Bottomline, read the fine print.

Last week I purchased a piece of art from the Serpentine Galleries in Kensington Gardens, London, which specializes in contemporary art. I’d been there as a class field trip and loved the exhibit and the site – just outside Kensington. The museum has two buildings in the same area, but not connected. The galleries shop is small compared to other London museums, it mostly retails books and art. We were there as part of my Art Business program at Sotheby’s Institute of Art, for a tour and lecture being given by two art historians, both authors, Ben Street, Flavia Frigeri whose books were in the shop. I like buying at the museum shops because I know that the revenue is going back into their endeavors, which is why I was looking for a gift the other day, that was art related and would be unique.

I found a limited-edition print created and signed by Yoko Ono. I liked the art, and I liked buying something of hers, because I think she is undervalued as consequential artist. It fit my interests and a budget. It was to be a gift for my son and his wife. Even as a child, instead of a stuffed animal, I’d bring him a piece of art from a business trip or vacation. Nothing really expensive, often outsider art, but I figured a work had few years to steep before he’d be ready to sell it, and with luck, it would appreciate in the meantime. My thought was that someday, he could sell it for cash to buy something of his own liking.

I used a credit card and gave them all the shipping info to their address in another state. A confirmation of the sale arrived in my email a few seconds later. I reviewed it three hours later… carefully. It was there I found the small print I should have read before inputting my credit card. “It is the Artist’s expectation that the Artwork will not be purchased for resale and will be retained by you for your own personal enjoyment. Specifically, you may not sell or offer for sale the Artwork on any interne- based auction or other website.”

Though there was no thought of reselling the art at the time I bought it, being told it can’t ever be resold is not in the best interest of my gift or the people receiving it. In my thinking, this term makes it basically a receipt for a financial gift to the museum without even the benefits of a donation. I cancelled my order. They took a week to refund the money to my account.

Read the fine print.