In 2005 Forbes Magazine wrote an article on New Collectors On The Block which highlighted “…13-year-old boy who spent his bar mitzvah money on a Rembrandt etching at a 2003 art fair. In a few years, after finishing his education and landing a well-paying professional gig, our young friend may find himself with plenty of disposable income and empty walls in his loft that his tiny Rembrandt won’t fill. “

Around the same time the Wall Street Journal’s Real Estate Jouranal wrote an article about Young Buyers Become Art’s Newest Market which actually is about younger adult professionals buying art, not so much children: “Get out your auction paddles. A whole generation of new collectors — hedge-fund managers, technology entrepreneurs and others in their thirties and forties — has plunged into the world of contemporary art. Result: Prices are surging. Over the past three years, even as world economies flagged, prices in the closely watched top 2% of the contemporary-art market shot up 72%, according to London-based Art Market Research. In contrast, prices of top-tier works in the Old Masters and French Impressionist markets fell by 40% and 29%, respectively — and the Dow was down 5%.”

Even the Guggenheim Museum has a group dedicated to young collectors: “…The YCC is the Guggenheim Museum’s dynamic leadership group for young professionals who seek to further their understanding of contemporary art and culture. The mission of the YCC is to champion the work of emerging artists. Each year, a portion of membership dues are dedicated to purchasing works by young and emerging artists for the Guggenheim Museum’s permanent collection.”

However, the reason I’m writing this post today is a Wall Street Journal Article on Small Collectors that I heard about from Amy Crehore’s blog, Little Hokum Rag; Amy wrote a post titled: Kids Are Collecting High-End Art :

“…Kelly Crow writes about a new wave of children collecting art in an article called “Small Collectors”. “Encouraged by wealthy, art-loving parents, children are collecting Warhols and even Rembrandts.”

It’s a surprise to me, but it shouldn’t be, that art collections might be driven by the taste of wealthy children.   I’m just wondering if an art collection based on a child’s taste (which is bound to change a lot as they grow to be an adult) is such a good idea as an investment.  I suppose, as long as the works are valued in some recognizable way, Art is still an investment.