Art Investment: Prices and Returns of Prints

This research investigates the pricing model and the investment performance of prints. Our hedonic characteristics, like the size of prints, can explain around 68% of the hammer prices. To derive a precise estimation of price index in the prints market, we utilize two sophisticated methods: hedonic price function and repeat-sale regression, with full considerations. We find that the print returns derived from the hedonic method in the adjacent-period model have a geometric mean of -0.31% and an arithmetic mean of 4.05%, with a Sharpe ratio of 0.0356 during the year 2006-2016. Although the low Sharpe ratio implies the investment in prints is not an ideal choice, the negative correlations with like treasury bonds and commodities provide an opportunity for hedging.