How to start an art collection

Collecting begins long before the first purchase. The collectors who report the highest satisfaction a decade in tend to have done the same handful of unglamorous things early. 1. Spend a season just looking — at fairs, online catalogues, studio visits — before buying anything. 2. Set a working budget. "Working" means realistic for your finances, not aspirational. 3. Buy what you'd happily live with for ten years, even if the artist never appreciates. 4. Keep paperwork. COA, provenance, invoices, condition reports — all of it. 5. Get a written conservation note from the artist for any unconventional materials. 6. Insure from the day the crate is opened, not from the day you think to call your broker.