Curator sells art, and we do it online. So I can imagine that you’re kind of confused right now as to why we might be telling you to feel less confident about making an online purchase.

Above: Do you trust sites you buy from online? Photo courtesy striatic

Photo: It took a long time for online food shopping to catch on, despite big brand backing. Photo courtesy of didbygraham

The thing is, you’re right to be uncomfortable with it. People have always been uncomfortable buying things online – it’s just natural. Think back to the days when online food shopping just started up – did you jump straight in, or try it out after a few people gave it a go first? It took a good few years to catch on, and many people are still wary today.

It’s quite unsurprising though. For centuries we’ve been buying and trading from each other and we’re used to seeing a product for ourselves before we hand over our hard earned cash. But not only the product, we get a feeling about the shop we’re in and the person selling it to us too. At best we can gauge if they’re going to be around in a couple of weeks to get a refund.

Curator is different

OK here comes the advertising…

No, really, we are different, because we’re not just an online shop. We’re real people and we pick up the phone when you call (we like to chat, so feel free).

And as real people, we have an opinion on art too. In fact we only sell art that we really love – we just wouldn’t be able to sell anything else.

It’s this love that lets us talk to you in depth about an artist when you call to talk about their work, or motivates us when we’re driving a set of paintings to the other side of the country so you can see them in the comfort of your own home.

Above: We understand that buying art online is difficult, not least because a screen just isn’t an ideal environment to see how a painting will look in your home. Photo courtesy of Ophilos

In fact, it makes our day. It’s an incredible joy to bring a piece of work to an art lover that appreciates the same things we do.

But more importantly, we know that it makes the difference to you too. We know you’d rather see an amazing painting in the flesh and on your wall before you make your mind up. We also know that it can be difficult choosing a piece that’s right, and that a lot changes between looking at an image on-screen, and a painting right in front of you.

Most important of all, we know that you’d rather be dealing with someone in person, who knows something about the art you’re interested in, who can answer the questions you have rather than hard-sell you art that you don’t want, and who’s happy to bring it to you because they love it just as much as you do.