WINE CELLAR PHOTO BY REAGAN M./UNSPLASH; CAMERA PHOTO BY ALEXANDER ANDREWS/UNSPLASH; FRONT-FACING CAR PHOTO BY MARTIN KATLER/UNSPLASH; WINE CORK PHOTO BY JOHN MURZAKU/UNSPLASH; PAINT SPLATT ER PHOTO BY JULIA ZYABLOVA; PAINTBRUSH PHOTO BY YANNIS PAPANASTASOPOULOS; REAR-FACING CAR PHOTO COURTESY OF LAMBORGHINI
WEALTH MANAGEMENT MEANS MORE THAN MERELY TRACKING THE MARKET THESE DAYS. FROM FINE ART TO EXOTIC RIDES TO COVETED WINES, EXPANDING YOUR PORTFOLIO INTO NEW CATEGORIES CAN HELP IT APPRECIATE FOR YEARS TO COME. HERE ARE THE CURATORS TO KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING A WORTHWHILE COLLECTION.
FRAMES PHOTO BY JESSICA RUSCELLO/UNSPLASH; CAMERA PHOTO BY YOANN SILOINE/UNSPLASH.
THE WHO
An attorney by trade, La Jolla resident and professional art advisor Jennifer Findley discovered her love of collecting art through the brands she worked with. “I was a trademark and copyright lawyer for some of the biggest domestic and international social media and fashion companies and cultural institutions, and I brought those connections to the art world. I began seriously collecting art as an outlet and to diversify my investment portfolio. Like a lot of collectors, it quickly turned into an obsession,” recalls Findley, who founded JFiN Collective (jfincollective.com) in 2021. “Fellow collectors began asking me for help with their own collections. One thing led to another, and I stepped away from the law to turn my passion into a profession. I now work with well-established collectors all over the world who are interested in creating museum-quality and investment-level legacy collections, as well as emerging collectors who want to hone their collection aesthetics while adding to their portfolios.”
"NEW COLLECTORS NEED TO FIND THEIR INSPIRATION, WHAT JUMPS OUT AND GRABS YOU—MAYBE IT’S HARD-EDGE PAINTING, URBAN ART, FASHION PHOTOGRAPHY, VARIATIONS ON THE COLOR BLUE—EMBRACE AND HONE IT!"–JENNIFER FINDLEY, FOUNDER AND ART ADVISOR, JFIN COLLECTIVE
THE WHY
The journey to curating an art collection should begin by investing in what speaks to you. “New collectors need to find their inspiration, what jumps out and grabs you—maybe it’s hard-edge painting, urban art, fashion photography, variations on the color blue—embrace and hone it!” says Findley. From there, turn to a professional. “Talking to an art advisor can help develop your collection philosophy and investment strategy; the most savvy collectors rely on their advisors,” she notes. “Advisors guide investors and bring context and perspective, not to mention take care of all the financial and practical details of finding, verifying provenance, negotiating, shipping, installing and selling high-quality art for busy professionals—while also making sure their clients are in a great position for profit and growth in the years ahead.”
PHOTO BY OLIA DANILEVICH/PEXELS
THE TAKEAWAY
“Don’t buy anything that doesn’t bring you pleasure and excite you, even if you are buying it as an investment!” says Findley. “I like to remind emerging collectors that for the price of a luxury handbag, you could have an amazing piece of art from an institutionally collected artist that can conservatively return a 5% to 7% rate. With major indexes in the red, that beats market performance several times over. Ultimately, art is a fabulous investment because it’s an asset that brings you pleasure, not just wealth.”
PHOTO BY KYM ELLIS/UNSPLASH
"WINE IS A PRETTY SAFE INVESTMENT THAT ALMOST ALWAYS GENERATES A NET-POSITIVE RETURN, IF YOU TAKE CARE OF THE NECESSARY STEPS AND PRECAUTIONS, IN TERMS OF PRESERVING THE PROVENANCE OF YOUR WINE. THERE IS FAR LESS LEFT UP TO CHANCE OR MARKET FLUCTUATIONS, AS IS SEEN IN THE STOCK MARKETS.” –JOSHUA ORR, MASTER SOMMELIER; DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION AND REGIONAL SALES MANAGER, BROADBENT SELECTIONS
THE WHO
As one of only 172 master sommeliers in the Americas—and the sole individual to actively hold the title in San Diego—Joshua Orr knows good wine. So much so that he shares his passion and knowledge with others through Broadbent Selections (broadbent.com), a wine wholesaler and importer focused on family-owned wineries. It’s there he serves as the brand’s director of education, in addition to managing sales locally. “I got my start in the wine industry while attending university at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo on the Central Coast. Very early on I was introduced to the Court of Master Sommeliers by my dad, who had read about it while on a flight,” recalls Orr. “It was my goal from the get-go to pursue this title. It took me to Europe and France’s Burgundy region for a year as well as a stint in Las Vegas, working on the restaurant floor.”
PHOTO BY: KLARA KULIKOVA/UNSPLASH; ATA EBEM/PEXELS.
THE WHY
When building your collection, Orr suggests beginning with a thorough understanding of the wine world and what you like. “Half the fun for me is being able to study and read about a wine or wine region, and then go find a bottle and drink it,” says Orr, who also encourages visiting wine auction houses to find coveted blue-chip wines, highly rated varietals that have a track record of appreciating over time. Proper storage is also a crucial element when it comes to reselling aged bottles, whether you have an in-home cellar, wine fridge or outsource your collection to a dedicated wine storage facility. Finally, wineries that hold cachet with a long-standing history of success tend to reap the best financial rewards. “Regions like Bordeaux, Napa, Burgundy, Barolo and Brunello dominate the scene,” says Orr.
THE TAKEAWAY
“Wine is a pretty safe investment that almost always generates a net-positive return, if you take care of the necessary steps and precautions, in terms of preserving the provenance of your wine. There is far less left up to chance or market fluctuations, as is seen in the stock markets,” notes Orr. “Wine from a great vintage, region and producer will almost always gain value over time. For me, however, the hard part is waiting and not drinking the wine.” Ultimately, your collection is meant to be enjoyed—so let the prized bottles do their aging, and have back-up beverages intended for imbibing on the fly if an investment collection is your ultimate goal. Toastworthy!
THE WHO
Melissa Perry successfully sold luxury rides for some of the biggest automakers in the world—from Aston Martin, Bugatti and Bentley to Ferrari, Lamborghini and Rolls-Royce—before taking the wheel to launch her own luxury brokerage, The Perry Group (theperrygroupllc.com). The Southern California-based auto concierge is the culmination of Perry’s more than 14 years in the industry, which recently earned her a spot as the sole female lead on the Discovery+ TV show Million Dollar Wheels.
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAMBORGHINI
"WHEN IT COMES TO COLLECTING CARS AS A FINANCIAL INVESTMENT, DEALERS AND BRANDS WILL COMMIT TO BUYERS THAT SHOW LOYALTY AND CONSISTENCY, AND THAT ALLOW THE DEALERS THEMSELVES TO ALSO REAP THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS OF THE COLLECTING PROCESS."–MELISSA PERRY, FOUNDER, THE PERRY GROUP
THE WHY
"When it comes to collecting cars as a financial investment, dealers and brands will commit to buyers that show loyalty and consistency, and that allow the dealers themselves to also reap the financial benefits of the collecting process," says Perry. As for which brands to invest in, Perry advises turning to the classics. "Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bugatti. ... These specific brands have a heritage, a history, an unmatched performance, a reputation, and a team of people whose workmanship and design is unmatched." There's also money to be made in the resale market, notes Perry: "These brands offer such a limited production of their most top-performance models that most true car enthusiasts will pay crazy premiums to get access to them, even from a secondhand perspective."
The Perry Group does an exceptional job of sourcing the world's most coveted cars, like the rare Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster shown here. PHOTO COURTESY OF LAMBORGHINI
THE TAKEAWAY
"When someone starts their luxury auto collection journey, I would highly recommend starting with the question, 'Why?' advises Perry. "Why do you have a passion for cars, and what is it about these specific cars that you admire and drives you to buy them? Ultimately, what are you trying to get out of it when you buy an exotic car? These are important questions you have to ask yourself when you start this journey, because your mindset matters." Driven, indeed.
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