The current art market is exceptionally dull, few people are interested in buying art, those with money in the markets are feeling bruised as never before and those that are not in the markets are constantly being bombarded with news of impending doom. Those with money are feeling cautious, with their hands firmly in their pockets.

The recent antique fairs in New York and the Frieze week in London were  both slow, most dealers at best covering costs. With these tricky times however, art and antiques represent stable and increasingly attractive investments. In addition to this, now really is the best time to buy, the dealers are hungry for sales and will most likely do a unusually good deal. As a bonus for any American or European buyers, the current demise of the Pound represents a 25% discount since last year.

As always, I advise to buy the best, it doesn’t matter what that may be, but buy the best one of its type as it will always be desirable and hold its value. If in doubt get advise from an expert, there are several companies who specialise in sourcing quality pieces for private clients.

Front Row: 24/10/2008 BBC4

Godfrey Barker talks about the current market from an investment point of view in the above audio file from the bbc. 12 minutes in.

See also

http://darylelam.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/195/