Decoding Art Indices: MAB100 vs. Traditional Resources

Below, we introduce the MAB100 and explore both the advantages and constraints of available art indices and databases.

MyArtBroker is excited to introduce the MAB100, a groundbreaking Print Market Index unlike any other. What sets this index apart is its meticulous ranking of 100 Modern & Contemporary editions, focusing on individual work value and demand rather than just artists. In this data-driven era, the MAB100 offers unparalleled transparency, precision, and control.

Dedicated solely to the print market, our index facilitates apples-to-apples comparisons due to the inherent characteristics of prints. By concentrating on blue chip artworks, we go beyond generic approaches, ensuring precise price prediction models and unrivalled accuracy in print and edition values. Our MAB100 algorithm leverages advanced Repeat-Sales-Regression (RSR) technology that is more sophisticated than ever before. Unlike earlier RSR technology that disregards private sales data, our system incorporates this valuable information. To account for single sales, the technology considers similar “families’’ and print “groups,’’ using historical sales to bolster prints with limited data points.

What sets the MAB100 apart is its unique weighting system. While market capitalisation index styles are generally considered top-notch, they can be heavily influenced by a few major players, skewing the representation of the entire market. The MAB100 employs an equal-weighted approach, where each data point carries the same weight, ensuring a bias-free calculation of the index value.

The MAB100 inspires investor confidence by factoring in sales results from over 350 auction houses and more than 40 other data inputs that impact pricing. Our goal is to provide the latest market information to both seasoned and novice collectors, assisting in investment decisions and offering invaluable resources for wealth and passion-asset reporting.

ArtNet

Established back in 1989, ArtNet has earned its reputation as a prominent online art transaction platform, renowned for its tailored analytics and expansive database spanning a wide range of artistic categories containing millions of auction results dating as far back as 1985. ArtNet has, and continues to stand, as a valuable resource for the art market.

ArtNet's database offers unique, and recently remodelled, search features. Although its user face may be more suited for individuals with a certain level of art market knowledge, primarily catering to experienced collectors. However, even for those who may not possess specialised art market expertise, ArtNet provides a list of the 300 most frequently searched artists over the past six months. While this offers insights into user interests, it does not function as a comprehensive price index.

For those in search of more in-depth reports and indices that extend beyond mere auction results and search volume, ArtNet offers customised analytical reports upon request. However, it's worth noting that according to Morgan Stanley's August 2023 report, ArtNet's approach to custom indices treats each artist's average equally, providing an overview but potentially overlooking variations in individual work values.

In contrast, the MAB100 employs a diverse range of datasets, encompassing final bid prices, non-sale data, and estimates. It takes into account various forms of volatility, both historical and forward-looking, ensuring a comprehensive analysis of the art market. The MAB100 is designed with user-friendliness in mind, presenting artists and artworks directly without the need for complex search filters. Rather than requiring users to request market reports, MyArtBroker generates them on a quarterly basis, offering valuable research resources at no cost.

ArtPrice

ArtPrice, a prominent online resource similar to ArtNet, offers the ArtPrice100 index, leveraging an extensive database that tracks millions of auction results across diverse artistic categories and mediums. Access to their auction database, market reports, and indices is available through a membership subscription.

Launched in 2018, the ArtPrice100 index centres its attention on blue chip artists to mitigate biases. Similarly, the MAB100 targets these stable artists, with a specific emphasis on prints, narrowing its focus to high-demand American Pop, Post War and Contemporary artists. In contrast to ArtPrice, which defines blue chip artists broadly and encompasses various artistic mediums, the MAB100 hones in on prints to provide reliable comparables for assessing sales and value fluctuations.

Furthermore, the methodologies employed by these two indices differ. ArtPrice100 selects the top 100 artists based on their auction results from the past five years, utilising all sales data to calculate average annual values. While this approach is comprehensive, it can be influenced by standout sales that skew price assessments. On the other hand, the MAB100 employs an RSR technology model, concentrating on the top 100 print works. This model serves as a filter, allowing investors to explore the most highly valued artworks within the artists' markets.

Sotheby's Mei Moses

Introduced in the early 2000s and subsequently acquired by Sotheby's in 2016, the Sotheby's Mei Moses Indices introduced a unique approach to RSR technology for precise tracking of price trends, departing from the use of average or median values. However, it's important to note that the Mei Moses Indices exclusively focus on auction data from Sotheby's, Christie's, and Phillips, omitting information from private and individual sales and hundreds of other auction houses. There have also been questions raised about its ability to effectively analyse years of data to identify repeat sales spanning decades.

The Mei Moses indices, which date back to Sotheby's acquisition, have generated numerous discussions and uncertainties within the art market. A notable limitation is its lack of public accessibility, highlighting the inherent opacity of the art market. Meanwhile, ongoing technological advancements have transformed the landscape. The MAB100, powered by the latest RSR technology, surpasses Mei Moses by assigning value to private and unsold items, and taking into account similar features of print groups from single sales, representing a significant evolution from Mei Moses' initial methodology.

MyArtBroker's MAB100 Print Index is a groundbreaking presence in the art market, overcoming challenges posed by traditional research tools. In contrast to platforms burdened by fees and complex trends, MAB100 offers a user-friendly interface and a distinctive approach. It focuses on the top 100 artworks from high-demand blue chip artists with established markets, chosen through real-time data analysis, providing precise and accessible information. What distinguishes MAB100 is its simplicity and free usage, enabling users to explore investment-worthy prints without any charges. There's no need to request custom indices or market reports; we analyse market trends and provide the information directly to you. This approach democratises access to valuable art market insights, making art investment accessible to everyone and reshaping the landscape of art market research.