Industry data

More than $3.1bn of art, antiques and collectables sell online each year but around a fifth of dealers still have no plans to begin selling online, according to a recent report.

Sotheby’s latest set of results for the first quarter of 2017 showed an improvement in its fortunes over the equivalent period last year.

The overall value of online sales in the art market increased by 15% in the last year although many buyers remain unconvinced about purchasing works online, according to Hiscox Online Art Trade Report.

The auction market weakened in 2016, as sales of art and antiques via dealers grew, according to the latest art market report.

The latest TEFAF Art Market Report which was unveiled today showed private sales of art and antiques rose over 2016 while auction sales declined.

Sotheby’s returned to profit in the fourth quarter of 2016, attributing this to improved commissions and growing market confidence, though sales for 2016 overall were down.

Christie’s posted total sales of £4bn in 2016, a decrease of 16% compared to the previous year and well down from the art market’s high watermark of £5.1bn in 2014.

What stories commanded clicks this year? Here is ATG’s list of the most viewed articles on antiquestradegazette.com in 2016, highlighting key industry moments and trends.

The difficulties in securing high-value works for sale lay behind a $54.5m loss posted in Sotheby’s latest set of results.

Sotheby’s has acquired the The Mei Moses Art Indices, a database and analytics tool for tracking the art market and comparing its performance against other assets.

A new study suggests that buying a first edition book, such as Hilary Matel’s Wolf Hall, is a better investment than buying stocks in tech companies such as Microsoft, Yahoo and eBay.