This file is part of IDEAS, which uses RePEc data


[ Papers | Articles | Software | Books | Chapters | Authors | Institutions | JEL Classification | NEP reports | Search | New papers by email | Author registration | Rankings | Volunteers | FAQ | Blog | Help! ]

Investment Returns and Risk for Art: Evidence from Auctions of American Paintings

Author info | Abstract | Publisher info | Download info | Related research | Statistics
Author Info
Richard J. Agnello () (Department of Economics, University of Delaware)
Abstract

The literature on return and risk for investment in paintings is extended by disaggregating for artist, genre, and quality. A hedonic log price model generates yearly price indices and shadow values for painting characteristics using a large sample of U.S. artists sold at auction from 1971 to 1996. Overall returns to holding paintings are low, and have high annual variation although disparities are found across categories. High quality paintings show the highest returns, second only to equities, and are not offset by higher risk. Buying the highest quality superstar paintings seems to be the best overall investment strategy.

Download Info
To download:

If you experience problems downloading a file, check if you have the proper application to view it first. Information about this may be contained in the File-Format links below. In case of further problems read the IDEAS help page. Note that these files are not on the IDEAS site. Please be patient as the files may be large.

File URL: http://college.holycross.edu/eej/Volume28/V28N4P443_463.pdf
File Format: application/pdf
File Function:
Download Restriction: no

Publisher Info
Article provided by Eastern Economic Association in its journal Eastern Economic Journal.

Volume (Year): 28 (2002)
Issue (Month): 4 (Fall)
Pages: 443-463
Download reference. The following formats are available: HTML (with abstract), plain text (with abstract), BibTeX, RIS (EndNote, RefMan, ProCite), ReDIF
Handle: RePEc:eej:eeconj:v:28:y:2002:i:4:p:443-463

Contact details of provider:
Postal: c/o Iona College, 715 North Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801-1890 USA
Phone: (914) 633-2088
Fax: (914) 633-2549
Email:
Web page: http://www.iona.edu/eea/
More information through EDIRC

Order Information:
Postal: Dr. Mary H. Lesser, Department of Economics, Iona College, New Rochelle, NY 10801-1890
Email:
Web: http://www.iona.edu/eea/publications/subandmem.htm

For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its listing, contact: (Victor Matheson, College of the Holy Cross).

Related research
Keywords: Art; Artist;

Find related papers by JEL classification:
Z11 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Economics of the Arts and Literature

References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:

  1. Halvorsen, Robert & Palmquist, Raymond, 1980. "The Interpretation of Dummy Variables in Semilogarithmic Equations," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 70(3), pages 474-75, June. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  2. Renato Flôres & Victor Ginsburgh & Philippe Jeanfils, 1999. "Long- and Short-Term Portfolio Choices of Paintings," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 191-208, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  3. David W. Galenson & Bruce A. Weinberg, 2000. "Age and the Quality of Work: The Case of Modern American Painters," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 108(4), pages 761-777, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  4. Ginsburgh, Victor & Jeanfils, Philippe, 1995. "Long-term comovements in international markets for paintings," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 538-548, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Anderson, Robert C, 1974. "Paintings as an Investment," Economic Inquiry, Oxford University Press, vol. 12(1), pages 13-26, March.
  6. Pesando, James E, 1993. "Art as an Investment: The Market for Modern Prints," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(5), pages 1075-89, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Olivier Chanel & Louis-André Gérard-Varet & Victor Ginsburgh, 1996. "The relevance of hedonic price indices," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer, vol. 20(1), pages 1-24, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  8. Goetzmann, William N, 1993. "Accounting for Taste: Art and the Financial Markets over Three Centuries," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 83(5), pages 1370-76, December. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Frey, Bruno S. & Eichenberger, Reiner, 1995. "On the rate of return in the art market: Survey and evaluation," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 528-537, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Marilena Locatelli Biey & Roberto Zanola, 1999. "Investment in Paintings: A Short-Run Price Index," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer, vol. 23(3), pages 209-219, August. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  11. Benjamin J. Burton & Joyce P. Jacobsen, 1999. "Measuring Returns on Investments in Collectibles," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 13(4), pages 193-212, Fall. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  12. Gerard-Varet, Louis-Andre, 1995. "On pricing the priceless: Comments on the economics of the visual art market," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 39(3-4), pages 509-518, April. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  13. Koford, Kenneth & Tschoegl, Adrian E., 1998. "The market value of rarity," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 34(3), pages 445-457, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  14. Chanel, O. & Gerard, L.A. & Ginsburgh, V., 1992. "The Relevence of Hedonic Price Indices the Case of Paintings," G.R.E.Q.A.M. 92a19, Universite Aix-Marseille III.
  15. Alan Beggs & Kathryn Graddy, 1997. "Declining Values and the Afternoon Effect: Evidence from Art Auctions," RAND Journal of Economics, The RAND Corporation, vol. 28(3), pages 544-565, Autumn. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  16. R. Ekelund & Rand Ressler & John Watson, 2000. "The ``Death-Effect'' in Art Prices: A Demand-Side Exploration," Journal of Cultural Economics, Springer, vol. 24(4), pages 283-300, November. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
Full references

Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Richard Agnello & Xiaowen Xu, 2006. "Art Prices and Race: Paintings by African American Artists and Their White Contemporaries," Working Papers 06-06, University of Delaware, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  2. Aylin Seçkin & Erdal Atukeren, 2006. "Art and the Economy: A First Look at the Market for Paintings in Turkey," Economics Bulletin, Economics Bulletin, vol. 26(3), pages 1-13. [Downloadable!]
  3. Robert Sproule & Calin Valsan, 2006. "Hedonic Models and Pre-Auction Estimates: Abstract Art Revisited," Economics Bulletin, Economics Bulletin, vol. 26(5), pages 1-10. [Downloadable!]
  4. Richard J. Agnello, 2006. "Do U.S. Paintings Follow the CAPM? Findings Disaggregated by Subject, Artist, and Value of the Work," Working Papers 06-02, University of Delaware, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
Statistics
Access and download statistics

Did you know? No RePEc service, like IDEAS, charges for the use or the display of bibliographic data.

This page was last updated on 2009-11-18.


This information is provided to you by IDEAS at the Department of Economics, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, University of Connecticut using RePEc data on a server sponsored by the Society for Economic Dynamics.