Your Art Opinion: Buying style questionnaire: KEY INSIGHTS

When we launched the latest Your Art Opinion questionnaire, we expected the usual mix of numbers and charts. What we didn’t expect was the sheer flood of words. Around 80 people completed the survey - far fewer than the 200-plus who answered our earlier Preferences quiz.

At first, that felt like a step back.

But then we read the comments. Dozens and dozens of them. Free text boxes brimming with personal stories, frustrations, hopes, and sharp observations.

That changed everything. Numbers give you a picture, but words bring it to life. This wasn’t just data collection, it was a conversation.

What the data shows

The questionnaire set out to explore how people approach buying art. The results sketch out three clear styles:

• The Emotional Buyer who acts on instinct and feeling.
  
  
• The Considered Buyer who needs time, context, and reassurance before committing.
  
  
• The Collector who is motivated by legacy, investment, and the story behind the piece.

The proportions across these types were surprisingly balanced. That tells us there isn’t a single “right” path to buying art. Instead, people come at it from different angles, but with the same underlying desire: to connect.

What the comments reveal

Here’s where the real treasure lies. Respondents didn’t just tick boxes, they opened up. A few examples stood out:

• One person admitted: “I hesitate because I’m not sure if I’ll still love it in ten years.” That’s the voice of the Considered Buyer, wrestling with permanence.
  
  
• Another wrote: “Art should surprise me. If I’m thinking too hard, I’ve missed the point.” Pure Emotional Buyer energy.
  
  
• A collector put it bluntly: “I want something that holds its value, but I also want it to hold my attention.” That sums up the Collector’s paradox beautifully.

It’s rare to get this level of honesty in an online survey. For a small website like ours, to see so many people typing in thoughtful responses is nothing short of extraordinary.

Why this matters

These insights are not just useful for us at Glass Art by Linda. They’re valuable to the wider art community. They show how people really think about art ownership in 2025, not as an academic paper, but as lived experience.

And it points toward something bigger: the beginnings of an Art Focus Group.

The idea of an Art Focus Group

Imagine a group of people who love art, not just to look at it, but to think about it, discuss it, and influence how it is made and sold. A group that answers questionnaires not with quick clicks, but with stories. A group that helps shape the future of art buying, and in the process, becomes part of that future themselves.

That’s the seed we now see. Every one of the many free text comments was a sign that people want to contribute more. They don’t just want to buy art, they want to belong to something larger.

An Art Focus Group gives them that outlet.

What happens next

We’re exploring how to build this idea. It could be as simple as a private mailing list for deeper questionnaires. Or an invitation-only panel where members see insights first and add their own. Maybe even occasional online meetups where art lovers share thoughts directly with Linda.

Whatever shape it takes, the goal is clear: to create a space where your opinions don’t just disappear into a form, but actually steer the conversation.

Why you should join in

If you answered this questionnaire, you’re already part of the story. If you didn’t, the next one is your chance. Our next topic is How You Display Art, and we want the same depth of honesty and detail that made this Buying Style survey so rich.

Every response builds the Your Art Opinion archive into something unique. A living database of what art really means to people today. And as it grows, so does the role of the community behind it.

Your turn

This blog is as much your success as ours. The insights come from you. The next steps will too. If the idea of an Art Focus Group excites you, tell us in the comments below. Would you join one? What would you want it to do?

For now, thank you again to everyone who took part. The Buying Style questionnaire gave us numbers, but your words gave us direction. Together we’re building more than surveys, we’re building a voice for art lovers everywhere.

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