Basic Guidelines
(Excerpts from Contemporary Western Artists)

7. Buy From Legitimate Sources

There are three usual places to purchase art: the private gallery, the public auction and from the artist. Each has advantages and disadvantages. The auction house once represented only the seller, who paid the entire commission on the sale price. The seller had the upper hand, participating in setting the pre-sale estimate and establishing the reserve. Today, the buyer generally pays half the commission, without having gained any advantage. He is forced to at auction because there is no other way to obtain the art that is available. Buyer beware is the rule, but auctions are a necessary process.

To buy from a gallery, you must make the choice of a dealer carefully. You can expect that an established gallery will offer selected art with flexible purchasing arrangements. You can ask that a piece be held for you. You can request a search for a work that will meet your specifications, negotiate one-on-one, and obtain a detailed bill of sale guaranteeing signature and condition. You can even request exchange privileges on installment payments.

Buying from an artist is an option in many cases. Although some artists have exclusive arrangements with a gallery or galleries, many are not so constrained and will sell out of their studios. The buyer should understand that the artist will not discount their work by so called buying direct. The wiser and better artists have worked hard to get their prices to a certain level and do not want to undercut the market for their other work.

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