How The Art Advisors NYC Collectors Retain Improve Their Investment Portfolio

By Andrew Taylor


Most people who love art enjoy collecting it in some form. Very few are in a position to purchase important work, but many get pieces from local galleries, antique and big box stores. Serious collectors in are another class. Most appreciate fine works, and have the money to buy them, but are also interested in artwork as investment material, purchasing only those pieces they believe will increase in value. These are the people who call on the art advisors NYC experts suggest.

For most, an artistic advisor is unnecessary. Individuals who buy works they like and hang them for purposes of decoration, don't need a professional to tell them which pieces are better than others and why. Casual buyers are more interested in the way textiles, pottery, and paintings look in their homes than whether or not they will one day to worth a lot of money.

An artistic advisor is a person with advanced education in the subject including history, genres, and artists. The individual knows which up and coming artists are the most promising and introduces clients to the most influential experts in the market. They will negotiate with galleries for their clients and bid for them at auctions. For this service, an advisor will either accept a percentage of the purchase price or charge a monthly or annual fee.

An artistic advisor has to understand what is influencing the art world and the market. They analyze auction sales, and have an intimate knowledge of what really goes on behind the art world's facade. One of the first conversations an advisor has to have with a client is how much of an annual investment the client is willing to make in artwork. That is a vital piece of information that allows the advisor to recommend the best quality within the prescribed budget.

Even the most talented artists have periods when they struggle and produce work that is not up to expectations. An important part of an advisor's job is to educate a client's eye, so that person is more able to tell what makes one piece great and another merely acceptable. The same holds true when the client is interested in purchasing artwork from different periods or in different styles.

New collectors may think every piece of art the gallery has is displayed publicly. This is seldom true. Most gallery owners will call their best clients when they obtain important works in which those clients have expressed an interest. They have an unspoken first right of refusal. Advisors establish working relationships with gallery owners to give their clients the same privileges.

Serious collecting can have international, tax, and legal implications that require the services of experienced bankers, lawyers, and accountants. It is customary for important clients to leave these kinds of details to the professionals. An artistic advisor will work with the client's representatives to handle these issues.

People collect for different reasons. For ordinary people who love art, finding a nice piece unexpectedly, and having the opportunity to purchase it, is a great experience. For an investor, finding an important work and having an advisor suggest it is undervalued is an equally great experience.




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