1. Do I like it? Visual impact and artistic merit are very important to me.
2. Is it well crafted? Skill and workmanship are important, but not always.
3. Rarity. One can’t help but be interested in hard-to-find masks.
4. Authenticity. Has it been used or was it intended for use? Masks made for sale to tourists lack anthropological or historical interest.
5. Provenance. This is at the bottom of my list because I am basically a “picker.” I search sales and buy collections, often from people who have little information.