How to Collect Art Like a Pro – Building a Collection

Tips for Collecting Art by Alan Bamberger

Alan Bamberger, Art Consultant and Advisor. (Photo Credit)

Alan Bamberger is an art consultant, advisor, author, and independent appraiser.

He specializes in research, appraisal, and all business and market aspects of original works of art, artist manuscript materials, art-related documents, and art reference books.

The following article shared with Alan Bamberger’s express written consent.

How to Collect Art Like a Pro

Building a Collection

Author: Alan Bamberger (Contact Information)

In order to collect art intelligently, you have to master two basic skills:

  1. The first is being able to effectively research, evaluate and buy any single work of art that attracts you.
  2. The second is being able to choose each individual work in such a way as to form a meaningful grouping, a practice more commonly known as collecting.

If you’re like most people, you know how to buy art on a piece-by-piece basis, but may not be all that accomplished at formulating a plan for making multiple acquisitions over the long haul, or in other words, building a collection.

You can find art you like just about anywhere you look and in an incredible variety of subject matters, mediums and price ranges, but that can be confusing as well as intimidating.

  • So how do you wade through it all and decide what direction to go in?
  • How do you relate one purchase to the next?
  • How do you organize or group your art together?
  • How do you present it?
  • And most importantly, how do you do all these things well?

This is what collecting is all about; it’s the ultimate case of controlled purposeful buying.

Great collectors are often as well known and widely respected as the art they collect. Take the Rockefeller collection, the Phillips collection or the Chrysler collection, just to name a few.

Collectors like these are famous because they demonstrate just as much talent in selecting and grouping their art as the artists show in creating it.

Likewise, each work of art in a great collection commands premium attention as well as a premium price not only because it’s good, but also because of the company it keeps.

What makes a great collector great is his or her ability to separate out specific works of art from the millions of pieces already in existence and… [Click here to read updated and revised article in its entirety].


SAC’s Gallery wishes to thank Alan for allowing us to share this informative article.

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