When we initially envisaged this connoisseurship series, we thought there would just be four posts (the definition of connoisseurship, aspects with which to engage an object, connoisseurship’s academic legacy, and sham connoisseurship), but the material keeps coming. In this fifth post, we discuss value’s place in connoisseurship.
A great example of a modern connoisseur is Mark Resnick. A vice president at Twentieth Century Fox, he (along with his wife) has amassed a very highly-regarded collection of American posters dating from the 1890s. In an interview from last November, Mr. Resnick said that his connoisseurship of posters ties together lifelong interests in art, commerce and popular culture.
I collect posters for the love of it. Not a day goes by without my trying to expand my knowledge—for its own sake—of graphic design. That isn’t to say I’m not rather businesslike about my collecting. I have to be, in order to build and manage what is now getting to be an archive. If there’s a “recipe” here, I think it’s to combine a sharp eye, deep knowledge of the material, and solid business skills.
I thought the most interesting part of the interview was Mr. Resnik’s description of the entry standard for posters in his collection:
The collection’s breadth means there are few restrictions. I do avoid purchasing even great posters, however, if they’re excessively priced. And I’m more cautious still when it comes to “good-but-not-great” posters, posters in poor condition, or posters in a category already well represented in the collection. I know that if I don’t stay focused (price-wise) on posters in good condition that truly fill a gap, then the goals I’ve set for the collection will never be reached.
Indeed, as people have more sources of information and more choices, value becomes something that both the not-so-rich and the ultra-rich consider when choosing which objects to appreciate. One can look to the Helium Report to observe this. The Helium Report is a luxury portal that allows users to comment on and compare resorts, private jets, exotic cars and other topics a wealthy connoisseur might be interested in. Throughout the site, the prices of such luxury (and how to calculate a figure when it isn’t immediately apparent) are readily listed.
Thinking beyond monetary value for a moment, the real value a luxury good provides for the purchaser/connoisseur is how it makes him or her feel, whether the object is intended to become a gift or part of a collection. Some might find paying a million dollars for a piece of jewelry a bit extravagant, but if it provides the buyer with exactly what he or she wants, then it’s a good value. In fact Tiffany *is* offering a million dollar piece of jewelry, and that includes the experience that goes along with it. From an article in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last December:
“A Victoria Secret bra covered in diamonds is a beautiful piece of lingerie. But, a true connoisseur wants to go to the mines, choose the diamonds, then design the item,” said Carol Brodie, chief luxury officer of Robb Report magazine. “It’s creating your own personal preference.”
High-end jewelry retailer Tiffany & Co. offers just such an opportunity. For a cool $1 million, shoppers can select their own 24.3-carat rough diamond from an undisclosed mine and then travel via private jet to the company’s diamond-cutting facility in Antwerp, Belgium. The experience ends in New York, where chief gemologist Melvyn Kirtley will help create the perfect setting and mounting for the bauble.
“A stone of this size can produce as many as three stones,” said Kirtley. (Consider it a three-for-one deal.) And, as if there were any question, first-class accommodations are included throughout the trip.
This type of experience certainly provides value for the connoisseur who wants something extraordinarily unique and customized.
Our next post on connoisseurship will expand on this customization idea, discussing several ways that connoisseurs use their accumulated knowledge to customize and specialize objects.
