The United States has the biggest percentage of art collectors in the world, with National Public Radio reporting that millennial collectors are particularly likely to take risks, network, and use social media to buy art and research on potential investments. The advent of social media means that art has the potential to reach millions in a day – something that many highly talented artists of past generations would certainly have given everything to achieve. The truth is that the choice of available online art is vast, and can be confusing to someone who is keen on building a collection of value. If you're keen on doing this and don’t know where to start, you may find the following tips useful.

Be Realistic About The Value Of Art
There have been seismic changes in terms of tastes and styles. If past generations collected intricately carved furniture, expensive ceramic pieces, and highly figurative art, today’s young homeowners are on a very different wavelength. For millennials, it is all about decluttering – having a couple of key pieces while giving importance to empty spaces and natural light. Changes in taste and style mean that something that may have been priceless in your grandparent’s generation would barely sell for cost price today. When you buy an artwork, know that it won’t necessarily turn into liquid assets in a few years. If you plan on leaving your collection to family, have your works valued so that you clearly see the components of the collection as assets rather than as things that give you great joy to contemplate.

Find Funding For Expensive Pieces
A Picasso or Dali won’t ever go out of style, so if you have become enamoured by a sketch, sculpture, or painting by an artist who has already made a name for him/herself, the investment may very well be worth it. When making an art purchase in the five figure-and-above scale, obtaining thorough financial advice will help you feel more secure about your decision. This is especially true if you will have to resort to selling an asset to fund your purchase. Because the market is so volatile, art should never be your primary investment. Rather, it should be part of a good diversification strategy for your investment portfolio. Top financial advisors suggest that in order to truly start investing in art, you should set aside a fund of between $6,000 and $600,000.

Attend Art Shows And Fairs
Developing a good ‘eye’ for art depends to a great degree on how much you encounter art in your daily life, and how much research you do into the subject. It is much the same with books: the more you read, the more confidently you can judge the quality and originality of a book you pick up, even if you have not heard of its author before. Art collection is always a little risky if you are buying with a view to future sale of an item. You never know whether or not an unknown artist today will be the talk of the town a few years down the road. Therefore, developing your own ability to appreciate aspects like perspective, light and use of color will give you a small push in the right direction.

Go With The Items You Like
For some, Van Gogh’s famous sunflowers have a special ‘light’ that speaks directly to their soul. For others, it is simply another example of impressionistic still life. When making a purchase, try to find the pieces you really feel connected to. Whether abstract impressionism or modern sculptures are your thing, buy the piece that you will get authentic joy from. This way, at the very least, you will obtain a thing of beauty that does not fade over time, and that will find its perfect home in a specific part of your house.

Depending on what type of art you wish to collect, remember that your collection may require special care – including keeping expensive works at the right temperature. Art doesn’t have to be an investment. Even if you don’t have big amounts to spend, by attending local fairs and visiting galleries, you may find pieces that greatly enrich your daily life and that you could literally contemplate for hours.