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The Beginner's Guide to Starting an Art Collection

Collecting art is a marker not just of adulthood, but another, more elevated level of adulthood. Like wine tasting, it's something you feel might be important to try, although you're not exactly sure why.

In this fractured world economy, most young people aren't about to buy their own home anytime soon. Instead, we're at the mercy of landlords and forced to schlep our belongings to a new place every few years (if we're lucky). The act of moving home so often doesn't just make investing in quality furniture like an Eames chair difficult, it makes you question whether to buy anything large at all.

But art is different. It's something you can appreciate instantly and the act of putting it up will make any place feel like home. It's also more than just owning an object. According to Becca Starr, director of auctions collector relations at Artsy, "Starting a collection is creating an opportunity to be surrounded by joy every day."

"Engaging with art will make you think and feel differently, and see the world in a more diverse and creative way," says Paul Becker, CEO and founder of Art Money, a platform that offers interest-free credit to prospective art buyers. "Owning art is experiential, from meeting the artist to understanding and sharing the story behind the work."

Building an art collection can also be seen as a way to invest your money into something tangible that could offer a significant payback. It also supports the creative economy. Everyone wants to see artists create and thrive, but if no one buys their work, artists can't survive. Another benefit is that, unlike holding on to a rare pair of sneakers or a Supreme grail, you can actually enjoy the art as its value appreciates — assuming you choose the right piece.

Collecting art doesn't belong only to an unreachable grown-up world and you don't need a JAY-Z-level budget to make it work. From how to get started to what pieces to buy on a budget, Starr and Becker give us the lowdown on everything you need to know about building an art collection from scratch. Before you even think about taking out your wallet, both Starr and Becker advise that you first take some time to research. Continue reading from High Snobriety