How to Exploit Dirty Art - artmarketblog.com

In modern society everyone seems to be determined to fit in as much
into their day as possible and most people seem to be under the
impression that with every single event in their lives, no matter how
small, “time is of the essence”. Because of the hectic lives most
people lead these days there has been a drop in the demand and value of
artistic objects that require some sort of ongoing maintenance such as
brass and silver. No longer is it considered worth while to get out the
silver table ware on a Sunday afternoon and have a good old family
polishing session. The change in lifestyle has also affected the
desirability of silver with the use of silver ware declining due to the
huge reduction in the number of people who entertain on a regular basis
or are not entertaining the sort of crowd who would appreciate being
served from a silver teapot.

There is also a tendency for people fail to properly care for their
artworks for the same reason that they neglect their silver or brass
ware. If you have ever been to an art auction you would most likely
have seen an array of paintings covered in layers of dust and who knows
what else being put under the hammer. Savvy collectors and dealers will
buy these paintings, clean them up, and then sell them on for an easy
profit that is basically the result of people’s lack of free time.

Just because people aren’t interested in silver at the current time
doesn’t mean that they won’t be interested in silver in 5 or 10 years
time so you might like to take advantage of the low prices being asked
for antique silver many of which will be no more than the value of the
metal its self. The same philosophy goes for paintings in need of
cleaning or repair, just make sure that the cost of cleaning or repair
will not be greater than the profit you are likely to make.

**Nicholas Forrest is an art market analyst, art critic and journalist based in Sydney, Australia. He is the founder of http://www.artmarketblog.com,
writes the art column for the magazine Antiques and Collectibles for
Pleasure and Profit and contributes to many other publications.