Why You Might Want to Buy Through Online Art Auctions

Started in 1962 by Harvey Littleton and Dominck Labino, the glass art movement, has escalated into a world wide school of many talented and well known artists. If you are interested in buying a glass piece, such as a glass painting or sculpture, you should explore this niche of the art world to find a piece that truly speaks to you.

A prospective buyer is welcome to go through an art gallery, approach the artist without a middleman, or even make their purchase through an online art gallery, an increasingly popular practice. About 71% of art collectors have now purchased at least one piece of art on the web, in fact.

Going online to buy art may seem counterintuitive because the experience isn’t as authentic as a live purchase, but it’s actually a great way to buy glass art online. Here are just a few reasons why.

1. Increased range and exposure
Sometimes, it seems like glass artists are few and far between. If you’re in the market, you’ve likely seen most of the local and regional glass artwork. Art auctions online are a great way to bridge the geographic and information gap. Artists from all over the country and the world put themselves out there on the Internet as much as they would at an art event or art glass gallery. They want to be found just as much as you want to find them. Plus, it’s fun to discover remote and emerging artists — for an art collector, that is.

2. More information
The chance to do your own research before buying a piece is a big deal in a world characterized by split second decisions and harrowing competition. Finding out more about the artist, the methods, the materials, the provenance, past appraisals, and style of a piece can directly affect your decision to buy (or not to buy). Glass blowing has been around since the dawn of the Roman Empire, and there are many very old works still in circulation. Especially for antique pieces, getting all the information is vital when determining the actual value. Participating in art auctions online may have much of the same urgency as the traditional kind, but they allow you to make a decision based objectively on the art and your preferences.

In addition, there are special online tools designed to superimpose the particular piece you are interested in on a picture of your wall, so you can see how it works with the rest of your decor.

3. No Pressure
Without the pressure and intimidation often conveyed by auctioneers, gallery owners or the artists themselves, buying art online gives the shopper a chance to actually decide what they want and to compare pieces. Classical methods employed by real life auctioneers — coercion, and other powers of persuasion are useless on you when you are behind your computer screen and miles away, free to opt of of a mounting bidding race or to join in, whenever you please. Art auctions online offer freedom from the dog eat dog world of conventional art bidding events.

If you have any questions, feel free to share in the comments.