-
eBook Edition
- 978-1-03-835300-9
- epub, pdf files
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Paperback Edition
- 978-1-03-835298-9
- 6.0 x 9.0 inches
- Standard Color interior
- 108 pages
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Hardcover Edition
- 978-1-03-835299-6
- 6.0 x 9.0 inches
- Standard Color interior
- 108 pages
- Keywords
- art market trends,
- art market critique,
- art investing,
- contemporary art,
- art pricing,
- financial markets,
- art value decline
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Top Tick
Vanishing Valuations in the Contemporary Art Market
by
David Birkenshaw
The art world loves a spectacle. But at what cost? In Top Tick, art collector and former finance professional David Birkenshaw pulls back the velvet curtain on contemporary art’s high-stakes circus, where branding often matters more than brushwork. Blending personal insight with auction data, he reveals a volatile marketplace in which only the top 1 percent of “brand-name” artists (think Warhol, Hirst, or Basquiat) hold their value, while the rest quietly vanish from gallery walls—and balance sheets. From multimillion-dollar bananas to crypto-funded publicity stunts, Top Tick explores how hype, wealth signaling, and fashion routinely outpace artistic merit. This isn’t a takedown of contemporary art. Rather, it’s a clear-eyed look at how it’s traded, flaunted, and forgotten. A cautionary tale disguised as market analysis, Top Tick is essential reading for anyone who still believes “investment-grade art” is anything but an oxymoron.
David Birkenshaw is a lifelong art collector with a professional background in investment banking. Drawing on decades of experience navigating financial markets, he brings a sharp analytical lens to the world of contemporary art. Based in Toronto, David has observed the rise and fall of countless artists and market trends firsthand, motivating him to write a cautionary guide for collectors, dealers, and art enthusiasts alike. Top Tick is his first book. Connect with him at www.davidbirkenshaw.ca.
Contributors
- Author
- David Birkenshaw
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