Advice to collectors

This from Dale Hickey, the only international art critic we know who regularly wears an All Black cap.

"My best advice: Talk price, condition, and provenance! This is not a bull session in the dorm. The first negotiator to mention aesthetic quality loses. Ask for a price. If the dealer says, “Oh yes, that’s a wonderful piece,” the price is probably soft. If you say, “Oh, this is lovely! What’s the price?” you have probably just raised it. You must now keep the color in your face when the dealer quotes the outrageous, unattainable number. Blanch and you have left yourself open to the wan smile and the murmur “Well, if you can’t afford it, you can’t afford it!” Billions of dollars’ worth of art have been sold this way."

Dale Hickey on buying art in December's Vanity Fair