Millennial buying trends in Fine Art, Antique, and Motorcars

The Knight Frank Luxury Investment Index show classic car offered 28 per cent returns on investment in 2017, and it was a superior option in comparison to coins, watches, and wine collection. On March 7, Bonhams Amelia Island 2019 antique car auction in Florida showcased the Don C. Boulton Collection. 

One of the highlights was the 1914 Simplex Speed Car that was given $885,000, and there were other rare cars with historical values. The newest list of such cars includes the BMW 3 Series of the 1990s – the fifth-generation sports sedan, Ford Mustang, Chrysler New Yorker and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. 

However, the antique car business requires proper knowledge as restoration of an expensive piece may cost tens and thousands of dollars. Hence, millennial buyers are seeking alternatives such as antiques and fine art. 

Millennials are the new buyers, and they have a reputation for being self-obsessed glued to their smartphones. These are using different tech-savvy methods to invest. Reports show young buyers were not investing in cars, which can be a generational shift over gasoline consumption, or they are worried over climate change and traffic congestion. Still, they are ready to change if the economic factors are suitable. Gen Y entered the market during the Great Recession, and they identified the need to invest carefully and hence, are picky.  They have got a lot of opportunities to select, where the markets are trying to simplify processes offering low-cost options, while they are seeking the right models at the appropriate rates with warranties and other relevant characteristics. 

 UBS Fine Art Investment  

According to the reports last by UBS, Gen Y is not spending on cars but on fine art, where it invested $67 billion in fine arts. Gen Y includes the 22 to 37 years old, who are termed ‘selective’, though 50 per cent of such buyers paid $1 million or more for a piece of art, as per the reports by UBS. 

UBS said it worked with clients from different parts of the world, including Hong Kong, Miami, and Basel. The main factor for investing was that these were unique and often served as a long-term assets. The study was conducted by UBS on high net worth individuals from different countries in Europe and Asia - the UK, Germany, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Japan. 

The study found despite a slowdown in the global economy, the art market grew 6 per cent, where the total sales worth was $67.4 billion. The largest global markets of art and antiques were the US, UK, and China accounting for 84 per cent of the sales.  The report found online sales do not represent the actual sale as it accounted for only 9 per cent of the total. 

Fine art auctions require a proper setting through some popular auction houses that can bring in some of the most enthusiastic buyers. The rich buyers seek opportunities in such markets, and however, as the markets are improving, it is expected that the number of rich millennials may increase, and they may start investing in various pioneering options.

To find out more about art and antique investment, check 99 Alternatives at (http://www.99alternatives.com).