Collecting art can be a great hobby, business or investment. There are many benefits to collecting art, such as it can help you promote and support the art industry. 

Plus, you can get exposure to a more extensive community and learn more about art. Alongside this, you grow your knowledge, get to connect to artists and add value to your collection. But, when we talk about value, there are only a select few pieces that can really set your collection apart.

A purchase that is sure to diversify your portfolio is limited edition prints. If you're not familiar with these prints, they're a set of exclusive prints that the artist has released. Unlike normal prints, there is only a set amount to the collection, making them limited. To guarantee they're limited, they come with a certificate of authenticity, print number and artist's signature.

But that isn't all to why you should start collecting limited edition prints. There are more benefits than you think...

Affordability

Compared to buying unique and original artworks, limited edition prints are easier on the bank balance. Several factors can affect the final price of a limited edition print

• The size of the edition
• The size of the print
• The printmaking medium

Limited edition prints tend to be a popular form of collecting as the authenticity allows collectors to invest in high quality, hand signed art, without the cost of buying the original.

Accessibility

If you're starting your collection, limited edition prints can be a great way to add value and build to it slowly. It also allows you to access highly promising artists at a fraction of the cost. There are so many different types of limited edition prints you can buy over the internet and get them delivered to your door or held in a secure storage facility.

Quality

In comparison to other types of artwork you will buy, limited editions are high in quality. Unlike unlimited editions, these are not mass produced, and usually, there's only a small amount in the collection. Most of the time, limited edition prints only have between 2 and a few thousand prints in the edition. 

Moreover, as they're not produced in large amounts, the artist thoroughly checks each piece's quality. Plus, a lot of limited edition prints are produced on a paper known which is acid-free which helps preserve the print for a long time.

Value

With limited edition prints, you have many options to choose from, including,

• Etchings
• Giclee
• Engravings
• Woodcuts
• Serigraphs
• Linoleum
• Offsets

In particular, woodcut limited edition prints have 20 colours to choose from made from 20 different hand carved woodblocks per colour. This is a hands-on labour process and takes time to produce a print.

You can generally discover printmaking methods like this by observing closely or asking your art dealer. Techniques like these can add to the quality of the print and can increase the value of the artwork itself. 

Likewise, if you choose to have a particular piece in your collection, you can later use valuable information like this to help sell your prints and add value to your collection.  

Investment potential

Most of the time limited edition prints don't decrease in price; they will either stay the same or increase. Because of this, they're often seen as a shrewd investment choice.

If a certain number of prints in an edition become sold out, your limited edition print might rise in price. Similarly, as the artist grows or gains their reputation, they might increase a lot in price.

 This has been extremely popular in famous auction houses such as Christie's and Sotherby's, where limited edition prints have sold for a large amount of money, one of which was Pablo Picasso's 'La Minotauromachie' (1932) which sold for $1.98 million. While this may be the cause for this limited edition print, you have to be careful and selective to make sure you choose the suitable print.

Community building

The larger the demand for the art, the more you will benefit

When you're purchasing limited edition prints, you're also helping the artist. You're adding to the value of their work and making their collection more scarce. This also helps encourage the artist to create new artworks, raising the value of the limited edition print you've purchased.

Moreover, you're helping establish them in the art world and get them talked about more. Once the artist becomes more spoken about, it's more likely the limited edition prints you collect will increase in value.

So, what should I do?

Limited edition prints are a great introduction to collecting art. Compared to other forms, there is a small number available in a collection, usually between 2-500. Such prints are affordable and either stay the same or increase in value over time. Factors like the techniques used, size of the print, artists reputation, and growth can influence a limited edition print cost.

Moreover, because they're not mass produced they tend to have a higher quality. This is because each print is checked over and reviewed by the artist in detail. Similarly, most limited edition prints are created on acid-free paper, which helps preserve their quality for a long time.

Compare limited edition prints here.