Investing

Art and collectibles market analysis, collecting costs, and the factors that influence value.

Prices on Old Rotary Phones are Up 500%

MARKET ALERT | Vintage rotary phones have been steadily rising in value and liquidity, becoming almost as good as gold.

Rare models sell between $200-2000 regularly. Even most basic rotary phones are in high demand.

Well-known home decorators are getting in the game and scooping up vintage phones from the market in bulk!

Further fuel into the fire is thrown by the limited (and constantly decreasing) supply.

NFT AUCTION: RtistiQ Set To Launch Digital NFTs of Raja Ravi Varma’s ‘The Coquette’ and ‘Reclining Nair Lady’

To start off the new year, RtistiQ will present the Digital NFT versions of Raja Ravi Varma’s (RRV) works ‘The Coquette’ and ‘Reclining Nair Lady’, two of his most famous paintings. With the originals considered to be National Treasures and unable to be brought out of India, the NFT versions will be auctioned online on the RtistiQ platform from 17 February to 20 February 2022.

This collection will be single editions of works of the Indian Art Legend to be tokenized and minted and this also marks the first NFT sales in collaboration with a traditional gallery and an artist foundation.

Original Artworks valued at USD 2.5M

Lithographs valued at USD 1K

Exclusive interview with Sandy Copeman, founder of the World’s Finest scale models company – The Amalgam Collection | Part 2

In the second part of our exclusive interview with Sandy Copeman, founder of the Amalgam Collection, we discuss their business operations, partnerships, challenges, and of course stunning luxury vehicles.

Sandy opens up about Amalgam’s unique relationship with Ferrari and Ralph Lauren, shares with the readers his most cherished accomplishments, and talks about the history of this luxury company.

Once again, this story is filled with highly artistic images of the world’s most exotic model cars that are made with such attention to detail it’s hard to tell them apart from their full-size counterparts. So, without further ado, here’s our second and final part of this fascinating interview with Mr. Copeman.

The Problem with NFTs

Around February of this year, in the midst of the still-pending cryptocurrency boom, a sub-category of digital assets started to really take off. NonFungible.com reported that by the first quarter of 2021, over $2 billion worth of transactions had taken place in the NFT market. Musician Grimes sold almost $6 million worth of digital art via digital asset marketplace Nifty Gateway, who are partnered with Sotheby’s. Twitter founder Jack Dorsey auctioned his first ever tweet as an NFT, the final bid closing at $2.9 million. UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou sold NFTs following his knockout victory over Stipe Miocic. The proceeds of the sale, $580,000, was actually more than his disclosed purse for the fight itself that earned him the belt. Despite the hype, in many regards serving as a speculator’s dream, NFTs come with inherent issues that threaten to hamper widespread and enduring adoption.

METRO NEWS: Soviet painting by Czeslaw Znamierowski sold in China for $120,000

Czeslaw Znamierowski, an artist who died forty years ago, is gaining fame in the 21st century. His artwork recently sold for $120,000 in China, setting a personal record.

Znamerovsky’s paintings began to be bought up by oriental auctions, galleries and collectors, according to the Chinese news agencies.

In a relatively short time, the cost of Cheslav Znamerovsky’s paintings increased from several hundred to tens of thousands and even hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Why Soviet Firearms are a Great Investment – Part 1: The SKS

Despite its relatively short term as the Soviet Union’s main battle rifle, this has not diminished the SKS rifle’s presence on the global market as an increasingly sought-after firearm that is both highly collectible and investible. There are in fact numerous reasons for this. The most readily apparent is the historical aspect. There is of course the SKS rifle’s iconic status as a classic WWII and Cold War era firearm of the Soviet Union. There is also its extensive use by other countries across numerous conflicts throughout history, including the Chinese Civil War and the Vietnam War. To this day, the SKS remains in active, secondary, and ceremonial use across the world.

3 Valuable Toy Cars & Trucks That Your Kids Could Be Playing With Right Now

Ever wanted to have a car dealership as a kid? Maybe you desired an exotic car collection but couldn’t afford it? Well, this is your lucky day! All over North America and the world at large, adults of many ages relive their childhood memories through their beloved childhood toy cars and truck, paying handsomely for specific models. Surprisingly, some of these toys aren’t even that old, but then again, neither are adults who seek them. Seriously, there are toy car dealers who make good money buying, selling, and trading these vehicles. If you think that’s crazy, we got news for you – toy car repair shops exist as well! So when your kids get back from their 4×4 off-road trip with a busted tire, you know where to go. Just don’t forget insurance.

$133 Million in Loans: Exclusive Interview with an Art Banker, Thomas González – Part 2

Thomas González

Thomas González has always had a passion for art. Today, he arranges art loans and has committed himself to the art loan business. He has developed a trusted cadre of financial partners, responsible for successfully brokering art loans above $133 million. We, at The World Art News, have had the pleasure of interviewing Thomas to learn the ins and outs of being an art banker. In this two-part series, you will discover his secrets to running a successful art loans business. This time, in Part 2 of our exclusive interview, Thomas González will talk about the differences between the art and financial worlds, share with us how art loans change lives, and tell our readers how to get started as an investor in the global art market.

Interview with an Art Banker, Thomas González – $133 Million in Loans | Part 1

Thomas González

Thomas González always had a passion for art. So today, he arranges art loans and has committed himself to the art loan business.

He has developed a trusted cadre of financial partners, responsible for successfully brokering art loans above 100 Million Euros.

We, at The World Art News, have had the pleasure of interviewing Thomas to learn the ins and outs of being an art banker.

In this exclusive two-part series you will discover his secrets to running a successful art loans business. Let’s begin!

“I can tell you that loans up to $25 Million aren’t a problem for us.”