From Bristol Post
A BRISTOL woman who invested her life savings in a painting by disgraced celebrity Rolf Harris says she fears it has been devalued by up to 90 per cent.
Sarah Gardiner, 35, bought Horses at the Lights months before the star was arrested to provide some financial security when she retired.
Harris was sentenced to five years and nine months in prison today after he was found guilty of 12 counts of indecent assault.
Apart from the problem that you might be buying art whose value is linked to a TV personality who no-one cares about when it turns out they're a nonce, art in general is a very bad investment. When you factor in the person making commissions when they sell it to you, the person making commissions when you sell, insurance costs and so forth. You also have to consider that art generally goes out of fashion over time. It nearly all decreases in value except a few exceptional works.
One problem is that our media (both news, and the likes of Antiques Roadshow) talks about the winners and gives the impression that antiques are a good investment. Stick your money in a tracker or national savings. Buy the art you like.