Tip 1: Look for something you love rather than just something to decorate your home or office. Once you've fallen in love, then you can think about how it will fit in your home. Think about if it's going in a high-traffic area with lots of sunlight. If so, get it framed with glass that has a UV coating.

Tip 2: Consider starting a collection of a certain type of art such as landscapes or animal scenes. Pick a room in your home to showcase the collection, much like a museum exhibit.

Tip 3: Learn about art, local artists and your personal taste for art by visiting galleries and local museums in your area. You can also explore the Internet for what galleries have around the world. Once you figure out what you want, some local galleries will help you track down a specific type of art if they don't have it.

Tip 4: If you're on a budget (and who isn't these days), consider going for prints. They can be a significant reduction in price from the original and they look nearly as good. Photographs are also more economical than paintings and other types of art. And consider going to some of the local art schools at the end of the school year. They often have exhibits of their students' artwork and the students are anxious to sell it for cheap.

Tip 5: Make sure you really love what you're buying. Most galleries don't have established return policies but they'll work with you if it's truly something you can't live with. You may end up having to exchange it rather than getting a refund.

Tip 6: Don't buy art as an investment. The art world is too unpredictable and certain art doesn't necessarily guarantee a return later down the road if you try to re-sell it.

Tip 7: Always ask a gallery if they have anything else to sell aside from what they have exhibited. Many will have additional pieces tucked away that don't fit with what's on display.

Tip 8: When buying a photograph or a print, ask what number it is in the edition. It'll be an important fact if you ever want to re-sell the art. Plus it's kind of cool to know if you have the first or last one in the edition.