Tips for novice art buyers

MILL NECK, N.Y. — For a novice collector, Doris Mukabaa Marksohn advises, “Look at a lot of art. Keep looking until you begin to see things that speak to you.”

For beginning collectors, she has a number of unique pieces priced at less than $1,000.

“Art is a universal language that crosses all borders,” she says. “Our program is not to operate a gallery so much as a contemporary salon like the 19th century French salons, where there is dialogue about culture.”

She has what she calls a three-step program for those who are uncertain about buying art, finding something appropriate for their homes or wondering if they’ll still like a piece years down the road.

Step One: Look. See as much as you can, not just in one gallery but elsewhere. The more you see, the closer you will come to finding what you like.

Step Two: Look. As you look at more, your eye becomes educated, you don’t linger on those things you don’t care for.

Step Three: Look. You get the idea.

Whether you’ll still love the piece years down the road, “No one can answer that,” Mukabaa Marksohn says. She suggests that beginning collectors be prepared to make an occasional mistake along the way.

For practical questions such as, “Will my spouse like this as much as I do?” or “Will it fit in that spot over the sofa?,” Mukabaa Marksohn suggests telling the dealer you like the piece but need some time. Ask for the right of first refusal, should anyone else express interest in buying.

If you are enthusiastic about the work of a particular artist, ask to see what else the dealer has by the same individual, in other media or sizes. “No artist I know always works the same scale every time.”

Mukabaa Marksohn advises against what she calls “purely decorative buying” — buying something because it fits a particular spot or color scheme. “Buy because you love something, but be prepared to rearrange things at home to make it work,” she says.