Joseph Caballero wasn't sure a large abstract painting would match the decor of his San Francisco home. If it didn't, the painting's $3,800 price seemed a hefty penalty.
So Caballero, a 38-year-old money manager, decided to audition the piece: He rented it for about $100 a month.
Leasing fine art as a prelude to buying isn't new. But the practice faded when the stock market and the economy headed south. Now that both have turned around, people are confident enough to put money into alternative investments, says Ann Priftis, director of sales at Agora Gallery in New York City's SoHo district.
Big-city galleries — and those in smaller cities such as Baltimore and Scottsdale, Ariz. — cater to first-timers who just can't commit. Sometimes galleries will take in-home measurements and install your chosen work of art.
Leasing is a safe way to ease into a collection. "Often, people rent because they're stepping outside their comfort zone, whether it's color, size or price," says Elizabeth Steele of Hang Art in San Francisco, the gallery that's working with Caballero. Customers can rent paintings, photographs or sculptures for a monthly fee ranging from about 1.5 percent to 3 percent of the purchase price.
Three-month rentals are standard. But some galleries will let you borrow artwork for a dinner party; others offer yearlong contracts, with new pieces every quarter. Lease-to-own options typically allow you to put 50 percent to 60 percent of your rental fee toward the purchase.
Expect to leave a credit card number on file. You may also need to attach a rider to your homeowners or renters insurance.
No prying eyes
Shield your laptop from inquisitive fellow travelers — and protect sensitive information from snoops — with a privacy filter. 3M offers a filter that slides over your screen and makes it appear black from either side. Head-on, the image is clear.
The filter, which looks like a thin sheet of flexible plastic, slides through plastic tabs at the edges of your screen and can remain attached even when the notebook is closed. Filters come in all laptop sizes and cost from $50 to $150. A 14.1-inch model at Office Depot, for example, costs $75.