There is an incredible disparity of information.
A very good client of mine is an intellectual properties attorney (he is of retirement age - but having too much fun to slow down).
His major clients are the likes of GE, IBM, etc. Last Saturday he said each and every one is investing in development at a rate equal to or higher than ever before.
---
My own business is selling art - stuff some people covet, but nobody "needs." Been doing it a long time. Historically, NOBODY buys art as a Christmas present - just way too hard and too personal to anticipate someone else's taste and this year a teeny smattering of husbands are spending upwards of $25,000 on choice paintings for their wives.
I don't get, but it's okay by me.
I just hope the checks clear.
-------------
I have always perceived my business to be the first one to fall by the wayside and the last one to come back when the economy stiffens (this stuff ain't Wonder Bread).
Granted my business is highly idiosyncratic and 10 sales can be a fantastic month, whereas 5 might be horrible. August (when many galleries close for vacation) was fantastic. September, October and the first half of November were bad and December is looking really good.
Clearly, some people "decorate" with art. I am seeing people spend people spend $50,000 for lobby art when they could have gotten by with less than half that - and others buy 2 or 3 paintings for their homes, that when I go see how the installation went, look crowded (they didn't have to buy anywhere near as much as they did).
I see contradictory behavior all over the place.
It kind of makes me feel like some people don't know or haven't seen the writing on the wall, but my rose colored bifocals are foggy and I don't know either. |
