I've seen both ends of the materialism spectrum in my family. My parents have a house rammed full of so much stuff it's difficult to walk around in. And most of their possessions are junk. They won't throw anything away because of emotional attachments, but deflect any criticism by claiming that "as soon as we throw out (fill in the blank), then we'll need it." One would think this is the perfect way to ensure that they would never need anything again, provided they already own it.
But, of course, life doesn't work that way; they always buy more. Growing up in their house has caused me to value the simplicity of an uncluttered life. I have vowed never to emulate them.
My brother sits on the other side of the materialism fence. He has embraced extreme monasticism, to the point where he even eschews useful furniture like a bed or dresser. To him possessions are a sign of dubious individual moral fiber. They are chains, tying you down to the banality of the physical world. Once, after finding my brother sitting cross-legged on the floor of his room surrounded by a pile of books (with no furniture to be seen) I concluded that my brother's approach to life was unnecessarily austere.
And that brings us to my own personal, middle path philosophy. Don't own many things, but make certain that the things you do own are nice. And perhaps the highest application of this dictum is the field of art and antiques. We all want a little color in our lives, something beautiful and inspiring. Art and antiques, in addition to being fine investments, give us that special, deep connection to history, nature, philosophy or aesthetics that we crave.
But many people are intimidated by the scale of traditional art forms - the so-called major arts. Paintings? You need a gallery to display those properly, or at least a mansion with an extra wing. Sculptures? They require an exhibition hall or perhaps you could sneak by with only a large courtyard. But good art doesn't have to be cyclopean in size. Some fine art and antiques are actually quite compact.
Over the last couple of decades our lifestyles have changed. We are now more mobile than ever. Our cell phones are mobile. Our media is mobile. Even our living arrangements are oftentimes mobile. So why can't our art be mobile too?
It can be. The minor arts like jewelry, silverware, miniature sculpture and lacquerware, to name just a few, gracefully mesh with this modern philosophy of unencumbered living. A superb, Edo era Japanese boxwood netsuke sculpture may be only a couple inches tall, yet overflows with history and culture. An ancient Greek gold stater coin only weighs about 8 grams, but clearly reflects the grandeur of ancient Greece and the skill of her artists. Small is beautiful and our society is just now coming to realize it.
The size of diminutive art bears no relation to its value either. Most investment grade antiques are crafted from precious metals, glittering gemstones, exotic woods and other rare materials. These miniature works of art are small, but exceedingly valuable. Antiques conveniently allow us to hold a piece of the past in our hands while simultaneously being, if carefully chosen, top notch investments.
A collection of fine antiques takes up little space and can usually be displayed on a couple small shelves or, if need be, stored in the corner of a closet or a dresser drawer. A modestly sized home safe or bank safety deposit box will also easily accommodate most collections. Investment grade antiques are discreet and easily transportable, regardless of whether you need to take them down the street or halfway across the country. And no one - not your friends, family or coworkers - will know you own a valuable collection of investment grade vintage wristwatches, antique jewelry or medieval prints - to name just a few possibilities - unless you tell them.
Art is a necessity in a balanced life, like food or water, but for the soul. But art doesn't need to be big to be good. A compact collection of investment grade antiques can satisfy your aesthetic needs while also offering good investment returns. As I like to say, own few things, but let the things you do own be nice (without taking up much space).
