<p>&nbsp;Ever looked at the art world and thought: how does any of this actually work?<br />I read How to Collect Art (2024) by Magnus Resch to figure out whether a normal person can buy a single great piece… and whether art is actually a good investment.<br /><br />Resch approaches the art market like an economist: data, power structures, and the brutal reality of gatekeepers. The big theme? The art world isn’t a free market, it’s a pyramid. A tiny number of fairs, galleries, curators, and institutions sit at the top… and they decide what becomes valuable.<br /><br />In this review, I cover:<br /><br />Why the “mysterious” art market feels so closed-off<br /><br />The alpha / beta / gamma / delta pyramid Resch uses to explain status and access<br /><br />Why “art as an investment” is mostly a trap (unless you’re playing at the top end)<br /><br />Why the book made me want to buy art for meaning, not resale<br /><br />00:00 – Intro: why I picked this book<br />00:21 – The empty wall problem (why I want art)<br />00:58 – What I hoped the book would solve<br />02:12 – The book’s style: blue quotes + companion “artist” book<br />03:22 – Resch’s economist approach to art<br />04:09 – The real driver of value: representation &amp; institutions<br />05:11 – The “35-year-old” cliff edge for artists<br />06:12 – The harsh truth: most art has near-zero resale value<br />06:52 – Art index vs S&amp;P 500 (and what happens with broader data)<br />09:11 – When art can be an investment (and the price floor)<br />10:24 – The better frame: be a patron, not an investor<br />10:52 – The parts I skipped: emails, CVs, auction house logistics<br />12:22 – “Networking and Instagram” (useful but irritating)<br />13:26 – The collector mantra: buy what you love<br />14:13 – The pyramid: alpha / beta / gamma / delta<br />18:35 – NFTs + digital art gets a mention<br />19:11 – Did it help me buy art? What I’m taking away<br />21:11 – Final verdict + what I’ll do instead<br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcast.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcast</a>&nbsp;</p> <p><br /><br />Connect with Mere Mortals:<br />Website: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/</a><br />Discord: <a href="https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU" target="_blank">https://discord.gg/jjfq9eGReU</a><br />Twitter/X: <a href="https://twitter.com/meremortalspods" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/meremortalspods</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts" target="_blank">https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcasts</a><br /><br />Value 4 Value Support:<br />Boostagram: <a href="https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support" target="_blank">https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/support</a><br />Paypal: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast" target="_blank">https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast</a></p>