Investing in Art

Part One of the book will present the new features of the art market, in a world where HNWI (High Net Worth Individuals) have pushed prices to spectacular levels and Chinese nationals are representing a vibrant group of buyers. The role of auction houses, together with the burgeoning internet art market, will be discussed, as well as the growth of free ports around the world. Part Two will introduce some financial economics and behavioural concepts such as 'conspicuous consumption' or extensions of the 'convenience yield' defined for storable commodities. It will argue that the classical art indexes such as the Mei & Moses indexes fail to represent the unique features of the art market as an asset class. Alternative art indexes are proposed and used to compute the performance of investments in such families as Impressionists, Chinese paintings or female artwork. The last part of the book will be dedicated to other collectibles such as stamps, old cars, sculpture and compare them to other tangible assets such as vineyard land or prime property in 'alpha' cities.