Rare collectible art, photography and more - 'buy now before prices rise further'

Paul explains the beauty of photography: it could be one of the best assets you put your money into

Mesmerising isn't it?

Marilyn Monroe taken by Richard Avedon

I've looked at it two or three times today, and each time I see something different.

That's the beauty of photography. It's the extremely personal nature of it.

I've long believed that unique photographs like this are vastly undervalued, especially when compared to artworks.

This vintage print of Richard Avedon's iconic portrait of Marilyn Monroe is heading to auction at Christie's, Paris in November. The estimate is $100,000-150,000.

However the price pales into comparison to an Andy Warhol Marilyn Monroe painting at $5m.

Yet a photograph is a more personal historical artefact. Marilyn actually posed for this photo, she did her hair, chose her outfit and agreed a pose with the photographer.

Like I say, I think photography is one of the undervalued areas of collecting, but the market has started to move in the last 12 months.

Collectors are now appreciating that these unique items are in their own right, artworks... and now prices are rising accordingly.

So if you're interested in photography my advice is to buy now before prices rise further.

There have been some big photographic sales results recently but I still believe the market has some way to go.

In January 2010 a photograph of Abraham Lincoln sold for $103,500. The auction estimate was just $8,000-12,000. The photo was special as it featured Lincoln in a full length, standing pose.

Remarkably there are only 119 photos of Lincoln known to exist and just 24 of these feature him standing up.

In September 2009 an even rarer photo of Lincoln, without his famous beard, sold for £100,000.

A few months ago a Helmut Newton photo of Carla Bruni, the First Lady of France, and an ex-supermodel, sold for £6,875, more than twice the estimate.

Elsewhere £4,000 was paid for a photograph of Fidel Castro and co-revolutionary Camilo Cienfuegos entering Havana on January 8, 1959. The print was limited to just 200 copies.

The market's clearly picking up, if you're interested in photography this could be the collectibles investment for you.

Regards,

Paul

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www.paulfrasercollectibles.com

Images: Christie's