After watching the housing market plummet and the U.S. dollar go down in value, one wonders what (or if) they should invest in anything.  Well, one thought is the art market.  Hmm.  Yes, what a concept.  Here is something that, provided you don’t just stick it in your shed somewhere, will actually go up in value.  That is a fact.  “Good” artwork will always go up in value.  Now, I am not talking about “decorative” art that has no function or meaning to it other than serving as a home improvement object.  I am talking about investment pieces.  And certainly NOT prints.  For some reason, people think mass-produced ink-jet printouts of work are worth something, when they are not original works of art.  You cannot retire on those.  However, you can retire on art.  In fact, many people invest in a piece for a mere 1 or 2 thousand dollars, (yes, that is relatively inexpensive for something you can live off of!!) and get 10 times as much at auction.  If you are smart, and do your research, you can not only enjoy a piece of art in your home but you can put little Jimmy through college with that piece if you so choose.  Here’s an investment that you can actually enjoy, you can see it, and it’s not locked away in some bank.  And it won’t lose value.  Real estate can’t do that.