The Art Advisors NYC Experts Recommend Help Collectors Improve Their Portfolios

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.

Not everyone needs their own personal advisor when it comes to choosing art for personal use. If you are someone who loves to spend time in galleries and decorates your home according to your tastes, you probably have all the information you need to buy paintings, textiles, and pottery. For people who consider the pieces they buy primarily investments, hiring a professional to give advice and assistance can be critical.

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.

Just because an artist is well known doesn't mean every piece he or she produces is an automatic masterpiece. Sometimes inexperienced collectors are too quick to spend money on a work that will never produce the kind of dividends the client expects. It is the advisor's job to point this out and steer the person toward work that may not be as famous, but has more potential.

People who don't know better assume an exclusive gallery shows all of its pieces to the general public. What many don't understand is that valued and serious gallery clients are always contacted when the gallery comes in possession of a piece the owner believes will interest a client. A professional advisor can overcome some of this bias.

For serious, investment minded collectors, artwork is much more than just something to hang on the wall and watch increase in value. There are equally serious tax, legal, and occasionally global implications that can be complicated and expensive. An artistic advisor can step in to work with accountants, attorneys and bankers.

For those who love art, collecting can be a fascinating hobby. You can spend as much or as little as you want, and still enjoy it. For serious investors, art is also a business proposition that requires expert advice.




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