Prints as an art investment

 

Prints as an art investment by Karen Colville

There are art buyers that buy limited editions because they are worth more. Is it feasible? This is my opinion in what I have learned being in both private and public art for over a decade.

As an Artist, I sell original works, both limited edition prints of my art for my serious collectors that treasure my art work and for those that like that art work for aesthetics or it's beauty that costs less to make my art accessible to them. It took time to build my presence selling original art works with prints. I have licensed my art also.

People or business that buy original art as an asset. is an investment they hang on to for a long time, after a few years, they can grow tired of having the art in their home, they can sell it at Auction to set the reserve, past the price  more than what they paid for it. It may or may not. sell at Auction. Some people buy and sell art  for the reason they collect a particular Artist that is passed, and Collectors are seeking a unique one of a kind investment. High end art sold at Sothebys or at Christies is for Artists with an established name in the art world. In the art world there is no such thing as fast or easy money, unless a Gallery owner has invested into Artists they promote and turn into art stars, it is a sales ploy to get the masses to come to art galleries, then the Artist becomes legitimate. Saatchi is the perfect example of this, Millionaire investor Jay Jopling, established Artists as Damion Hurst and Tracey Emin in the UK started with nothing and were invested in and became established running their own galleries.

A person that buys a limited edition or original art for resale purposes will not get an immediate return to sell the painting for more  money. I sign  and number limited editions and some works I make open editions to make my art accessible.

There is a Vangogh exhibit, the gallery gift shop will sell prints, the print authenticates the experience of attending the exhibit that the Museum of the collection that was curated. There is no resale value of the experience, the buyer enjoys early impressionist works from the 17th century, as Monet, it is the person that values it, it is sold on the secondary market will sell because it is culture and there are  people that value art history and culture as much as they value popular culture. Pop Culture was defined by Warhol. Collections are always subject to taste.

A print that is signed by an Artist is worth more because it authenticity the print was made by the Artist when the Artist created it, some would sign a hand made print and number at the bottom of the art, the year it was made or some use a symbol, certificate of authenticity, most prints are sold in different manners.

There is an allure to exclusivity, however they cant be sold for that much more in the secondary market, for example Canadian  Nature Artist Robert Bateman,  is one of the biggest selling Artists in Canada, the prints can go for a high price depending on the number of the print. Overall the buyer invests in the work because they like the aesthetic, another big seller was Trishia Romance, because women liked decorating their homes with Victorian era styles to give their home more value with assets of the working class. Most art buyers, buy original art that it is in their price range. There are so many Artists hundreds of  thousands, all offer unique styles and tastes. There were a number of American Artists that also sold both limited and open editions of their work. The prints purchased at Walmart, an on Amazon are for decorative purposes only. A cash grab for a cash grab sell a print too soon it loses it's value Amazon offers prints of any dead Artist, they are not worth anything  more than what is retail price is and will not appreciate in value. There is a collector that wants a print of this particular Artist then it may be worth a little more over time.

During the 90\s  I worked at an gallery that sold very few originals, did the majority of the,  sales of limited edition prints and occasional open edition prints. It is mostly auction houses that would sell limited editions in the lot of an estate that would be appraised with assets such as furniture for resale. Open edition prints are for people that want to decorate their home or office for an inexpensive price. Many frame shops would sell limited and open edition prints to expand on their sales and also galleries in shopping malls.

People that purchased a limited edition of Robert Bateman would do well, there are some limited and open edition that needed some cash, so they place the print a face book market place ad or on Craigslist to sell the print for less of a price for some fast cash. Otherwise people need to do, and will sell the print without going to an Auction house.

A person may think that exclusivity is a ploy to get a buyer, it is having something that no one else has so it's value can be determined  as it is not mass produced. Buying and selling mass produced goods only offer very little resale value. Support your local Artist, they bring culture, creativity and value to your life experience  that you value art and enjoy your assets in your home and real estate.