31-05 2007, 12:03 JB

“While there are some major European exceptions consulting and advising remains a ­distinctly American phenomenon. “Americans take great pride in seeing psychoanalysts, and they likewise have no problem having someone else find their art for them,”” [...]

Also, European collectors tend to be much more self-assured in their taste—they have less of a need for outside validation.” That holds especially true in Germany, where even major ­collectors are expected to do their own reconnaissance work. “German ­collectors want to be seen as friends of the artists, participating in the intellectual and creative ­process,” notes Berlin dealer Max Hetzler. “They want to be seen as art saints, not as treating their collecting like a ­business.[...]

The real motivation for people hiring art advisors is fear—fear of overpaying and fear of buying bad art. [...]

That said, more young people are setting out to become full-time professional advisors than ever before. For those without financial backing from a parent or spouse, it offers a career in the art world that has a remarkably low barrier to entry: All you need is a cellphone, an email account, and $50 worth of business cards.”

theartnewspaper.com/article01.asp?id=640