Antiquities are rare, cumbersome to buy and sell and come with storage costs. But for the hard-working investor, they can be a gold mine
Antiquities are the tell-tales of the history of the world. Their importance lies in their dwindling numbers and their reflection of the culture of bygone societies. A historical object of significance will only get rarer with time, and as the rule goes, the rarer the object, the more valuable it is.
The most expensive antiquity ever sold via auction is the Guennol Lioness which went for $57 million at Sotheby’s in 2007. With such objects, there is simply “no threat of oversupply equalling a price drop”, says Deepak Natesan, an antiquity dealer in Mumbai. One should look at putting money in these because high quality, well-maintained antiquities with clear provenance are possibly the safest long-term investments one can make in tangible objects that you can enjoy. The only limiting factor is the small number of dealers and outlets for buying and selling.
A Safe Haven
“Antiquities have a very strong foundation because these are finite objects. Even when the market is dull, their prices do not fall...The growth in India has always been slow and steady,” says Natesan. However, this only applies to good quality antiquities. So one needs to do a lot of research because only then will you acquire something investment worthy. This can be exhausting but there is no other way.
(This story appears in the 14 January, 2011 issue of Forbes India. To visit our Archives, click here.)