Investing in Art: The Key Questions

If you have never thought of investing in art before, just know that this article is not meant to try to change your mind. I wrote it to inform you on how to go about acquiring arts, if you ever decide to do so. But the first thing you will need, is to fall in love with an artwork. If you are to buy a particular piece, just to make money by reselling it, you can go back to financial markets. Artworks are first and foremost for art lovers. And although you should profit if you sell it years later, it shouldn’t be the main pleasure it provided you.

In other words, leave artworks to art lovers, if they only represent money for you. Otherwise, here are the three key questions you need to ask yourself to start investing in art.

Why are You looking for an Artwork?

Whether you are willing to pay millions to acquire paintings, sculptures and other works of art, or thousands, you need to start by asking yourself the basic question: What am I looking for? There is no right answer to this question. It may be because you want a wall in your house to be glorified with it, or that you love horses and you can’t have enough of them around you. But once you have the answer, then you will begin to understand what you need and you can start looking around, in order to know where to get it.

Are You looking for a Classic Piece or For New Artists?

If you are looking to invest in art, you can use two different pathways. The first is to buy a work that is already known for its value, or one that can expect to be worth much more in the future. Both can be attracting. Known paintings have taken value rapidly, over the last decades. Therefore, you are bound to make a good investment, if you acquire something that others desire, already. However, if you really want to “hit a home run,” as Americans say, you will look at young artists with strong potentials. If one artist ever becomes an icon, his work can be worth a fortune, while you will have paid next to nothing for it. Again, don’t choose only by what you can gain, but by what artworks are of interest to you.

Who can get it for You?

That would be me.

However, if you choose me as your art dealer, know that you will have to be involved in the process. Once we both know what we are looking for, I will search for it and get it at the best price possible. But we will first need to define your tastes and understand what you desire. The next step will be for me to present you with ideas, until you fall in love. Not necessarily with a particular work, but with a genre, a style, or a mood. Then, I will do my job and find you an artwork that you will be pleased to see each day, and for which you will cry, when it moves to another owner. Of pain, of course, as you watch one of your loved ones continue its road, but also of pleasure, as your bank account will be fully replenished, since I will make sure of that, as well.

-Lavinia