Art Collecting Today

Book excerpt: An insider's guide to buying, collecting, and selling art from an insider of Christie's Grounded in real-life stories, Art Collecting Today is the essential practical guide to today's art market. A lightly regulated industry with more than sixty billion dollars of annual sales, the art market is often opaque and confusing to even the most experienced collectors. But whether a seasoned collector, an uninitiated newcomer, or an art-world insider, readers will learn within these pages how the art marketplace works in practice and how to navigate it smartly. Those who may have been put off by art-world practices will finally feel they have the knowledge needed to participate freely and fully, and collectors will be able to pursue their passion with more confidence. Important topics covered include: How to evaluate, buy, and sell art while avoiding costly mistakes and time-consuming roadblocks How the market works in practice for essential artists like Ren? Magritte, Christopher Wool, Amedeo Modigliani, and Yayoi Kusama How collectors can be taken advantage of, and the actions they should take to protect themselves Why tax laws in the United States reward "art investors" yet penalize "art collectors" How cultural property laws impact the market for works by such artists as Frida Kahlo and Andy Warhol Advice for new and prospective collectors Informed by close to one hundred interviews with collectors, lawyers, art advisors, gallerists, and auction specialists in the United States and Europe, as well as by the author's own experiences, Art Collecting Today offers a lively and thought-provoking analysis of the day-to-day workings at play today in the fine art marketplace.