You don't need huge amounts of money to invest in art. Oil paintings, antiques and wines have lately been better investments than the money, stock and bond markets. It's almost inevitable to think of rich English aristocrats drinking tea while bidding on a Château Margaux, but this cliché is long gone. Today, wine and art are a real opportunity for the average investor.

"The possibility of netting a great return in the world of art is a well known 'secret' by the best investors in the world; Internationally, the art market has been seeing great results in the last few years", said Carlos Noyola, of Noyola Anticuarios. The numbers reflect a strong "bull market" in the world of art and wines since collections have seen an average increase in value of 12 to 13% which is relatively high compared to the S&P 500's of 10.9.

Meanwhile, Mexican bonds have seen only an 8.4% increase and the dollar has even fallen 0.1% in respect to the peso. According to the Asociacion Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios the increase in property value for the same period has been 8.1%.

But making good investments in wines and art is not by any means an easy task. As every investor knows, the risk goes hand in hand with the potential return. Pedro Poncelis, sommelier of the Vinoteca, recommends in the case of buying wine to put aside speculation. "The business is in the sale of wine futures. The investor ties a price and in the process of two or three years he can see a return of up to 40%." Otherwise, if you're more traditional, Poncelis suggests acquiring bottles from a good year and preferably sticking to well known brands. Obviously great care has to be exerted to keep wine in perfect condition for it to increase in value. The good news is that $3,000 pesos can get your wine cellar started, but remember that it's better to have one great bottle than 10 not so good.

"In the arts market a $1,000 peso investment can get you started. There's no such thing as too little capital when you're talking about a sexy investment", says Ephiram McDaniel, developing director of Acquavella Galleries in NYC. And although it's good to know that the money needed to invest in art isn't that high, it is imperative to think about the care and maintenance that the works will require. Apart from the handling, excessive cleaning, humidity or dryness of the storage climate you should also consider the particulars of the pieces like provenance, period and even if the work is signed or not.

And speaking of signatures, look out for Carlos Larracilla, Miguelangel Jauregui, Cyntia Caballero and other such up-and-coming artists who might expect revaluations of up to 3 digits. "Auctions are a good alternative for buyers of art. In Mexico, Louis C. Morton is one of those auction houses recognized for their serious business", adds McDaniel.

I really like my job as an art and antique dealer. Every day I concentrate on studying a different piece from our collection to find out what makes it special. Every day, I also face the same challenge: How do you price the intangible? Art has always been subjective. Unlike other merchandise, art isn't priced based on the materials + man-hours + cost of depreciation of the equipment. Art and antiques are more sublime, letting the laws of supply and demand set its value. So what are the factors that make a work more expensive than another one?

Author/Signature. The first aspect to be considered in a work of art is who made it. Is the artist recognized? Did he sign his work? This information is crucial to find a market. In furniture, it becomes a primordial factor. A prime example is the work of Michael Thonet. While an original Thonet chair might sell for thousands of dollars, one of the numerous copies of his work might be worth less than $50.

Documentation/Provenance. Along the same line with the signature, the documentation to certify the originality of a piece is very important. People often disregard their documents after purchasing a piece, but leaving a paper trail can be crucial to find the origins of a piece. Museums will always perform due diligence on pieces they are interested in before buying them. This is to minimize the risk of buying art that was illegally marketed. Looting, wars, invasions and other historical events led to the sale of thousands of works to the black market. A strong provenance, the documentation of where a piece comes from, can help to prove that the work in question was obtained legitimately.

Availability. This aspect is very important in the case of graphic arts. An etching, engraving, lithograph will always be affected by edition size. It's not the same if the artist made a monotype (where there was only one such print made) than if there are 10,000 prints on the market. Generally, the harder it is to get, the more expensive it will be.

Aesthetic Quality. Artists are human and thus subject to make mistakes. In order to set a value to a work, the craftsmanship must be observed. A better work will always have more interest in the market and will usually fetch higher prices.

Functionality. Some say objects of art have no function. Nothing could be farther from the truth. It’s true, art doesn't require a function, but in many cases it does serve one. It might be to express emotion, create controversy, give homage, or just to decorate, but art with a function should serve it.

Condition. This is a commonly overlooked aspect in the search for value. The care given to a work of art is very important. Collectors seeking a particular piece always have a certain range of options. Blemishes, accidents and other signs of use or misuse will affect the price of a particular piece.

Market Variations. As with everything else, particular kinds of art also come into vogue and then go out of style. It could be the case of furniture just as it’s true for styles of painting and sculpture. Usually, avant-garde designs suffer the most because they can be dated and therefore also out-dated.

So as you can see there are many aspects that can affect the price of art. For the persons trying to invest in art, these must be their prime concerns. When you visit a gallery in the future try to look at the objects with this in mind. I’m sure you will make much better purchases that will in the end equal a better investment.