Art Investment...

The best advice from Hugo Mumbles is that you should buy art because you like it. Especially so if it is to sit within your home. Enjoy and take pleasure from the art work. Savour what the piece means to you and those close around you. However saying that, it is also very nice to feel reassured that you've invested in something of value, and that as time goes by, that value is likely to rise.

Here are a few things to think about when considering a prospective art purchase...

Be focused - the art market is large and extensive so suggest that you refine your search to firstly art that you like and admire and secondly to a particular genre or medium. You'll soon get a sense of who the artists are, the relative pricing of their art together with their differing qualities.

Buy the most expensive you can afford - whether it is an established or emerging artist, an artist's best work is likely to increase more in value than their lesser work.

Look for quality - Hugo Mumbles works directly with the artists' studios which means that the art work is new and of high quality. If you're buying older work, look for signs of damage and ideally some documented history to accompany the piece. An artist's signature or initials on the work are vital too.

Originals vs limited editions - an original piece will always hold the greatest value. However, many artists produce limited editions of the original. These can be affordable alternatives and hold a degree of value given their limited nature. However, you may want to understand whether the artist has any plans to produce a different range of limited editions that are based on a similar theme. An example of this would be size or colour. You may have purchased edition 23 of 50 in an iconic black and white print, only to discover that the artist also has a limited edition of prints of the same image but in the colour blue. This may dilute the value of your piece.

Buy smaller pieces - larger works of art require space, a commodity often in high demand.

Look after your art - common sense really, but the value will be easier to retain and/or increase if art is kept in a pristine condition.