Collecting begins with curiosity — which leads to understanding — which leads to passion. When you can't wait for your latest acquisition to arrive, you've become a collector. If you follow your instincts and spend time looking at art, you will discover your own unique approach to collecting.

Collecting — on your own terms
There are as many ways to collect art as there are kinds of art. Learn from other collectors, but try to avoid someone else's idea of collecting. You can approach collecting casually or intensely. You may choose to stay within a strict budget, or devote every available resource to your collecting habit. Deliberate at length or be impulsive — the best approach to collecting is the one that most closely matches your personality and current situation. Allow your collecting plan to evolve as your taste, knowledge, family situation and economic circumstances evolve.

To specialize, or not to specialize
You might begin by collecting a wide variety of art in different styles and media, or you may decide to start your life as a collector as a specialist. Many specialized collections are based on a collector's initial personal preferences, and become well-rounded as the collector gains expertise in a specific type of art. If you decide to specialize, your area of focus can be as broad as portraiture, or as narrowly defined as Bay Area landscapes, 1980-90. You can concentrate on a particular medium, a specific period/style, or a specific location/subject. The combinations are limitless.

Your new life as a fine arts patron
Following a collecting strategy can quickly become a passionate pursuit, an engrossing detective game, even a second career. You don't have to have any specific knowledge in the beginning — only an interest, a preference, or an attraction. The knowledge will come with time. Motivated by your love for the art, you'll wind up gathering immense amounts of information — some collectors avidly pursue research never done by anyone else. Without even trying, you might become an amateur scholar or even a recognized authority on your topic. Many wonderful collections have been started by people of average means indulging a curiosity. When your walls are filling up with art that you are passionate and informed about, you'll know why people become patrons of fine art.


Next: Framing & Hanging — Why is framing so expensive?