Volume 15:
Profit or Pleasure? Exploring the Motivations Behind Treasure Trends

Articles in Volume 15

• Introduction

  For today’s wealthy investor, acquiring and holding collectibles such as fine art, antiques and wine is akin to building a store of treasure. This report looks at how wealthy individuals are investing in these rare collectibles and leads us to question if this trend is driven by emotion or the desire for financial return.

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• Executive summary

  The most popular motivation for holding treasure is enjoyment. Relatively few wealthy individuals hold treasure purely as an investment or to provide financial security. Treasure amongst respondents is growing in popularity, with the majority planning to invest in more treasure in the future.

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• Treasure trends

  Many factors, including geography, wider economic stability and age, affect the popularity of treasure types. For instance, certain types of treasure assets increase in popularity with age.

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• Emotional versus financial motivations

  When it comes to investing in treasure assets, the emotional motivations by far outweigh the financial. For those individuals who do invest in treasure for the financial returns, they must be aware of the practical challenges and risks involved.

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• Types of emotional motivations

  Individuals who hold treasure do so for a number of reasons. Treasure is something that can be enjoyed for its own sake, shared with friends or passed onto the next generation. It can confer status on the owner, provide intellectual stimulation and be a source of respect.

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• The social utility debate

  Owning treasure can have a hugely positive impact on society. The role of a wealthy collector, who nurtures current artists, protects the work of past ones, and shares their collection in museums and exhibitions, is important in enriching cultural life.

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• The UK Treasure Map

  This report discusses many of the UK-wide findings when it comes to the trends and motivations of investing in treasure. In this section, we examine the data at a regional level to identify the different motivations and most popular treasure types across the UK.

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• Conclusion

  This report explores the driving forces for the world’s wealthy in collecting and investing in treasure. As treasure comprises an increasingly important part of high net worth individuals’ wealth, it is significant that it is the emotional components of these treasure assets which provide the best returns.

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