Alternative Investing
Antiques
Though the recession took a toll on antique prices and trading volume is down, rare, high-quality items have held their own. “While you still may be able to get a few deals on some good pieces, the period of time where you can get cheap antiques is coming to a close,” says one dealer.
Antique weapons, once indispensable tools for self-preservation, have become lucrative vehicles for wealth preservation. And one needn’t pay an emperor’s ransom to buy in.
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Even as the tech crash has cooled many investment markets, the trade in modern furniture rolls on, helped by interest from celebrities and wealthy Silicon Valley professionals.
Art Deco is a style of fine jewelry whose worth remains solid whether or not the economy is dipping or climbing. Naturally, its prices rise when times are flush.
When is a lamp worth a fortune? When it’s made by Tiffany Studios. Check out other pricey Tiffany lamps up for auction at Christie's on December 10.
Porcelain figurines, palace furniture and royal pianos are just a few examples of the antiques that make investing in the past profitable. Click to learn more.
A prominent expert on Chinese works of art has expressed doubts as to the authenticity of an antique Chinese vase sold last month at a London auction for 51.6 million pounds ($83.2 million)—an auction record for Chinese works of art.
It's a vast, valuable and diverse category of art , and taking a narrow religious view could hurt you as an investor.
About Antiques
- Whether from a place long ago and far away or more recent but from the bottom of the sea, these objects are a piece of history and civilization.