Book excerpt: The Definitive Guide to Art Valuation and Investing “Comprehensive insight into the art world that every seasoned art collector should keep by his or her bedside for quick reference.” Lawrence M. Klepner, Vice President–Investments, UBS Financial Services Inc. “An essential resource for any art collector, art investor, or art market professional. The information provided is so useful and comprehensive that it puts anyone involved in the art market who doesn’t own a copy at a disadvantage.” Nicholas Forest, art market analyst, art consultant, and founder of Artmarketblog.com “Skaterschikov has produced a comprehensive and well-written overview of investment in high-end art. Every aspiring investor should read this book cover to cover—twice—before even thinking about writing their first check.” Don Thompson, author of The $12 Million Stuffed Shark: The Curious Economics of Contemporary Art “Skate’s Art Investment Handbook is a must-read for anyone who is passively or actively involved in the art world. It is a thorough, accurate, and fascinating account of this market that will certainly enlighten the art market amateur, veteran, collector, and investor alike.” Philip Hofman, CEO, The Fine Art Fund Group “Thoroughly documented and very well-written. . . . In addition to its original data, this edition of Skate’s pulls together bits and pieces of often hard-to-find statistics from other published resources, making it indispensable for anyone researching the market for artworks.” Tom McNulty , MA, MLS, Professor of Research Methodology, Sotheby’s Institute of Art, New York; Librarian for Fine Arts, Bobst Library, New York University; and author of Art Market Research: A Guide to Methods and Sources About the Book The fine arts represent one of the oldest and most consistently profitable investment vehicles. Yet, despite its maturity and the tens of billions of dollars generated each year through art sales, the art market has remained uniquely resistant to the drivers that have revolutionized virtually every other investment class. Now institutional and private investors can approach both active and passive investment in the global art market with a degree of transparency unavailable to previous generations of investors. The most comprehensive how-to guide of its kind, Skate’s Art Investment Handbook demystifies art investing. It provides a detailed, dispassionate look at the global art market and outlines an original analytical model and rational strategies for profiting from this alternative asset class. Drawing on more than a century of statistical data, original valuation metrics, and other powerful proprietary tools, the founder and CEO of IndexAtlas Group, LLC, Sergey Skaterschikov describes proven techniques that allow you to: Correctly value art assets Accurately forecast their long-term values Precisely track and forecast trends in the notoriously fickle art market Expertly deploy strategies for optimizing returns on art investments Confidently invest in funds, derivatives, and other passive art investment vehicles Taking art investing out of the murky realm of sentiment and aesthetics and into the bright light of financial valuation and market statistics, Skate’s Art Investment Handbook provides what you need to generate consistent profitability in the global art market.