
Back in April, I decided I wanted to start collecting art. For some reason, I was thinking about Ralph and wanted to see how he was being treated in the art world. I was shocked that there was not a dedicated website for his artwork.
I started looking around for a piece to buy, not sure if I could afford a piece or not. It was interesting to see the wide disparity in prices I found. Some items had sold quite cheaply, while others were way out of my price range.
While doing my research, I came across the world of art auctions, specifically online. With the COVID pandemic in its early stages and being stuck at home, it seemed a good way to find things I wanted.
I struck gold with one of my first finds, this collage from a local auction house, obviating the need to pay for shipping, allowing me to pay more for the piece itself. All in, I paid $195 for the piece, a lot for me at the time, and only double the $100 I was aiming to find artworks for, as an artificial maximum that would make me more choosy and also able to purchase more than if I spent hundreds on individual pieces.
And from this one purchase, the hunt was on…