2009

A Unique Asset Class

‘Safe as houses’ and ‘you can bank on it’ are just two phrases that come to mind when most of us think about investing in some or other asset class. We have been conditioned, from the time that we were able to comprehend the concept of investments, to believe that the value of fixed property and the trustworthiness of our banks are beyond doubt. That was until the ‘toxic debt’-inspired credit crunch of 2008 - which seems to have deepened now, at the start of 2009.

With South African collectors paying millions of Rands for works by our most desirable artists, there is no doubt that our art has now become a recognised asset class.

© Johans Borman Fine Art

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Art at auction

The results of art sold at auction are always regarded as important indicators of current market values as well as trends in the art market. This can be misleading in many ways, as record prices are often the result of a ‘battle of egos’ and prices for particular artist’s works are generally not always comparable because of the difference in quality, condition, period or subject matter. It is, however, a very important and supposedly transparent part of the art market and therefore deserves closer scrutiny.

This wonderful, insightful article by Georgina Adam, where she delves into the smoke-and-mirrors world of the saleroom, was published by the Financial Times in January 2009:

© Johans Borman Fine Art

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