Only Buy What You Love
There’s a big difference between a piece that’s worth $400 and $40,000 besides the price, but that can be hard to determine for a novice. That’s why Brielmaier stresses the importance of being knowledgeable about what you’re buying and why. “If you spend a lot of time collecting, it’s really nice if you like the work,†she says. “That’s hard for [people] in business to wrap their head around because they want to know, ‘Well, what’s the return on the dollar here,’ and oftentimes if you’re talking about a blue chip artist like an Andy Warhol, you don’t know, especially with some of these younger contemporary artists.†Brielmaier suggests researching an artist from exhibition history to where he/she went to school before making a purchase. But ultimately, “Go with what you like. It has to have that appeal to you, particularly because it’s going on your wall.â€