On Buying Art

Awhile back I read a little article on collecting art.  I think the best point the article made was that you don't need to be super rich to collect art, and a collection is technically more than one piece.  Although then the article went into what sizes you should buy.  I also saw a Better Homes and Gardens article where they said people should be buying more modern art to bring vitality to their homes.   I guess this is all well and good.  In my mind the main rule is buy what you like, and don't worry about investment value.  After all if it is going to be hanging on your wall it should be something you enjoy.  Most of the art I buy tends to be smaller.  It accomodates my budget and small apartment.  Other thoughts on buying art.  I would be wary of buying big name artists on ebay, or there are some on etsy too.  There are a lot of knock offs out there, if you are going to spend a lot of money you should be sure.  There are a lot of fake Chagal prints out there for instance.  I doubt most could afford a Corot, but he was a bit of a trickster too.  To help out his struggling artist friends he would sign their paintings for them.  Then they could go off and sell their Corot more easily and for more money.  Unfortunately today when these paintings surface they do not retain their value.  Part of why I like to buy from living artists.  I will not lie when I heard that an artist I bought from had a Milwaukee PBS special done on them I was pretty happy.  In my mind that is more rewarding than spending a lot of money on a fake big name.  Although that said living artists can be tricksters too.  I have heard of artists at fairs faking their painting ability by having photos printed on canvas, and then painting over with clear varnishes to make it look painting.  This in my mind could also cross over to less realistic art.  Many artists sell giclee prints, or printed canvas reproductions of their work.  This is all well and good but they should be upfront about it.  I could see someone doing brush work on a canvas reproduction and selling it as original.  A lot of the printed canvas ones I have seen have a plastic quality to them.