Collectible Art

Collectible art pieces consist of wall art, including paintings, prints, posters, photography, sketches, drawings, maps and more. This art category also would include bronzes, statues, tapestries, and rugs. There is no right or wrong art. There is no right or wrong way to buy or collect art. Anyone can collect whatever they feel like collecting or buy whatever art they feel like buying.

You can begin your decision-making process by asking and answering four basic questions.

1. Who is the artist? 
2. How significant is the art? 
3. What is the art's provenance, history, and documentation (or more simply, where has the art been and who's owned it)? 
4. Is the asking price fair?

The more art costs, then the more respected, established and documented the artist should be; hence, Collectibles Clearinghouse attempts to research and post information about any artist of a piece we consign. The more books, catalogs, and online resources that list, mention or discuss the artist, the better. Ask the artist or seller whether the art is original or reproduced by mechanical means. This question is especially important with limited edition prints, giclees in particular. Many limited edition "works of art" are little more than digital or photo-reproduced copies of originals that are printed not by the artists who sign them, but by digital printers or commercial publishing companies. Good documentation and provenance increases the desire of the work of art to collectors, market value, and most importantly, conclusively proves it's by the artist whose signature it bears.

Condition is also very important. A piece that needs restoration or has stains, tears, or chips will be less valuable.