2008 - What to Expect

There has been a lot written about the housing and financial mess so I thought I would throw in my two cents. I think as long as the job market holds strong we will see a decent 2008. Nobody is going to let the financial businesses fail and the housing market has already suffered so by February, 2008 things will start to look positive and confidence will return to the market. We will also start to have a good sense of who the next President will be so we can determine the pros and cons of them winning the election. There will be a huge surge into technology over the next several months as we look to continue our competitive advantage in this industry. The high art end of the art world will slow a little and finding quality pieces to auction will become an issue for many auction houses. We may even see some of them partner with other houses. The art world will start to look at art from Mexico and other South American countries as the hispanic population continues to grow in the United States. The limited edition print market will re-surface as publishers narrow the amount of prints available in an edition and start to price the prints to target a wider consumer base. The internet will continue to play a major force in the distribution and awareness of art in 2008. Framing vendors will start to look for ways to make their products more eco-friendly and they will look to other materials for framing. The industry has not advanced in some time but in 2008 they will start to look beyond their four walls.