RSAS / Buying
Buying Contemporary Art
Sourcing, verification and negotiation, guided by research you read before you decide.
In most art transactions, the best-informed person in the room is the seller. Our job is to change that. Every acquisition we handle is built on independent research into the artist and the work, and you see it in writing before you decide. That includes any reasons the work may not be right for you.
Who We Buy For
Private collectors, first-time buyers and family offices. Some arrive with a list of artists. Others bring a budget, a wall and an open mind, and we find the direction together. Buying for a hotel, an office or a design project? See Corporate and Hospitality.
How a Purchase Works
- 01
Introductory call
Half an hour, by telephone, video or in person. We listen to what you want to achieve and explain how we work. There is no charge and no obligation.
- 02
Your brief
We put our understanding of your interests, budget, space and timescale in writing, so you can correct anything before work begins.
- 03
Engagement and due diligence
We confirm in writing the capacity in which we act and how we are paid, and complete the identity and source-of-funds checks the law requires.
- 04
Research and shortlist
We identify artists and works that fit the brief, research each one across both markets and send you a written summary.
- 05
Sourcing
We approach galleries, studios, dealers and private owners on your behalf, or bid at auction on your instructions. Galleries often offer new work privately to collectors they know, and our relationships open those doors for our clients.
- 06
Verification
Authenticity, provenance, title and condition are checked before anything reaches you, with an independent condition report where the work calls for one. Every work comes with a certificate of authenticity from the artist or their gallery.
- 07
Negotiation and purchase
We negotiate the terms, prepare the paperwork and manage payment through a documented process.
- 08
Delivery
Shipping by specialist fine art handlers, with framing and installation arranged as needed.
If the Price Is Wrong, We Say So
We will not put a work in front of a client unless the evidence supports the asking price. When comparable sales, once buying costs are added, point well below what the seller wants, we tell you. Then we negotiate, or we walk away. Works from our own inventory are held to exactly the same test.
After the Purchase
A work bought through RSAS is yours outright. It is held in your name, never pooled with other clients' property and never used by RSAS as security for anything. Most clients simply take it home and hang it. For those who need more, we help with:
Storage
Climate-controlled fine art storage in London, Gibraltar, Sotogrande and Marbella, in your name, with transport by specialist shippers.
Insurance
Guidance on fine art cover and introductions to specialist brokers. Formal insurance valuations are carried out by accredited valuers.
Condition and conservation
Periodic condition checks, and referrals to qualified conservators when treatment is needed.
Framing and hanging
Conservation-grade framing and professional installation.
Documentation
One organised file for each work: invoice, certificate, provenance, exhibition history and condition reports. Good records are among the simplest ways to protect a work's saleability, and they make any later sale through us faster.
How We Are Paid
Either a fixed advisory fee or a commission, agreed in writing before we begin. Where we own the work, you pay its stated price. You will always know which applies before you commit. See Fees and Engagement and Conflicts of Interest.