Starting a Collection Without Overpaying
Starting a Collection Without Overpaying
Author
Rosalind Ainsworth
Category
Collecting
Published date
Read time
6 min read
Buy fewer, better things
A focused collection of considered pieces will always read better, and hold value better, than a room filled quickly. Decide what you actually respond to, then learn that corner of the market deeply before you raise a paddle.
Set a ceiling before the sale and hold to it. Auction rooms are designed to move you past your limit, and the excitement of the moment is the enemy of a sound purchase. The lot you lose today will have a cousin next season.
Above all, handle as much as you can. Condition, weight, and finish teach you more in an afternoon of viewing than a month of reading, and they are the fastest route to buying well.
The most common mistake new collectors make is not buying the wrong thing — it is overpaying for the right one. Patience, not budget, is what separates a good collection from an expensive one.
Buy fewer, better things
A focused collection of considered pieces will always read better, and hold value better, than a room filled quickly. Decide what you actually respond to, then learn that corner of the market deeply before you raise a paddle.
Set a ceiling before the sale and hold to it. Auction rooms are designed to move you past your limit, and the excitement of the moment is the enemy of a sound purchase. The lot you lose today will have a cousin next season.
Above all, handle as much as you can. Condition, weight, and finish teach you more in an afternoon of viewing than a month of reading, and they are the fastest route to buying well.
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