These are the stepping stones from which this wondrous journey is begun. Expertise in an area is developed over time, while the process through which that expertise is gained becomes more enlightening and enthralling with every new contact or purchase. It is usually the love of art that initiates the process of becoming a collector and continues to fuel it as it progresses. However, it is education that acts as the vehicle through which expertise is attained. There are many ways of approaching education.
Every collector is different, with varying objectives and levels of involvement.
Some collect for the pure enjoyment of the art, some do so with someone else in mind. It is not uncommon for a collector to collect art with the intention of donating that collection to a particular museum. There are also different types of collections. One can collect from various artists in a particular medium or from a variety of media upon some other principle of organization. An in-depth collection concentrates on a particular artist and the evolution of his or her work over time.