Anyone starting a collection should think carefully before they begin: the subject matter will need to hold your attention for long enough to fill that cabinet, wall or cellar. Once you’ve chosen your new hobby, call a lifestyle manager and we’ll assist with sourcing items and finding auctions in your area.
Art
For big name artists, buying at galleries can be an expensive and often difficult pastime. Contemporary art fans, however, can pick up limited edition works at galleries such as The Serpentine and all of the Tate galleries. Many collectors who can boast a Banksy original found theirs online – the enigma himself co-founded POW (www.picturesonwalls.com) where you can find entry-level pieces selected by smart seller Steve Lazarides.
For classic art, the only option is the auction house, which is more accessible than it used to be. There are iPhone apps and e-catalogues (try www.sothebys.com, www.christies.com and www.bonhams.com), and you can always bid by phone or online if you can’t make it in person. Jussi Pylkkänen, President of Christie's Europe, has one key piece of advice for auction-goers: ‘You must absolutely love what you buy, as there is no absolute guarantee its value will increase.’ The Arts Council also runs an Own Art scheme which offers art lovers interest-free, zero per cent APR loans (www.artscouncil.org.uk/ownart).
Wine
Budding wine connoisseurs would be wise to begin with classic regions. Bordeaux has a great track record, and is simpler to comprehend than Burgundy, Rhone or Barolo, for instance. However, the Bordeaux Buyer and Broking Manager at Justerini & Brooks, Tom Jenkins, suggests you start by getting to know your palate: ‘There’s no point building a great Bordeaux cellar if you don’t like Bordeaux. Go to as many tastings as possible to discover which regions and producers you like.’
‘Then, seek out a merchant who is strong in your area of interest, and develop a relationship with them,’ Tom says. ‘Sales people taste extensively and are privy to lots of insider information. Storage is important; if you do this with a merchant, make sure your bottles are insured to replacement value and are audited on a regular basis. If you store at home, ensure that conditions are suitable – you need a constant cool temperature, darkness and no vibrations.’
Watches
Somlo watches, located in London’s Burlington Arcade, is one of the city’s best vintage and antique watch specialists. They recommend pocket watches as a lovely, often overlooked, route into collecting: ‘There are some really unusual pieces out there from the early days of watch-making.’ Make sure you buy from a dealer that is part of the British Antique Dealers’ Association – members have to meet strict criteria on the standard of the vintage watches they’re selling.
When it comes to contemporary pieces, we can also assist. Hannah Rech, one of our retail specialists, says: ‘At the higher end of the market, a watch becomes more than just an item that tells the time. It is about the unrivalled build quality, the innovative technology, the precious materials and the highly skilled workmanship. All of this, brought together with touches of pure class, makes a luxury timepiece an extremely rewarding investment.’
Alternative collections
If you’d prefer a more niche collection, try comic books, classic cars, vinyl records, racehorses or even early mechanical musical instruments and automata. Jon Baddeley, head of collectibles at Bonhams, suggests you keep your eyes peeled for singing birds; ‘at the flick of a button, a miniature feathered bird pops out of a snuff box, flaps its wings, turns its head and sings a rendition of a nightingale's song, before returning to its hiding place.’ Pieces such as this were used to impress friends in the late 18th century – two recent examples fetched £80,000 against £40-60,000 estimates. Another specialised and increasingly popular field of collecting is chess sets – Bonhams holds dedicated sales, where you can pick up gold, silver, glass, ivory, bone, plastic and wooden sets with guide prices between £50 and £50,000.
