Knock on the ends of each line you drew. If the wall sounds solid, you're still on the wood that frames the window, and you can install the rods with screws only. If the wall sounds hollow, you should first install anchors. You could also use a stud finder to determine if the walls are strong enough to install the rod without anchors. Stud finders can be found at any hardware store. Once you are satisfied with the line's placement on the wall, you should mark it. At the end of each line use an awl to punch a starter hole. Awls are common woodworking tools used to mark the beginning of a hole. Don't make the hole too large. It is best to make a smaller hole to help you align the screws later in the process. If you can’t or don’t want to drill holes in your wall, use adhesive hooks to secure the rod to the wall. Choose hooks that are strong enough to support the rod and curtains. Simply put the hooks where you would put the holes on either side of the window and set the rod in the hooks. To ensure a secure hold of the curtains use traditional toggle bolts. Screw the metal wall anchor into each hole, if necessary, with a power drill and a phillips head drill bit. It should be an easy installation and only require you to fully thread the anchor into the wall. Skip this step if you're installing directly into the wood. If your wall sounded hollow and you don't use an anchor, you could damage your walls. Your curtains could fall out of the wall and potentially injure someone. Hold a bracket against one of holes you punched. If you installed screw anchors, hold the bracket over one of the anchors you installed. Your brackets probably have two screw holes. Place the bracket's top screw hole over the hole or anchor. Hold up the bracket. Tape the bracket firmly against the wall with a couple of strips of masking tape. Repeat the process for the other bracket. This will help you attach the brackets to your walls. You can skip this step if you have a friend to help you hold the brackets. Screw the brackets to the wall with their attached hardware. Remove the tape once the rods are firmly attached to the wall. Many find that it is beneficial to attach the curtains to the rod before mounting them to the brackets. It might be easiest to test the hold of the brackets before thinking about the curtains. Test the hold of the brackets by mounting the rod into the bracket's slot.
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One-sentence summary -- Test the walls. Punch a starter hole. Install an anchor. Mount the brackets. Attach the rod brackets.


If you stumble upon an artist with work that you’re interested in, contact them via email or show up at a gallery opening and tell them that you’re interested in potentially buying their work. They’ll likely have more work that they’d be able to show you, and you’ll be able to learn more about a specific piece that you’re interested in buying.  Most artists have personal websites where they showcase and sell their work. Some artists will be resistant to working with a buyer that wants to buy their art as an investment, especially if they’re well-established in their field. Many established artists have representatives and agents that deal with potential buyers. If you know an artist is being represented, contacting them directly can come off as an insult to the artist. Gallery owners make a living buying and selling art. They are likely to be regularly purchasing or soliciting investable art. Ask gallery owners to keep an eye out for work that you might be interested in buying. You’ll be the first person they call when they come across a potential investment. Evaluators are professional appraisal experts, and their estimates hold quite a bit of weight when it comes to selling or buying art. A professional evaluation will put potential buyers at ease, since they’ll know that they aren’t overpaying for a work. Inversely, a professional evaluation will let you know whether or not a potential purchase is worth considering at its available price. Most galleries and studios have specific evaluators that they work with. Ask about evaluations when inquiring about a piece’s price. Gallery owners will appreciate the ability to offer a piece to their clients before you put it on the open market without their assistance. Apart from being a courtesy, it’s possible that the original gallery owner will have buyers readily available for you, since they’re in contact with other people that are likely to have the same tastes in art. An easy way to test whether an evaluation is accurate or not is to try listing the work online for a price higher than its been evaluated at. You may be able to get a higher price than you’d expect by using a non-traditional venue to sell your work. This will also give you a sense if the original appraisal is an accurate representation of what a piece of art is worth at the current moment. Lumas, Society 6, SaatchiArt, and Artfinder are all reputable online venues to sell works of fine art. If the international market takes a dip during a recession or slow period, don’t lose your cool. The market for fine art can be fickle, but that doesn’t mean that you should sell at the first sign of trouble. Fine art is usually a long-term investment, and you should generally hold on to assets during tumultuous periods in the market. If you haven’t gotten an evaluation that you’re happy with and the market isn’t particularly strong, hold on to your investment. Holding on to an asset is the best way to let it appreciate over time, especially if you’ve got your hands on a piece created by an up-and-coming or well-established artist.  It can take time for a work to appreciate in value, so be patient! You may end up waiting for quite some time if you want to get high prices for your work, so don’t buy a piece expecting to always sell it off right away.
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One-sentence summary --
Contact an artist directly to look into buying their work. Enlist gallery owners to keep an eye out for work you’re interested in. Hire an evaluator to appraise your art before buying or selling. Contact the gallery that you bought a piece from before selling it. Market your art online before going to an auction house or private seller. Don’t panic and sell too quickly if the market turns. Hold a purchase when in doubt.