The Art Advisors NYC Experts Recommend Help Collectors Improve Their Portfolios

By Andrew Taylor


A lot of people like to collect artwork. The vast majority buy prints, and occasionally an original, they like from local galleries and big box stores. There are others who are serious collectors though. These are individuals who have the resources to spend considerable sums on works they believe will increase in value. These are the art lovers who call on art advisors NYC experts know will have the best suggestions for making wise investments.

For many collectors an artistic advisor is more than they require. On their own, they can browse galleries and decorate their homes with paintings, pottery, and textiles that please them and enhance their decor. If you have decided to invest in artwork, in a business sense, then finding an expert assistant who has the knowledge to suggest which pieces will give you the best return is an important decision.

If you are going to the expense of hiring this kind of professional, you need one with an advanced degree in the field and with a solid background in the history, artists, periods, and genres. This individual should know which new artists have the most potential. An advisor negotiates with galleries and bids at auctions on behalf of their clients. Traditionally, advisors are paid a percentage of the purchased artwork or put on a monthly or annual retainer.

An advisor is a vital source with vast knowledge when it comes to market influences, analyzing sales at auction, and how the market actually operates behind the scenes. One of the first things an advisor has to understand is the level of commitment a potential client is willing to bring to investment purchases. Once a budget is in place, the advisor can teach the individual to recognize the highest quality artistic possibilities within that 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.

Some inexperienced collectors assume that galleries treat all their clients alike. In most cases, this could not be further from the truth. Gallery owners routinely contact their preferred clients to let them know when an important piece will be available. A good advisor will already have a good relationship with the owner and get the same confidential information.

Collecting at this level involves more than purchasing artwork and waiting for it to increase in value. There are legal, tax, and sometimes international, implications to this kind of investing. An advisor can represent a client with their attorneys, accountants, and bankers to resolve complicated issues.

For art lovers, at all levels, discovering a painting or piece of pottery that they love, and can afford, is a great pleasure. Serious investors look at artwork differently. With the help of a talented advisor, their purchase decisions include the prospect of increased wealth.




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