INVEST
Want some bang for your buck? Sometimes, dropping serious coin is the smartest play in town— because big-ticket items with timeless appeal can outlast the trends and bring more wealth back your way in the long term.
Frame by Frame Investing in art is very similar to investing in the stock market: you can either bet on start-ups (a.k.a. emerging artists) that may either go great guns or go belly up; or you can look for blue chip stocks (established artists) who you think are undervalued. Option #1 is sexy, but Option #2 is smart. Take Jack Shadbolt’s recent show at the Equinox Gallery. At the time of his passing in 1998 Shadbolt was the preeminent artist in B.C. and his reputation hasn’t faded. Shadbolts aren’t cheap—prices at the Equinox show ranged from $15,000 to $20,000 for good sized pieces—but compare that to the prices of his contemporary E.J. Hughes, whose large canvasses can now top $1,000,000, and they seem like a very solid, undervalued art play. equinoxgallery.com Tick Tock The Daytona and the Submariner represent the dynamic duo of investment-grade Rolexes ( Paul Newman’s personal Daytona sold for $17.75 million last November), so those looking to buy a new model with potential resale value might want to look at one that hasn’t yet attracted as much frenzy: a good bet might be the classic Explorer (not the Explorer II), which has the same legendary history of those other two (its predecessor was the first to see the top of Everest), and the same rugged good looks, but it sits at a relatively easy entry point (for a Rolex, that is) of $7,500. At 39 mm, it’s a nice size—big, but not hulking—so it’s likely to be in fashion in the future, assuming the ginormous watch craze continues unabated. Also, it’s beautiful: simple, handsome, timeless. Remember—always keep the box, paper and even receipt pristine—they’ll add to the valuation in the years to come. globalwatchco.com, palladiocanada.com