Understanding Art Buyers And How To Attract Them To Your Work

Sharing is caring!

Heads up: This post may contain affiliate links. Learn more.

Things To Know About Art Buyers And Collectors As A Beginner

In the world of many different art professions, it can become confusing what each one entails, including art buyers. As you progress through your career, this individual may become someone who you wish to meet. But who exactly are they and what do they mean for your art practice?

 

 

Who Are Art Buyers?

The clue is in the name, but in simple terms an art buyer is someone whose responsibility is to purchase artwork. However, an art buyer must be able to do much more within their role. In order to purchase the right work for an organisation, company or private individual, they must have a good level of art understanding. This usually means an art buyer has studied art related fields at postgraduate level, like a masters for example. Amongst their education will usually be a strong leaning to Art History, as this builds the foundations of knowledge that influence their buying choices.

 

As well as buying actual pieces of art, the art buyer must have extensive knowledge of the current market, especially when working for a gallery which intends to resell. This means keeping an eye on up and coming artists, new trends and attending important networking events. When buying art for a museum on the other hand, the art buyer will be focusing on developing a museum’s collection rather than resale value. In these cases, the artwork that a collector comes across will be some of the most expensive and classic.

 

 

What’s the difference between art collectors and art buyers? 

An art buyer and an art collector are fairly similar roles and are sometimes discussed as being the same thing. Amongst the different types of art buyers, some may also be known as an art collector at the same time. Technically, anyone can be an art buyer if they have money and an interest to use it in exchange for a piece of work. To be an art collector however, takes a bit more thought. Collections take planning and consideration, therefore an art buyer needs to be more selective with their purchases if they want to be classed as such. There’s usually a clear theme to the work they buy, which helps convey a particular story within the collection.

The Different Types Of Art Buyers

When trying to attract art buyers and collectors, it’s useful to know the different types that you’ll come across and what they’re specifically looking for. How you market your work will determine what category of art buyer you’ll bring in.

 

Trophy Hunters

Even as a successful artist, this kind of art collector is very rare to come across. They usually do not care for the aesthetic or conceptual value of the artwork, placing the exciting pursuit at the top of their priorities. For a trophy hunter, the most impressive feature of the artwork is its astronomical price tag and prestigious notoriety. These types of art buyers are usually not collectors, as there’s no real contextual theme to the work they source.

 

Home Collectors

 

It can be difficult to get these kinds of buyers onboard initially, but once a home collector has a piece from you, it’s very likely they’ll become a returning customer. This type of art collector has a genuine love for the work they hang up in their home, usually in line with a specific style they already like. Home collectors are also known to support the work of their favourite artists, so treating them well in return is a good way to establish a long, rewarding relationship.

 

Investors

When it comes to investors, their main reason for buying art usually isn’t because they love the piece. They may have an underlying passion for art, but an investors main drive for buying artwork is the potential return on their purchase. Like trophy hunters, their concerns do not lie with the works’ aesthetic or contextual attributes, meaning they’re less likely to be art collectors. Instead, investors are good at taking risks, and will invest in experimental work if they know the value is going to increase. Due to this, an investor is likely to promote your work once they’ve acquired it, to drive interest and monetary value. For this reason, it’s a good idea to keep them on your side.

 

Gallery Collectors

The type of art that a gallery collector buys depends on the theme or collection they’re trying to create. If the gallery is looking to resell, then their shopping factors heavily depend on what can make a profit. However, a gallery collector is focusing on work that suits the image or story that the space is trying to create. Therefore, these type of art buyers can also be classed as collectors due to the research and consideration that goes into their purchases.

 

Interior Designers

Forming a good professional relationship with an interior designer can be very beneficial to your art career long term. Artwork is always needed for interior decorations, so these types of art buyers are regularly drafted in to work with a number of spaces including homes, offices or retail and hospitality venues. Having a large variety of work means an interior designer is likely to choose you for multiple projects. These art buyers are probably not collectors, as they’re employed by someone else to visually enhance a physical space, not to build a narrative formed by artistic themes and conversations.

 

Before You Search For Collectors or Art Buyers

It’s important to realise that simply knowing a list of buyers and collectors isn’t enough. A generic, self-promotional email is bound to get lost within a busy inbox. What’s more, is that these art buyers and collectors are very specific with what art they collect. This means that before you approach an art buyer to introduce yourself, it’s worth already knowing what art they buy. If your work is wildly outside of their usual style or category – contacting that specific art collector may be a waste of time.

 

The very experienced art collectors have years of knowledge and networking behind them, meaning they’re probably less inclined to buy art off an artist who randomly appears in their inbox, no matter how good their introduction is. This method can sometimes actually put off a potential buyer, who likes to shop for art on their own terms. As a beginner, these aren’t the type of art buyers to be aiming for – yet.

 

 

How Do You Attract Art Collectors?

Having understood the art market a little better, it now makes sense that finding people to buy your art can be somewhat of a challenge, especially in the beginning. More often than not, art buyers or collectors find you, rather than you seeking them. In fact, you may actually be trying too hard to target art buyers. Don’t worry though, as there are a few easy ways to increase your chances of coming across one of these art business individuals naturally.

 

Maintain an online presence

As with most art career endeavours, it’s always important to maintain a good online presence. This can be through your own artist website and Instagram account, but it also helps to be featured on other sites via interviews, articles, and write ups. An art buyer will want to see how you’re establishing your mark as an artist, so making sure your socials are up to date is a must, with the additional online mentions cementing your legitimacy. If you want to target art buyers online, try following them on Instagram and interacting positively with their content. But how do you find art collectors on Instagram? A fairly easy method is going to a galleries profile page and checking out who they follow. If you scan the list, there are guaranteed to be some art insiders, buyers or collectors. 

 

Insert your work into physical spaces

As well as being present online, art buyers are more likely to source from you if they’ve seen your work in person. This means regularly appearing in shows or open studios, whether they be group or solo events. As a beginner, you could try entering exhibition competitions or forming collaborative groups with fellow creatives from art school. These are the kind of events that buyers and collectors will have on their calendar to attend, so if you can manage to feature in a well respected exhibition or art fair, your chances of meeting them significantly increases. Don’t waste these moments, and use the opportunity of showing work to your advantage. Networking is still possible when you struggle with being shy, so don’t let that put you off.

 

Attend related events

You should probably be doing this anyway, but it’s good to highlight the importance of staying in the loop. For example, if you’re known for making abstract paintings, then attending the latest abstract painting exhibition is definitely a good idea. The type of events you should involve yourself in go beyond shows. Consider going to panel talks, auctions, art fairs, gallery openings and more. Even if your work isn’t directly involved in the event, you’ll still end up networking with people in your specific field, with some of those putting you through to art buyers and collectors! Before attending, make sure you’re clued up on how to introduce yourself and talk about your work.

 

 

Find a niche and style

As previously mentioned, the best way to be recognised is to get busy establishing yourself as an artist. Potential sales will come from a relationship that isn’t forced, with the collector taking a liking for your specific work. For this reason, it could be a good idea to find your art style, appealing to a target audience. This also helps to convert those sales into loyal customers as they’re more likely to buy from you again if they already know they like your work. However, be wary of putting yourself in a box too early. Artists shouldn’t sacrifice their creativity for the sake of selling.

 

Have patience and perseverance

Building an art career is no easy feat and may require a substantial amount of effort over a prolonged period. Selling to art buyers is just one part of the journey, taking a considerable amount of time itself. Treat it the same as the organic relationships in your life. You can’t form bonds with people overnight, and this principle should apply to anyone you plan to network with in the creative industry. By putting your art out there, you’re already on your way to a sale. Part of the deal is trusting the process and taking your time.

 

HOW HAVE YOU NAVIGATED THE PROCESS OF FINDING ART BUYERS AND COLLECTORS? LET US KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW.

Don’t forget you can always share your art with us! Become the next Artist of The Month or tag us on Instagram using #darkyellowdot or @darkyellowdot.

Thank you for reading and if you found this article useful, share it around, that makes us happy. To receive updates and more posts like this just join our mailing list, everyone is welcome.

 

NEED MORE ADVICE?

ARTICLES TO HELP:

5 Easy Tips For Building Your Instagram Presence As A Digital Artist

7 Artist Website Mistakes You’re Probably Making (And How To Fix Them)

How To Start Selling Art On Instagram Successfully (Tips For 2022)

COURSES TO HELP:

How To Professionally Approach Art Buyers And Art Directors With Your Artwork

How To Make Money Selling Your Art Today

Get Exposure And Find Collectors For Your Photography Online