In this week’s session I discuss how to respond when an art buyer asks “Is art a good investment?” It’s important to be careful when answering a question like this. We don’t want to set false expectations for our buyers; instead we should strive to encourage them to buy art for the personal enjoyment it will bring them for years to come.
How Would You Respond?
Have you had buyers ask you about the investment value of your art? How have you responded? What are your thoughts about art as an investment? Leave a comment below!
Image: “Interchange” by Willem de Kooning
Hi Jason,
Great video! This is exactly what my answer is to my commissioned jewelry collectors. I encourage them to buy if and only they absolutely love the piece, because it’s so personal.
I am a fashion accessories and jewelry designer for 30 years and I am working towards branching out and selling my art. I never sold my art through a gallery, so you can say I am a beginner in that sense. I would like to learn what the procedure is? Let’s assume that I send you my portfolio and that you obsoletely liked it and are interested to represent my work in your gallery…what’s next? Do you buy and sell or it’s just consignment? Level of commission involved? What other expenses are involved? Shipping expenses? Unsold work? How long you keep the art? What if I found a customer for the pieces that you are representing? Any other things to learn that I did not think of?
Thank you in advance!
Thank you for this terrific session. I’ll share it with others I know who may be interested. I’m a recently retired, “revived” painter who stopped for many years to manage a career and family. I decided, as I restarted that I didn’t care how much people paid for my works as long as they received joy from owning them. I’m struck by your visit today because you’re essentially recommending joy of ownership as the best, most realistic way to consider one’s investment in art unless they’re a “blue chip collector.”
Recently a young lady purchased 3 pieces of my work. 2 of them were current, less than one year old, that she fell in love with. Of course, I was thrilled! The third piece, I did not have for sale. It is an older piece I painted over 40 years ago, a bit more “amateurish” than the other two she liked, and it was stacked behind a few others in a corner. To my great surprise, it was the first one she spotted, and she loved it! Then, later she chose the other two. Now all three hang in her home and she’s thrilled to have them…and that’s what I want for all my sold pieces. Thrilled owners.
Your ZOOM today was more than fitting. It is informative and offers an intelligent, practical approach to how and why folks should buy art. It’s not only good for us artists, as sellers, but also should serve the needs of potential buyers.
Well done-Thank you.
Thanks Greg!