So you’ve decided to make the leap from buying art at a traditional gallery to an online gallery. It’s a brand new adventure, and certainly one you will not forget. However exciting the thought of buying art online is, it isn’t always easy to identify which factors to take into account before making the initial purchase.
After following these basic recommendations and guidelines, you will have grasped a better understanding of the things that most matter when buying art online. We will be looking at various factors, ranging from the authenticity of the artwork and the artwork’s condition, to the value, style and more!
Stick to a budget
Set a budget before you do anything else. You want to have a clear price range in mind, so you can have a better idea of where to situate yourself in relation to what’s on offer, while ensuring that you don’t overspend. You will then be able to refine your search, and select the artwork(s) that best correspond to your budget.
Do your homework
In order to ensure a smooth transaction, do as much background research as possible before making the purchase. The more information you gather, the more in control you will feel in regards to the purchase. Look for customer reviews and testimonials, articles written about the gallery in question, biographical information on the artist, and anything else that will give credibility to the gallery and the artist.
Inform yourself on the art market trends
It can be interesting to study the art market trends if you are trying to make up your mind about the type of artwork you wish to purchase. This will help you pinpoint exactly what kind of artworks are right for you. You might also discover new styles, artists and mediums, which you may not have known before, giving you a fresh perspective on the art world and broadening your horizons.
Check the authenticity of the artwork
The issue of authenticity cannot be overstated. In order to ensure the artwork that you have your eyes on isn’t a forgery, the gallery should provide buyers with a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. This supporting document not only reinforces the trust between buyer, artist and gallery, but provides background information on the artwork, such as the provenance, date of creation and how the artwork should be looked after.
At SINGULART, all artworks for sale are guaranteed to arrive with a certificate of authenticity. Furthermore, paintings should include a signature, which is traditionally placed at the lower left corner or at the back of the canvas.
Security is important
Know your rights as a buyer. A professional gallery will have a clearly visible section on their website about their shipping, delivery and returns policies. In the unfortunate circumstance where the artwork gets lost or damaged in transit, the client should be eligible for buyer protection. At SINGULART, we are prepared to offer a free of charge return within 14 days, a full repair free of additional costs or a full refund for the entire cost of the artwork, depending on the situation.
Shipping
Shipping artworks is a crucial part of online galleries. Shipping fees vary slightly from gallery to gallery, as well as depending on the shipping country and the price of the artwork (the more expensive ones might require insurance fees). Make sure the gallery works with professional shipping companies such as DHL and UPS, and puts special care into shipping large-scale and/or fragile artworks.
Images of the artwork
Buyers will trust an online gallery that has an array of good-quality, high-definition pictures of the artworks on offer. Pictures are there to help clients get a better feel of the artworks, so they can get as close as possible to the experience of seeing them in real life. More points are given if you can see the artworks displayed in various rooms (living room, bedroom…), to help clients project themselves into the future, and imagine what the artworks would look like in their own home.
Ask away!
It is an excellent sign if the gallery has a question & answer section and a live chat widget, where potential buyers can directly ask their questions to a customer representative. Any trusted gallery will be happy to help you, whether the query concerns missing or additional information about an artwork, or is related to a request for more pictures about an artwork.
Making an informed decision
It’s only natural that you should want to take a reasoned approach based on a variety of factors before buying art online, so you can feel confident in your decision-making process. Doing valuable research will save you time and money in the long run. The better informed you are about the authenticity of the artwork or a gallery’s shipping fees and return policy for example, the smoother your online art buying experience will go. You won’t be able to resist trying it again sometime soon!
