What to Collect

Guidance on choosing art that suits your taste and practical considerations for different art forms. Articles cover African art, Asian art, photography, contemporary pieces and collecting crafts.

Collecting Antiquities

You can legally collect many antiquities, from affordable ancient pottery to pricey Greek vases, though some objects must go to state collections.

Collecting Poster Art

Poster collecting became popular in the early 1900s and today posters are valued as art, with museums worldwide housing major collections.

Contemporary Art

Contemporary art is hard to pin down because there's no clear cutoff between what counts as new and what's considered dated.

Crafts

Crafts are skilled manual trades and creative pursuits that combine practical usefulness with aesthetic appeal, from stone masonry to pottery.

Digital, Internet and Video Art: An Emerging Market

How digital and internet art is changing what it means to own artwork, and why collectors should pay attention now.

How to Market a Piece of Art for Sale

Practical tips for getting your artwork noticed and sold in today's art market.

Objects of Curiosity

Unusual objects can brighten your home or complement a collection, and you can find them at car boot sales, shops, and museums throughout history.

Outsider Art

Art made outside mainstream conventions, from amateur painters to graffiti artists, now showing in major galleries.

Photography and Art

How photography's digital revolution is making art collecting affordable and accessible for everyone.

Practicalities of Collecting

Handling and storing valuable art requires proper care, insurance and expert help to protect your investment from damage.

Remember Your Personal Taste in Art Collecting

Don't chase trends or profit margins when buying art—collect what genuinely speaks to you within your budget.

Tips from the Galleries

A former London gallerist shares what collectors should know about working with galleries and navigating the art world.

Tips from Up and Coming Artists

Emerging artists share straight-talking insights on how the art market really works and what collectors should know.

What You Need to Know About Asian Art

Asian art encompasses diverse traditions across a vast continent, shaped by different cultural exchanges and growing global interest in contemporary work.

What You Need to Know About Collecting African Art

Understanding African art means grasping its spiritual and cultural context, not just viewing it through Western art standards.