Research with context
How collectors find and buy art
Selected high-net-worth collectors; 3,100 respondents across ten markets. Not a population-wide estimate.
Period: 2024 and first half of 2025 · Source reviewed: September 5, 2026
How to use this research
Finding a painting and purchasing it can happen in different places. Save the title and artist when a work catches your attention, then ask the seller for a consistent set of details before comparing it with alternatives. If you move from social media to email, confirm that you are still communicating with the same seller. For a commission, translate inspiration into a brief instead of treating a reference image as an agreed outcome.
Editorial application by Physical Art For Crypto; it is not a source finding or a report of our customer outcomes.
What the source reports
- 01
83% bought through galleries across physical and digital channels.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 02
51% of dealer buyers purchased via Instagram without viewing in person.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 03
58% made purchases connected to art fairs.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 04
Dealers received 43% of transaction value.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 05
49% made an auction purchase.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 06
Auctions received 12% of spending.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 07
43% bought directly from artists’ studios.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 08
37% commissioned an artwork.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 09
35% purchased through artists’ Instagram links.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025
- 10
Artist-direct purchases received 20% of spending.
Art Basel & UBS / Arts Economics ↗ · 2024 and first half of 2025