Making Markets
Episode 9 In Focus: The Market for Rare Photos
Making Markets

Episode 9: In Focus: The Market for Rare Photos

Making Markets

Episode 9

In Focus: The Market for Rare Photos

Michael Lee is a dealer in rare photographs and the director of Lee Gallery. We cover the distinction between the primary and secondary markets, how he prices his inventory, and his thoughts on NFTs.

(00:02:22) - (First question) - Steps to becoming an art dealer

(00:04:22) - Examining funding aspects for art dealers

(00:06:21) - The function of independent art traders

(00:10:09) - Comparing reproducibility: photography versus painting

(00:11:10) - Delving into the buyer's perspective on photography

(00:13:13) - Discussing the absence of external authorities in photography ratings

(00:17:09) - Investigating the influence of museums in art

(00:19:21) - Forecasting future trends in the art market

(00:23:27) - Unraveling how transactions occur in the art world

(00:28:07) - Clarifying the role of art galleries

(00:30:45) - The intricate process of art collection

(00:35:50) - Addressing perceived pretentiousness in art

(00:41:55) - Exploring royalties within the art industry

(00:45:08) - Grasping the factors affecting art pricing

(00:53:00) - Analyzing why photography is currently in a 'fear stage'

 

In Focus: The Market for Rare Photos

Introduction

Eric
My guest today is Michael Lee. Michael is a dealer in rare photographs and the Director of the Lee Gallery. Today, he takes us on a tour across this under-the-radar market. We discuss the differences between the primary and secondary markets, the buy side, and tastemakers.

We also cover his process for finding liquidity, pricing inventory, and his views on NFTs. This is exactly the kind of esoteric market I wanted to explore when we transitioned the show to Making Markets. And I hope you enjoy this conversation with Michael Lee.

All right, Michael, thank you for doing this. I know you don't do this, and that's why I feel really lucky to talk about on market. You should know that you were part of the reason we've transitioned the show to Making Markets. The conversation we had about art and photography, it reminded me so much of how all markets are interesting, whether doing stocks, bonds, crypto or in this case, rare photos. So I think a good place to start, how does one become an art dealer, how did you get into this business?

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