Art has become a trendy alternative for investment. One can buy art as an investment. However one should keep certain basic things in mind before one buys a piece of art. Here are few guidelines that will help you while buying a piece of art.

1.Study the market: You need to do your homework well and try to understand the value of the    work. It is more important while buying art as the fake pieces will get you less or no returns.

2.Keep away from getting caught in fad buying: You do your own study and based on that select what you want to buy. Because the art piece is your favorite and you will enjoy it for a long time.

3. Budget: In other words limit your spending before you buy the art.  If you have no knowledge about the budget, then it is better to take an advice from a veteran collector.  They can tell you from the experience whether the particular piece is overpriced or not.

4. Try to be different: While buying the art piece don’t follow the trend. Try to buy which others are not buying. Art pieces which are not in trend can come at affordable price and can get you good returns later on.

5. Read: Read a lot about the artist you are planning to buy. About the kind of work he has done so far.

6. Know your taste: It is better to research various art forms and media such as oil on canvas, acrylic on canvas or water colors, while buying art especially as an investment. In the long run your taste will matter most than the monetary value of the art form. You must know which type of art you like the most. Do you like miniatures, traditional Tanjore paintings, and modern art.  Decide all this before you venture out to buy your art.