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decide
Buying From an Artist You Found on Instagram
Move the transaction from discovery to verification. Confirm the artist's identity and official sales channel, identify the exact work, obtain written terms, and verify payment instructions outside a direct-message thread.
Why this question is harder than it looks
Social platforms are useful discovery channels and surveyed collectors report using them, but a profile is not a transaction record. Build the same documentation you would expect from a studio or gallery.
A practical way to decide
- Follow the profile to an official website or independently verified contact.
- Request current photographs of the front, edges, reverse, signature, and any condition concern.
- Ask for a written invoice with medium, dimensions, date, price, and seller identity.
- Verify payment details through a second channel before sending funds.
- Save the listing and correspondence with the final object record.
What this does not establish
Follower counts, verification badges, and copied images do not prove identity, ownership, or authority to sell.
Next step
Check an artwork to organize public evidence about a specific listing. The tool provides research context, not authentication or appraisal.
Sources
- The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2025: Sales ChannelsArt Basel and UBS / Arts Economics
- Scams and Your Small BusinessFederal Trade Commission
- Business Email CompromiseFederal Bureau of Investigation