Antique Art

About Antique Art

Arguably, art is one of the most complicated antiques to buy and navigating the antique art market can be quite difficult.

If you don’t have much experience buying art from antique dealers but you’re keen to explore some of the many beautiful antiques and collectables available in this category, you may be wondering where to start.

The Eat Sleep Antiques team has put together some useful advice for anyone interested in becoming an antique buyer.

Types of antique art 

There are so many different types of antique art to buy, from oil paintings and pen drawings to sculptures, and as a beginner, there is a lot to get your head around.

There are also numerous subject matters, from landscape art to portrait art, and different genres as well, making antique art something that tends to require a lot of research. 

Not to mention, antique art can be from various different periods of time and although all antiques are over 100 years old, there are several past centuries to explore when it comes to art and there are a number of incredible pieces out there. 

What type of antique art is best to buy 

Regardless of what your reasons may be for wanting to buy antique art, when starting your collection it’s best to buy pieces that you love.

Whether you're looking for beautiful art for your home or you’d like to sell antique art in the future, having a collection full of pieces that you’re passionate about is always beneficial.

When you love the art you buy and you’d be happy to keep it, you won’t feel as much pressure to find a seller and make a profit from it, and you won’t be worried about getting stuck with specific pieces in your collection. 

Of course, you will always need to take into consideration your budget when you buy antiques and art is no different. You will quickly notice that the price of antique art can differ quite considerably from one piece to another and you may find that your budget restricts you when you first start buying pieces of art for your collection.

Even if some antique art is out of your budget, there will always be lots of alternative pieces to look at. 

It’s important to remember that art, in general, is very subjective and the market can change quite quickly.

Whilst classic pieces tend to be more expensive, they are often a safer investment and they are the most popular amongst experienced antique dealers.

Limited editions are also one of the best types of antique art to buy and when there are only a specific number of pieces ever made, they will instantly be more desirable. 

Like all other antiques, buying antique art that has been well looked after by the past owners is always advantageous too.

However, there are very few pieces of antique art that are in pristine condition and the natural wear and tear that comes with age shouldn’t be off-putting.

No antique should look brand new and you need to have realistic expectations about what an antique piece will look like. It is also worth learning more about a piece of art and its history before you choose to buy it.

Don’t be afraid to ask an antique dealer lots of questions and do your own research too. 

If you’re looking for a new piece of art to purchase, feel free to browse through the vast range of antiques we have on the Eat Sleep Antiques marketplace today.