- Museums look for art that is important. The art should be of high quality and define an art period. It should represent an important time in an artist's career.
- Art buyers attend auctions when art comes up for sale publicly in order to purchase the art. They also network with collectors and may help arrange for private sales of important art pieces by acting as a liaison between artists, collectors and buyers.
- Art buyers typically have master's degrees or doctorates in art history. They keep track of exhibits and major art works and what's coming up for sale. They verify the authenticity of the provenance of a piece of art. The provenance is the sequence of owners and galleries where the art has been exhibited.
- The art buyer oversees the handling and transportation of the art, the specifications of the crates and the logistics. The art has a condition report that is checked when it is crated and opened.
- Art buyers for contemporary collections attend major art events called Biennials to look for emerging artists.
