Investment in fine arts.

bkshopr_IHB

bkshopr_IHB

New member
Since the RE market has not bottom out yet then the stock market is so volatile. Would the experts on this board recommend original fine arts like Monet, Courbet, and Degas. What about Thomas Moran, Albert Bierstadt, and Thomas Hills' painting of our treasured national parks ?. The Galleries are hurting as well and they are willing to discount their holdings quite a bit. Most of the national park paintings are in the 35k -500k range and the impressionists are in the 150k -1.5 million range.
 
<p>This is certainly Graph's area of interest, I think. </p>

<p>All I know is that we buy what we like (in our price range). Lately that has been a couple of pieces by a local artist <a href="http://www.fineartboutique.com/">Ruby Aranguiz</a>.</p>
 
<p>bk,</p>

<p>I can't see how fine art is any different than gems, antiques, or rare automobiles. The value isn't determined by anything other than what people are willing and/or able to pay. If the galleries are hurting, as you say, then that would indicate that the pool of available buyers has shrunk and values will drop until a buyer is found. If previous values were based on demand fueled by equity in real estate, stocks, etc., then you won't see an appreciable return to the prior value until buyers have that kind of disposable income again. And there is no guarantee that what you own will be in high demand even then.</p>
 
I spruce up my home with Thomas Kinkade prints myself. Sales person told me they would go up in value and increase my chances of getting into heaven.
 
<p>I invest in fine jewerly myself. Just a while back I found a nice little stash of emeralds, alexanderites and just when they started some Paraiba Tourmalines. They've gone up but not that much.</p>

<p>-bix</p>

<p> </p>
 
<p>I collect jewelry when the hub gives it to me!!</p>

<p>Over the years I've bought stuff at the Coconut Grove Art Show. I haven't the faintest Idea what any of it is worth, and I don't care. I just like looking at it. If any of it turns out to be worth a zillion dollars, I guess my heirs will be very happy.</p>
 
<p>Too funny jcaraway!</p>

<p>I actually have a Kinkade print I received as a high school graduation gift.. I wonder what it's worth since it's sitting in my closet. </p>

<p>Well, since we're talking about collecting art, I thought I'd mention my love for this hobby. Being a young bachelor of limited means (i started collecting in college) and an avid graphic designer, I'm a fan of the lowbrow or "street" art scene... mainly graffiti and serigraphs/pasters. This scene has really begun to take off within the last 5 years. Let me just say that if you know who to collect, you can do very well. Despite the bad economic news the past few months, the lowbrow art market is still holding strong due to international buyers and in fact, a sizable portion of my down payment came from selling pieces from my collection of works by Shepard Fairey (Obey Giant - "Andre the Giant has a Posse"), Faile, David Choe, Antony Micallef, and the infamous Banksy. These guys are no Warhol or Basquiat, but Google them if you don't know who they are. They are causing quite a stir in the art world! :)</p>

<p><a href="http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/19/magazines/business2/Liverich_profits.biz2/index.htm">http://money.cnn.com/2007/03/19/magazines/business2/Liverich_profits.biz2/index.htm</a></p>
 
<p>1stHome,</p>

<p>Thank you for sharing. You really have to know your artist well inorder to generate a good profit from the collection. Like RE you must research and love what you do. Here is my recent experience of 6 paintings that I collected and made a good profit on. The Barbizon painters were the teachers of the well known impressionists but they were not household names to the public. Only in the museum circle like the National Art Gallery at DC, Louvres of Paris, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and Legion of Honour in SF knew much of the academic side of these artists. During the gilded age of America 1870-1900 wealthy travelers to Europe bought a lot of paintings from the Barbizon painters and displayed them in their fancy homes. Over the last 100 years paintings were passed down to several generations and numerous families lost much of their wealth over the years. Some paintings were stored in garages and attics and accumilated much dirt and grime. Recently I bought several for $2,000 each through the internet and sent them out for restoration and framing and sold them for $50,000 each to collectors in the museum circle. $12,000 investment and $18,000 restoration cost generated almost $300,000 of selling price. My profit was $270,000. This is a niche market for the wealthy patrons in the musuem circle of friends. Finding a Picasso or Van gogh in garage sale still exist but sellers knew too much by by researching it on the internet. However, the Barbizon painters are not well published and the sellers were delighted to have sold it for 2k.</p>
 
<p>Bluemoon, </p>

<p> I buy directly from the manufacturers (stone cutters or directly from the mine..) My wife's ring came from the Argyle mine in Australia. More recently I've gone to the Tucson Gem Show as a dealer (ableit a VERY minor one...). Just another hobby though... Good luck</p>

<p>-bix</p>
 
Oh... I am behind on my IHB reading. Well, blog reading in general. Anyway, I will post more, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/09/business/09sothebys.html?scp=10&sq=art+auction&st=nyt">but the art world is in a bubble too</a>.
 
<p>Would it make sense to low ball the bids and acquire several landmark pieces and hold on to them until the high demand comes around in the future. Arts unlike RE there is no property taxes and HOA dues. No interest and mortgage to deal with. The investment money is not a large sum like buying a house with a greater risk. </p>
 
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