|
Investing
in art and antiques
This
is a very difficult area to advise on.
It’s
true to say that if treated as an investment many years
ago the current value of art and antiques in general
would have been proved to have been a very good investment
in certain areas, but that is with hindsight. It is
also true today that if you bought say, a Georgian sideboard
for £3,000 it will probably be worth more in ten
years time but investing on that basis is a tricky proposal.
A lot
of the value in art and antiques is intrinsic, they
are there to be used and enjoyed for their function,
design, colour and visual stimulus. If purchased with
the right advice from Vost’s to ensure genuineness,
originality and quality they will almost certainly increase
in value over time. But art is not, according to some,
a commodity. Others would disagree but whatever your
view anything more than a small part of your portfolio
spent on art and antiques for investment would be unwise.
Companies
promoting investment in art and antiques should be treated
with caution, investments can go down as well as up!
A great
deal of enjoyment could be gained from furnishing a
fine house with matching period paintings and furniture
but deep pockets would be needed. However, if years
down the line they were sold at auction on site they
will probably prove to have been a great investment
but only if purchased originally with the right advice.
Online valuations
There are four elements that
come into play when valuing. These are experience, sight
and touch and, last but not least, gut feeling or instinct
and they all work in harmony. In other words if an item
sits well on the eye and conveys the right feeling when
handled then there is a gut reaction that with the experienced
valuer is usually vindicated.
Vost’s do not give online
valuations. The trouble with this method, a relatively
modern phenomenon, is that they will always come with
the caveat subject to seeing the item. This is because
it is not possible to give a valuation with two of the
elements missing. They are fine, in most instances,
to give an idea but are not to be relied on for insurance
replacement, probate or sale valuations.
|
|
