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«It is only an auctioneer who can equally and impartially admire all schools of art» - Oscar Wilde.

Wilde's aphorism reminds us that although we usually acquire art to brighten up our lives, there is an industry out there for which creativity is a commodity to be traded like coffee or oil. Whatever our feelings on the matter, most of us would be proud to have spotted the potential for financial gain in a Turner or a Picasso. If only my grandfather had been friends with Vincent Van Gogh ...

If you're one of the Super-Rich
van Gogh
At first sight, the gains can be impressive, for example between 1976 and 2002, the top 2 percent of the art market outperformed various stock indices in the US:

Art Top 2% 11.3%
S&P 500     8.4%
Dow Jones   8.5%

(Sources: Art Market Research and Bloomberg)

So $1m invested in art over the period could have become $16m whereas the same $1m invested in the stock market would have become a paltry $8m. This is fine for the super-rich who can afford to buy into the top 2 percent of the art market but what about the other 99.999...0f us?

If you're Really Quite Rich

If you are somewhat risk-averse or feel you don't have enough expertise to manage your own portfolio, you could consider an art fund - a sort of unit trust of art rather than shares. In the UK an investment vehicle - the Mei/Moses index is perhaps more up to date and authoritative but requires registration.
  • Website Artnet offers market trends analyses, a price database and a valuation service.
    Caveat Emptor

    The foregoing is only a rough guide to the sort of considerations art investors must make and live with. It does not constitute advice or recommendations. All investors are responsible for their own decisions in that it is the investor and no one else who benefits or loses.

    My personal opinion? Art is for pleasure, enlightenment, the satisfaction of owning something completely unique. If you like a work, buy it and enjoy it. Don't pay over the odds and don't lose sleep over it. Who knows? - you might just pick a winner.

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