CONTENTS
Acknowledgments.
Foreword.

Chapter 1. What to collect?:

First reactions.
Judging price.
Judging quality.
Specialization.
Making contacts.

Chapter 2. Dealing with dealers:

Getting dealers' names.
Sizing up dealers.
How dealers can help.
How to approach a dealer.
Discussing price.
The big markups.
Selling through dealers.

Chapter 3. The action at auction:

Preparing to buy at auction.
Selling at auction.
How auctions work.
After the auction.
Dealers vs. Auctions: The pros and cons.

Chapter 4. Not for millionaires only:

The right place at the right time.
Finding affordable fields.

Chapter 5. Feed a hungry artist today:

The peculiarities of the contemporary art market.
The arrangements between artist and dealer.
Dealing directly with artists.
Finding new talent.
Artists' rights and the collector.

Chapter 6. Becoming a connoisseur:

Is it really what it is represented to be?
What kind of condition is it in?
Where did it come from?

Chapter 7. The grand goofs.

Chapter 8. Protecting your treasures:

Conditions for display and storage.
Do-it-Yourself conservation.
Consulting professional conservators.
Lending art.
Buying insurance.
Security precautions.

Chapter 9. When art collector meets tax collector:

Sales, swaps, depreciation.
Tax deductions for donations.
Tax shelters in print publishing.
Estate taxes.
Appraising the appraisers.
IRS review procedures.

Chapter 10. Art appreciation - Collecting for profit:

The advantages of art investment.
The risks.
Ups and downs.
Fickle fashion.
Economic influences.
Art vs. inflation and the stock market.
Choosing your investments.
Analyzing market trends.

Appendix.
Bibliography - General.
Key art history sources.
Index.