The collector’s research desk

Make a more informed art purchase.

200 attributed research notes on prices, buying behavior, materials and care. Each topic separates what the source says from how you might use it in a purchase.

What is the average art purchase?

There is no single useful worldwide price for a painting. Annual collector spending, a transaction average, an auction result and a studio asking price measure different things. Start by identifying the population, period and unit behind a number.

Understand the mean and median ↗

Research you can trace

This is a curated public research library, not proprietary customer data or evidence of this gallery’s sales. Older figures retain their original period. Care notes support a conversation with a specialist.

Read the methodology ↗

01 / 10 research notes

Make a more informed art purchase.

What is the average art purchase?

Research you can trace

Understanding the global art market

What gallery economics mean for a buyer

Reading auction headlines carefully

Expectations are not sale results

Art holdings and collector wealth

What do collectors spend on art?

How collectors find and buy art

Learning to look through art events

What buying intentions can and cannot tell us

What online buyers want to know

A painting is more than its paint

Choosing a stable display environment

Why textured paintings need careful cleaning decisions

Framing as part of the artwork’s protection

What a backing board contributes

When the artwork is on paper

Planning artwork storage and access

Preparing a painting for a move

Twenty details from the museum collection