Forecasting is a hazardous exercise, as any meteorologist or economist will tell you. Last year we correctly predicted that policy makers would initiate changes to ivory rules, that a weak pound would benefit the trade and that Old Masters had much life left in them.
We were, though, perhaps too optimistic predicting that antiquities would get better press headlines in 2017 than they did in 2016.
Looking forward to 2018, you’ll see we remain hopeful of reason prevailing in regard to the threat of a total ban on the UK ivory trade.
We’re positive, too, on the selling opportunities presented by the continuing decade of anniversaries, online and fair innovations and emerging markets as tastes shift.
In the folder marked ‘challenges’, however, further regulation in 2018 is the nettle that all sides of the trade need to grasp.
We hope you enjoy reading the results of our crystal ball-gazing, though of course things will happen in the global and local theatres of art and antiques that at this point, none of us can imagine.
Whatever your opinions of our prophecies, we encourage you to share them with us at editorial@antiquestradegazette.com and keep the debate vibrant in the pages of ATG as we progress into 2018.
Read the full article:
Our predictions for 2018 - The Leonardo effect, ivory, Chippendale and Technology
‘Predictions’ writing team: Roland Arkell, Gabriel Berner, Noelle McElhatton, Laura Chesters, Frances Allitt and Alex Capon
