Shopping at Art Basel Miami Beach

A first-time visitor to Art Basel Miami Beach is in for a feast.

The high-energy affair boasts more than 70,000 visitors per year and features artwork from more than 4,000 artists. The annual sister show to Art Basel Switzerland and Art Basel Hong Kong displays modern and contemporary artworks across mediums including painting, sculpture, film and installations from around the world. The largest art fair in the U.S.— in terms of the number of galleries participating, with an expected 268 from 32 countries this year—it’s seen as one of the top 10 in the world. (Art Basel Miami opens with an invitation-only day on Dec. 6, a vernissage on Dec. 7, and public viewing Dec. 7-10.)

While less pricey works are available, pieces can range anywhere from $10,000 to more than $10 million. But there’s one main rule to follow: Don’t show up without doing your homework.

“Look at a lot of art and discover what it is about particular mediums or art that you like and are intrigued by or moved by,” said Tim Smith, managing director at Kreëmart, a confection-meets-performance-art enterprise using the medium of sugar, and former managing director of the New York art fair The Armory Show.

He explained that art fairs have VIP programs, and oftentimes pieces have been pre-sold to familiar collectors who receive previews before the public. That’s one of the reasons he suggested developing relationships with the galleries that represent artists you like. “Art collecting and buying is a relationships-based business.”

Mr. Smith recommended doing your due diligence on art the way you would on a diamond or any luxury commodity: Go to the shows, read the catalogs, build a relationship, do your homework, stay in communication with the galleries.

“Photography is sometimes a good place to start with collecting if you are new because it can be affordable,” said Mary Leigh Cherry, co-founder at Cherry and Martin in Los Angeles, whose gallery this year is bringing to the fair a sampling of artists who work in a variety of mediums.

One featured talent is Kwame Brathwaite, who championed the Black Is Beautiful movement in the 1960s and 1970s. The gallery is displaying newly printed works from that time with pieces to watch out for, including “Nomsa With Earrings” and “(Untitled) Self Portrait.” His framed 30-x-30-inch prints will go for $8,000, with smaller prints available too.

Another smart way to approach the massive experience is to not get pulled in by shiny objects. Take a moment, breathe, and think about how the piece that looks so good on display in this setting will fit in with your current décor.

“Buy things that make sense with your collection as a whole. Following trends is never a safe bet, but if you’re listening to your gut and that artist happens to be popular, that can be a great combination for you,” said Mary Cork, director of London’s Pilar Corrias Gallery. Her organization will display a variety of works, including a new body of mosaics by Shahzia Sikander (prices are not currently available).

“It becomes visceral,” said Bridget Moore, owner of New York City’s D.C. Moore gallery, who noted that a visitor can enjoy the fair as a tasting menu.

Ms. Moore, who cited a renewed interest in political art, is preparing to show a survey of paintings by 86-year-old artist and scholar David Driskell from the 1960s and 1970s, which will range from $150,000 to $300,000 and mirror the civil rights movement.

“You can either buy someone who is just being introduced and those price points usually will be lower, or you are working with someone who has a track record,” she said.

Of course, collecting art isn’t just about decoration, it’s also a substantial investment opportunity. Calling in a consultant is one way to make a savvy choice. Tracy Kinnally, principal of New York City-based Tracy Kinnally Art Advisory, said to ask when considering making the trip, “What do you really want out of it?” She advises a visitor to know the price they are ready to spend ahead of time and what they expect for that ​price, “whether you want a name that is recognizable, a piece you connect with deeply on a personal level, or an aesthetically pleasing work that fits in a particular place in your home,” she said.

An outlier who eschews the gallery model and makes a name for herself on Instagram (79,300 followers on her main feed at the writing of this article), New Orleans painter Ashley Longshore, who creates splashy pop art, plans to show up and do her own thing at the market. She plans to offer sculpture, larger pieces, tote bags, and her popular commentary paintings on consumerism in America such as “Deez Nuts.” Her works will range from around $5,500 to $40,000.

As for choosing the right piece to take home, she recommended, “You have to go out there with an open mind and find something you never imagined. Like a Michelin star restaurant, when you have a tomato and you see it and say it’s just a … tomato, but you put it in your mouth and it actually is raspberry seasoned with vanilla and you had no idea you would experience that.”