With the stock market ups and downs and the low interest rates on deposits currently, people often ask me if art is a good investment.
In addition to the beauty, aesthetics and often inspiration that art brings to our lives, collectable art such as limited edition signed and numbered prints, and fine art originals can be a very good investment financially.
A few examples are selected works by popular artist Bev Doolittle. Her painting Bugged Bear had an original issue price for a limited edition of 1,000 signed and number prints of $85. Those prints sold out and are available on the secondary market only, and are selling for approximately $7,000 each through art galleries who have access to them.
That is an increase of over 8,200 percent or 82 times the original investment.
Another of her prints, Doubled Back, which had a larger limited edition size of 15, 000 signed and numbered had an original issue price of $245. Those sold out and currently have a secondary market price of approximately $2,100 through art dealers who can help their customers acquire one, for an increase of approximately 857 percent or over 87.5 times the original investment in the years since its release.
Prices of secondary market prints change with availability and demand but those are the current approximate prices for the two prints as of this writing.
Now, there is no guarantee that a particular work of art will go up in value or will go up by a particular amount, so there are two things I recommend to anyone interested in art as an investment.
Become an educated art collector. Find out which artists are popular among collectors currently and what some of their previous artwork is selling for compared to what the original issue prices were.
Buy art that you enjoy. Art has an inherent value. Whether the artwork you buy goes up in value or not, the joy and often inspiration that truly beautiful art will bring to your life is priceless.
Art can invigorate you when gazing at an image of a wild horse ride with Indians charging into battle, or relax you when looking at a foal resting in the grass on a spring day. So, I always recommend that collectors buy art that they enjoy and that enhances their lives first and foremost.
If you have any questions about art, feel free to contact me, Dave Joseph – owner 28 years, with B & R Art Gallery at 1-800-255-6498 or e-mail info@bnr-art.com . You can also visit our website at www.bnr-art.com or our on-line gallery at www.bnr-art.net .