Collection Stories & Memories

Everyone can be an art collector! But how do you start? In today’s episode we talk about how to start (or expand) your personal art collection, where to look for work, the limiting factors that may be holding you back from starting your journey as a collector, and a key resource that you will want as your collection begins to grow!

Start Your Personal Art Collection

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD - Art Inventory Template

Starting an art collection of your own is a great way to support fellow creatives, fill your home with thought provoking pieces, and share stories and memories with others as your collection grows! But what factors and limitations do you have to think about before you get started?

Why you may want to start your own collection:

Collecting artwork is a great way to document trips and big life milestones (weddings, girls trips etc). By collecting artwork you are collecting the stories and memories that are linked with them which can not only be fulfilling for you to be surrounded by in your home, but also be a great conversation starter when you have guests over.

It is also a great way to support your local art scene, fellow art friends, and acquire work from artists you admire and resonate with. There is also an added benefit if you are able to identify an artist whose work you believe may appraise higher in the future.

Financial Investment

Often being “an art collector” comes with the stigma of requiring a lot of extra income money to invest. However, you can build a valuable art collection with as low as $10-20 to start by investing in artist prints and smaller works. Then as your budget grows so can your collection! With the simple act of thinking about buying work as part of your larger collection you may be surprised by how creative your budget or artist trades can be!

Where to buy local artwork?

There are a handful of places you can buy artwork from local artists including galleries, weekend markets, etsy, ebay, fundraising exhibitions, student exhibitions, or trading artwork with a fellow creative.

How do you pick pieces for your collection?

There is a big difference in motive and strategy for collecting artwork based on what you think will strictly increase in value 5, 10, 50 years from now versus collecting artwork that you like. As you are getting started it may be easier to begin with what you like and potentially pick a theme based on your personal style and interests (ex. Landscapes, figurative work, a specific color palette etc.)

Document your Art Collection

As the years pass you may forget the name of the artist for a piece, where you bought it, or the memory associated with it. That is where creating a log can be helpful! Yes this is a very type A practice but it will save you lots of future headaches and adding to it will be an added exciting part of the process each time you purchase a new piece of art

Although in the beginning it may feel like overkill, your future self will thank you for this proactive documentation! Plus it will be exciting to see your collection grow for years to come.

Use this template to start your Personal Art Collection Inventory Document today!

FREE PDF DOWNLOAD - Art Inventory Template