The times I've bought art online it's been directly from the artist, but I don't imagine buying from a gallery would be that much different. Presuming you've already decided on the specific pieces you want to buy, I think the main thing would be to ensure the gallery is reputable and to use a credit card for payment if your limit is high enough (preferably a gold/platinum card with good insurance coverage) so if you don't get the art you can get your money back. I'm not sure what they could provide you prior to taking your money.
If you're starting to deal with amounts that are higher than you can put on your credit card, maybe it's better to actually go to the gallery? Flights to BC are pretty cheap.
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