Buying Art Online: 10 Tips to a Better Web Buying Experience

NEW YORK—In our previous article in our “Buying Art Online” series, we discussed how some of the benefits provided by Web galleries—a huge selection of artists, a more comfortable environment for new buyers—are helping to drive a shift in the way art is bought and sold.

But while buying art online does have certain advantages over trekking from gallery to gallery, it also poses a number of unique challenges as well. Here are 10 tips to help you maximize your Web shopping experience.

Tip #1: Beware the Junk

For better, but usually for worse, anyone can set up an online gallery—and thousands have. Inevitably, this translates into a lot of very bad art and can mean wading through mountains of schlock to discover any gems.

“The unsupervised, sometimes wild nature of the Internet still presents some problems in buying and selling original art,” said Rene Goodman, a spokesperson for Buy-Original-Art.com, which maintains a listing of sites that sell art online. “Some of the finest dealers are online, introducing brilliant artists and works that couldn’t be reached otherwise. Unfortunately, the great majority—as much as 90 percent—of art-selling Web sites are un-curated and offer amateurish art far below the standards of what can be found in the brick-and-mortar market.”

Agreed Paige West, founder of the Mixed Greens gallery in New York, which also maintains a highly regarded Web site: “When we started MixedGreens.com in 1998, we actually had a lot more competition back then. A lot of the sites had an open-door policy [with regards to artists] and that led to a lot of bad-quality art. The sites that have survived are selective and take more of a curatorial approach.”

So the solution to the schlock problem—if you don’t trust your own eye—is to look for sites that have some sort of sophisticated screening process with regards to the art they display. Sites that have curators or juries generally promote that fact heavily; those that don’t are generally immediately obvious.

Tip #2: Let’s Get Physical

In addition to sites that are curated, another way to ensure a positive experience is to stick with sites that also operate an actual, bricks-and-mortar gallery.

“All the online galleries I would recommend also have a physical space,” said West. “This is key. When you know the business has an actual gallery space, this means those running it most likely are more knowledgeable about art and the sales and shipping process.”

Tip #3: Virtual Sites, Actual People

No matter how appealing the art looks in a virtual space, be sure there is an actual person on the other end of the computer.

“Most credible companies provide detailed information about themselves,” Goodman added. “It is imperative that they have a physical address and a customer-service phone number—I wouldn't buy if they don’t.”

Before buying, contact the staff by phone or email and see how well (and how quickly) they respond.

Tip #4: Demand Authentication

As when making a purchase in a bricks-and-mortar gallery, buyers should demand some proof of the work’s authenticity. PicassoMio.com, for example, a site recently given the “Best of the Behemoths” award by ArtInfo, has this policy stated on its Web site:

“Most of our artworks are signed (and numbered, in case of editions) by the artist. If the artwork is not signed, a signed Artist’s Authenticity Statement may be available upon your request. This document certifies the artwork’s authorship, the title, year of creation, and dimensions. … Further, we can also provide you with an Independent Party Authenticity Endorsement with your purchase.”

Have a healthy suspicion of sites that don’t offer a similar authenticity standard.

Tip #5: Establish a Budget, Define Your Goals

“The Internet offers a very wide range of artworks in all price scales, so it is very important to establish a budget before embarking on the shopping expedition,” Goodman said. “I would also advise buyers to be clear about their goals for purchasing art—whether it is to develop a collection that may have some investment value or just to decorate one’s walls.”