Alternative Investing
Fine Art
When the public sits up and notices the art market, it is usually when an anonymous buyer pays a mind-boggling sum to acquire a prized painting.
The co-founders of Artspace.com think an online fine arts marketplace can be a $10 billion to $15 billion business.
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An Andy Warhol canvas led Christie's $412.3 million sale in New York, signalling a shift in tastes to midcentury and contemporay American work.
Sotheby's staged the biggest auction in its 268-year history on Tuesday, led by a $75 million Mark Rothko and a record-setting $40 million work by Jackson Pollock at its post-war and contemporary art sale.
In the wake of Sandy, the election and the Dow's fall, the fall auction season began with a sale that could generously be described as “subdued.”
Move over Monet. Artists with street credibility are increasingly dominating the contemporary art market , with the cool factor turning works of graffiti into sought-after investments worth thousands of dollars.
Seeking to avoid more division over his wealth tax hike, the French president moved to squelch a legislative amendment that would extend the tax to art assets.
Investment-grade art enjoys a low correlation with other asset classes, including stocks and bonds, strengthening its case as a candidate for portfolio diversification.
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Bond kind Jeffrey Gundlach of DoubleLine Capital has significantly increased the reward for the undamaged return of more than a dozen rare paintings stolen from him.
The best selling artists are listed here by absolute value of 2009 auction sales, but pay close attention to how these works appreciate over time...some of the returns may surprise you.
High quality, rare examples of Egyptian jewelry, Roman coins, prehistoric fossils, Greek vases, shipwreck coins and tribal carvings, for example, will nearly always appreciate in value for those who are willing to wait.
Gold coins, gems and historic artifacts that were lost at sea have captured the imagination of treasure hunters for centuries. For a minimal investment, though, you can get a piece of the action without getting wet
The former supermodel and ex-wife of rock star Mick Jagger auctioned 14 pieces, including works by Andy Warhol and Lucian Freud at the October event.
Click to see selected works from the Lehman Brothers art auction, showing both their estimated sale price and actual one.
About Fine Art
- Investment-grade art has a low correlation with stocks, bonds and other asset classes, making it a great alternative, but it's really a group of micro-markets with their own dynamic.