Whether you are a novice and need to fill your empty walls, whether you an art skeptic and feel that modern art is duping you somehow, whether you have a small budget and still want to get in there and collect gradually, everyone can become an art collector. After all what does it really mean to become an art collector? It merely means to collect art of value that you love. However, if you want to try and make a good investment it's best to use the expertise of an art advisor.
WHY SHOULD YOU WORK WITH AN ART ADVISOR?
Advisors help collectors buy art by offering a variety of services to simplify the acquisition process. As the contemporary market has grown, more and more collectors are chasing a finite number of works by brand-name artists or hot up-and-comers, and they want to be sure that they’re making the right choice. Art advisors gain you access and expertise. In return for services such as advising on what artists and what works to buy, negotiating with galleries, bidding on works at auction, and introducing clients to market experts, advisors either take a percentage of the sale price of an artwork—typically between 5%-10%—or charge a fixed monthly (and sometimes yearly) fee. An art advisor educates a client, helps to focus their interest, and provides access to the best quality artworks within a given budget. When you use a very qualified advisor, you’re acquiring a vast trove of knowledge that’s been cultivated over years of looking at art, analyzing auction sales, and understanding the inner workings of the market.
Because art is an intangible asset with few concrete value-adding characteristics, it’s difficult for many collectors to differentiate between the quality of different works. Today many collectors rely on their trusted advisor to help them navigate the complexities of contemporary art, and the art market. Access, access, access! Galleries often sell only to their most loyal or high-profile clients, making it difficult for new buyers to get access to desirable works. A respected advisor on the other hand can use their connections to help facilitate access to artworks normally reserved for loyal repeat customers.
Advisors also help refine their clients tastes, and introduce them to dealers, artists, and other experts. Ultimately an advisor brings expertise and connoisseurship ---Meaning the ability to distinguish a great work of art over an okay work of art by the same artist, and being able to look outside of trends and identify areas of interest and quality that perhaps aren’t obvious ones.