Our voices are now center stage; take the time to listen to them. Learn the history to understand and contextualize the narrative, the subject matter, the artist. This will also help you make more discerning choices, avoiding derivative work, for example. Let’s be honest: Not all art is great.
Art is an investment in more than one sense. You and whomever you choose will get to see the work in your collection, and it can be enjoyed for years to come. And while there are many reasons why someone might eventually want to or even have to sell art from their collection, there are right and wrong ways of doing this.
To be clear, I am not against collectors selling artworks from their collections. The art is your property, and you are allowed to do as you please. However, to ensure an efficient and equitable resale market for artists’ work, we as a community of buyers and sellers should observe certain practices. This also is in the best interest of you, the collector. If an artist’s market crashes, it’s not only to the detriment of them and their dealers. It also impacts the collectors who hold their work. Speculation is not good for the market.