Is Art A Good Investment?

People collect art for a variety of reasons. They may purchase art to add colour and life to the walls of their home. Some may fall in love with the work of a particular artist. Others collect for the status and prestige of being a collector.

Regardless of your reasons for collecting art, at some point after your first purchase, you may begin wondering “is art a good investment?” While on the surface this seems like a simple question. The answer, however, is considerably more complex.

When you invest your money in stocks, bonds or real estate, you can be fairly certain that while there may be fluctuations in value, in the long term your investment will increase in value. But is this the case of art?

Two economists at N.Y.U. – Jiangping Mei and Michael Moses – tried to answer this question. They looked at paintings which had been sold at auction at Christie’s and Sotheby’s on more than one occasion. They compared the two sale prices and used this data to create the Mei Moses Fine Art Index. Their conclusion based on the paintings they studied is that art outperformed bonds in the past 130 years and outperformed stocks in the past fifty years.

So that must mean art is a good investment, right?

Not necessarily. The problem with the Mei Moses Fine Art Index is it is not reflective of the art field as a whole. Art that is auctioned at Christie’s and Sotheby’s tends to be art the owners know will fetch a high price. And while not all paintings sold at these auctions are Monets and Picassos selling for millions of dollars, the median price of paintings studies was in the $200,000 to $300,000.

So, if your art collection includes art that sells for thousands rather than hundreds of thousands of dollars, is art still a good investment?

First you need to remember that art is always a long-term investment. You need to be thinking in terms of decades, not months. You also need to remember that art, unlike stocks or bonds, can’t be liquidated quickly. Also, there are certain costs associated with maintaining an art collection: insurance, storage and conservation.

But the real problem with deciding whether art is a good investment is deciding which artists’ work is going to increase in value. The Mei Moses Fine Art Index includes artists whose value has been long established.

But when your collection doesn’t include the likes of Monet, Picasso or even Tom Thomson, how do you decide what art to collect?

First and foremost, your art collection should include works you truly love. Since art is a long-term investment, and this investment will be on display in your home, you need to be able to enjoy your purchases.

But this doesn’t mean you can’t also build a collection that becomes more valuable over time. The first step to doing so involves becoming educated about art. Spend time viewing as much art as you can. Visit public and commercial galleries, museums, art shows and auctions. Decide what you like and don’t like. Certain styles and periods will appeal to you more than others.

As you are looking at art, ask questions of the gallery owners. Use the opportunity to learn more about particular artists and genres as well as the art industry as a whole. Gallery owners spend their time looking at and evaluating art so they can be an invaluable resource. Compare art and artists based on your reaction, prices and quality.

Once you’ve looked at enough art you will begin to notice trends in your taste. There will be particular artists, art movements and periods that appeal more to you than others. Do some research about these artists’ lives and histories. Use libraries, bookstores and the Internet as research tools.

Armed with an understanding of your taste, some knowledge of the art field and overall value of particular artists, you can begin working with a knowledgeable and trustworthy gallery owner to build your own unique art collection.

With some knowledge and a little effort, you can create an art collection that will bring you years of enjoyment while growing in value over the years.