How much does a sound art investment cost? | Alternative investments

My partner has fallen in love with a limited edition print from a moderately well-known painter who died recently. The only problem is it costs £1,500. He’s ready to buy it, and while I agree it’s lovely I’m not so sure. Can art in this price range be a good investment, or will it be money down the drain?

On the radar
Join artprice.com, which monitors the sale prices of works by 400,000-plus artists using data from auction houses worldwide. If this precise work isn’t listed you’ll get a reasonable idea by looking at comparable items by the same artist. If your artist isn’t on the artprice radar at all, I’d be wary.
Roger Thomas, Amersham, Bucks

Original not reproduction
Make sure you are looking at an original print made and signed by the artist, which will usually be in an edition of less than 75, and not at a “limited edition” colour reproduction of a painting, which could be in an edition of many hundreds or even thousands. An original print by a well-known artist is more likely to retain its value. £1,500 would buy your partner a good original print by a top-flight 20th century British artist.
Andrew Greg, Glasgow

Money’s a moot point
Can you afford it? Do you like it? If the answer is yes to both these questions the considerations on whether this is money down the drain are moot – the potential future financial gain is secondary to the enjoyment you will get from owning the print.
Nick Pepper, Northumberland

Art on HP
For anyone wanting to buy contemporary art, the Arts Council has a scheme called Own Art, which makes it affordable. You can borrow from £100 to £2,000, paying it back in 10 monthly instalments, interest-free. Their website has a list of participating galleries.
Maggie Johnston, St Albans, Herts

Invest more than money
Don’t buy if it’s just an investment, otherwise you will be stuck with something you don’t like. I recently bought a print for £200 and now it is worth nearly £2,000 – an investment much better than shares, but I don’t want to sell it!
3345, from theguardian.com

Art within reason
Unless you’re very knowledgeable and wealthy you shouldn’t buy art as an investment, but because you want your life enriched. As long as you’re not missing a mortgage payment or going without food to pay for it, why deny him something he really loves?
Marcia MacLeod, London

Breaking it down
Try looking at it this way: you’ll be investing 16p a day over the next 25 years for your partner’s daily enjoyment and emotional well-being. Sounds like a bargain to me.
Fiona Sutton, Leeds

Sound the alarm
If you can’t really afford it, think about why you are buying it – I wonder how many vintage cars, designer clothes etc are bought on impulse and credit using the “investment” argument? Saying your boyfriend has “fallen in love” with the print sets off alarm bells – investment and emotion are a dangerous mix.
jayneb1979, from theguardian.com

Art is a fickle fancy
There are two kinds of “print” that are a world apart. The term is often used to describe a limited run of a photographic reproduction – the product of a commercial venture, and unlikely to increase in financial worth. It also applies to original prints – etchings, mezzotints, lithographs, lino cuts etc – mostly crafted by the artist him/herself and sold in limited editions, numbered and signed. The price of the latter (often far more modest than £1,500) reflects the workmanship, materials, training and reputation of the artist. They may retain or even increase in monetary value – or may not ! The art world is fickle.
Sue Kruk, Hayling Island, Hants, who wins this week’s £25 National Book Token

Taste test
Before I retired as a second-hand bookseller, customers would sometimes ask my advice about which book would most likely appreciate in value. The answer was always: “f I knew, I would have it at home in tissue paper rather than on the shelf.” If they wanted to spend money on antiquarian books they should buy one they really liked. With luck, other people might have the same taste and it would go up in price. If not, they had a book they had fallen in love with to pass on to their family. I suspect the same is true of art.
Margaret Squires, Fife

Space issues
When you look at it on your wall, will you see the picture or its price tag? If you want to invest, try shares – they take up less room.
Ray Fisher, Huddersfield, W Yorks

This week’s question:
My husband, a fanatical West Ham supporter, plans to renew his season ticket, which is going to set us back about £800. I think the money would be better spent on the family. Should I let him enjoy his one true passion or is it time I put my foot down?

Email your answers to personal.effects@theguardian.com/money