Sometimes the most cherished souvenir is the work of an artist who has captured the spirit of a destination. Before you make that next purchase, read on for six simple steps to follow before you buy that painting, photograph, sculpture, or other piece.
1. Know What You Want
While finding a piece of art that speaks to you requires a little serendipity, consider your overall goals. "Decide if you want to look for a souvenir typical of the area you are visiting, or a work of fine art," advises Christel Dahlén, a former art consultant and now the director of international relations at the Chelsea Art Museum in New York. If you're purchasing a relatively inexpensive memento, then your biggest concern will be getting it home. But if you're looking for a sound investment, or toward developing a collection that speaks to your aesthetic vision, do your research on the artists or the work you're interested in before you leave home.
2. Consult an Independent Expert
"When you're spending really serious money, have some really serious people advising you," says avid New York collector Michael Mendelsohn, founder of Briddge Art Strategies, and art-world consultant. He suggests working with an impartial expert—a professional appraiser or a fellow collector—who can help you assess a piece based on high-resolution digital photos, which established galleries can provide. An appraiser can often also help confirm that the work is authentic and has a valid title of ownership.
Expert guidance is crucial if you're in the market for antiquities. "Buying antiquities overseas is very tricky," says Dorit Straus, worldwide fine arts manager for the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. "There's the issue of authenticity—there are very good fakes out there. But the bigger concern is whether the items were illegally excavated. It's a potential minefield," she says, which has tripped up the Getty Museum and other institutions, as well as individual collectors.
3. Cover Your Bases
As you would with any investment, protect yourself with insurance before you leave home. "It's difficult to make arrangements for insurance while you're traveling overseas," Straus says. First, check the fine print on your existing policies, whether you have a stand-alone policy specifically for art, or one attached to your home-owner's insurance. Sometimes these policies include extensions, so you can acquire new pieces abroad and declare them after you return. If you're not insured before you go, it's still possible to get temporary coverage through a good shipping agent. Straus advises against it, as it's typically more costly and often carries exemptions for fine art, but some policies may protect your sculpture, painting, photograph, or other work when it's most vulnerable to damage: during transport back to the United States. Finally, check with your credit card company regarding protections they offer for items you charge.
4. Choose a Trustworthy Seller
The easiest and best way to ensure a smooth purchase is to buy from prominent, well-established galleries, or at major art fairs such as Switzerland's Art Basel and Frieze, in London, where art dealers are vetted thoroughly. The fairs have a reputation to uphold, and you can be confident that the work will be authentic. (In the unlikely event that it's not, you'll also have recourse.) "A good gallery should do absolutely everything for you, from getting you a cup of tea when you walk in, to giving advice on lighting the work when it's arrived at your house," says William Noortman, managing director of Noortman Master Paintings, a gallery based in Maastricht, home of one of the world's most important fairs.
Dealers should be able to handle transportation, the customs process, and any importing problems, but if you are arranging shipping yourself, consult the International Convention of Exhibition and Fine Arts Transporters (icefat.org), an organization that can recommend 80 prescreened shippers.
5. Get a Fair Price
To judge whether the asking price is reasonable, research the figures for other works by the same artist from the same period. Be wary of offers that seem too good to be true. "Never buy something for $5,000 that the dealer tells you is worth $100,000," advisesMendelsohn. Reputable sellers will price works according to market value, so such "discounts" are a red flag. "At a gallery or antiques dealer of good standing, as a rule of thumb the biggest discount you can negotiate is about ten to fifteen percent," says Dahlén, of the Chelsea Art Museum, or sellers may also be willing to offer a discount on shipping and handling charges.
6. Follow the Rules
Keep in mind that many countries have laws to protect their cultural property, and that the U.S. government has very specific restrictions on what art and antiquities can be imported. You can't bring back that terra-cotta statue from Mali or colonial-period painting from Peru, for instance, unless you have a special export permit. Visit the U.S. State Department's Web site (exchanges.state.gov/culprop) to view photographs of restricted items by country. Consulting a licensed customs broker can also help you steer clear of trouble. In general, however, original fine art created entirely by hand, including paintings and drawings, as well as antiques that are at least 100 years old, can be brought into the United States duty-free.
