Most of our purchasing behaviour is moving online, and art is no different - in fact, online art sales now account for around a third, if not more, of the total art market. We have become increasingly comfortable with looking at art online and buying it conveniently through today’s digital tools, especially among the younger generations. In fact, millennial art collectors are now the largest consumer group of the art market and outspend any other generation on art to date. 

How has this all come about, and what are the benefits of buying art online? We are exploring the key reasons why it opens so many new doors to the art world. Whether you’re a veteran collector or making your debut into your art buying journey, Artscapy’s online platform is a great place to start.

• Accessing art without geographic boundaries

Until now, and even still today, you have been largely tied to whatever your local galleries were exhibiting and offering for sale. The idea of buying an artwork from a gallery that was not in your city, was likely quite a foreign concept for most until recently. 

Today, you can easily access a global art market online. You can buy a piece from a New York gallery and have it shipped to your home in the UK with just one click if you wanted to! On Artscapy’s marketplace, you can already find several galleries from across the globe to browse and buy from - including KOW in Berlin, Pinksummer in Italy, and of course plenty in Artscapy’s home city of London including JD Malat, to name a few. Artscapy hand-picks every gallery on the platform to help you discover and buy some of the best quality fine art the industry has to offer. 

• Competitive pricing and greater transparency

By accessing a greater pool of sellers online, you will be able to access further information both on potential sellers that you could buy art from, as well as the greater likelihood of more competitive pricing, as you’ll be able to compare the different offerings between sellers.

This certainly applies if you are considering buying an editioned artwork, but also if you remain open-minded around the specific piece of the artists you could acquire, because some artists can have multiple galleries representing them at any one time, or indeed multiple authorised sellers. Of course other factors should be considered, such as condition of the work, the relationship with the gallery or seller, and supplementary costs such as shipping, framing, and any import taxes, but this greater pool of choice paves the way for greater transparency and a better experience for the collector in the art buying journey. Which is exactly what we at Artscapy are here to champion.

In particular, when buying multiples online, you may find that more than one of the editions within a certain series are being sold at a varied range of prices (much like you would when doing price comparison of any other item you have ever chosen to research and buy online). 

Our top tip on this is to make sure you consider the key aspects of quality and value when looking at multiples online. Even if artworks are from the same edition series, do make sure that you fully inspect the condition, presence of the certificate of authenticity (if there is one), provenance track, and framing quality (more details on this in upcoming articles), and based on this, you have the right information to determine if the price quoted is reasonable.

Artscapy is a site that has been built by collectors for collectors, and so we recognise the importance of all these considerations within the buying process. This was precisely why we made sure that prices are always visible on any artwork for sale, as well as providing you with all key information needed. Furthermore, every artwork on sale on Artscapy goes through a due diligence process whereby key information is checked by our team. This is to alleviate some of the burden buyers often experience in having to check works entirely themselves before purchasing (more on the due diligence you should think about as an art buyer in an article in the coming weeks). All these measures have been put in place to help make your art exploring and acquiring hassle-free and less opaque.

• Greater variety of artworks and more freedom to explore 

The internet is infinite, and so are your art buying options. Online purchases can be more  convenient, less time consuming, and ultimately more enjoyable. You can quickly and easily find art that fits your style from a truly international market without walking around local galleries for hours on end. On Artscapy, you can explore different galleries, advisors and the artists that they represent all on one platform, by engaging with the online viewing rooms and through our articles and content. 

Not sure what art you like? Through Artscapy’s wide range of curated content, you can find deep dives on artists and their practices, interesting comparisons between their varying styles and topics, as well as hand-picked gallery guides to get you going with your collecting journey. On top of that, all the art you find on Artscapy’s marketplace has been vetted by our team and specially selected to align with our mission: to make quality fine art collecting as accessible as possible.

• Variety of different sellers, and seamless collection management

On Artscapy, you can explore many different sources for buying art online: from your favourite well-known gallery to one that might be completely new to you. You’ll be able to consult our art advisors directly on how to refine and grow your collection, as well as buy artworks directly from other collectors. Once the sale is complete, all the details and documentation of the newly purchased artwork will then be automatically transferred into your personal collection on Artscapy. This useful feature helps to seamlessly keep your collection management on track whilst minimising your time spent on administration.

• Direct interactions with sellers 

Artscapy’s marketplace allows for direct interaction with sellers, which makes for a more efficient and transparent purchasing experience. But Artscapy is not just a marketplace; it is also an online community where you can discuss art with other like-minded collectors and explore new artists and galleries with them. Get inspired about how you might build and or refine your collection through forum-style discussions, curated articles, and online viewing rooms.

• Available 24/7 

There are no shop doors and closing hours on the web, so you can buy art at whatever time suits you best! Buying art online means you do not have to worry about the restrictions of time zones or gallery opening hours. You can simply scroll down our online catalogue and make a purchase whenever you want.

• First access to new artworks and releases 

Artists and galleries often release special editions online first, and others even do this through online raffles to promote the release. This makes the digital world the perfect space for you to access the primary market more easily. On Artscapy, you will soon be able to see a curated list of market releases so you can get first-hand access to new works by your favourite artists. 

Ready to ignite your collecting journey with us? We know that starting (or growing) your art collection isn’t always easy… And that’s exactly why we’re here. You can create a free Artscapy account with us within moments, and you’ll soon be experiencing an easy and safe way to collect and manage your art online with us. 

Artscapy’s marketplace is here to provide you with an enjoyable, engaging, and convenient art browsing and buying experience. So, if you haven’t joined Artscapy yet, why not sign up for free and become an Artscaper today? We look forward to seeing how your collection unfolds!

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