CD's Rattlebag
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Rattlebag

Art Investment Special


You may think that buying paintings is only for the rich and privileged, but investing in art is becoming increasingly popular and not just with the millionaire classes.

Art, like antiques, can be a really profitable way of spending your money - if you know what you're doing.

Over the next year, more then four hundred thousand SSIA accounts will mature, and the artistic community can expect a bit of a windfall, as money is spent on paintings, sculpture and drawings.

But how do you go about buying art?... Are there such things as 'safe bets', or should you just buy something you love?... David Godbold is an artist and lecturer in painting at the National College of Art and Design and joined Rattlebag to share some of his tips. Below are some of David's top tips for buying Art

  • Like all investing, research is crucial – read art magazines, take advice, visit galleries and art fairs.
  • Buy art you love, but be prepared to challenge yourself.
  • Determine your price limit and area of focus – specialisation is not a bad idea.
  • Employ someone you respect and who knows the art business as an advisor.
  • Always establish the provenance of an art work.
  • Beware of buying art off the Internet, at street markets, or from door-to-door salesmen.
  • Don’t buy poor examples or works from big editions just to get a famous name.
  • Don’t rush – better known artists often have waiting lists, so be patient.
  • A well-chosen purchase portfolio can return more than 20% per annum.
  • Don’t try getting something for nothing – remember artists are only getting 50% of prices quoted in galleries.
  • The best investment possibilities are with young or up-and-coming artists, but there are risks involved. These can be minimised by:
    • Learning how to read artists’ CVs and developing patterns
    • Trying to identify artists with some international recognition before they get commercial representation
    • Finding out if artists have upcoming exhibitions or publications
    • Checking the track records of galleries and dealers
    • Going through source galleries rather than secondary dealers
    • Building a personal relationship with a gallery


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