your unique taste.
However, many common artwork buying errors will impact your success with buying art. Now that you know many of those errors, you can start looking at art and make great buying decisions.
Head back to the blog if you’re interested in reading more tips that will add value to your life.
