Question from a reader:”You mentioned ‘Tramp Art’ in one of your blogs. What is it?”
Tramp art should really be called chip art or woodchip art. The term “tramp art” was used because it was thought that tramps or hobos were the people who actually made it. In the late 1800s and early 1900s there weren’t bums or derelicts but tramps or hobos. There was a huge culture and community but the particular style of art that was attributed to them wasn’t really tramp art. It really took a lot of time and craftsmanship to do the wooden pieces. While I am certain that some hobos may have had the skills realistically it just doesn’t make sense that all of them were woodworking masters.
It is thought that the style of woodworking or carving came from Germany, Scandinavia or some of the Nordic nations. Nobody knows for sure and if you have definitive sources, please email or comment this entry so we all will be educated.
So-called tramp art was generally from cigar boxes, packing crates, popsicle sticks, corrugated cardboard, and anything that was recyclable from paper or wooden materials. Like any artistic niche, there has been a lot of counterfeiting and investing in it during a Recessionary market isn’t a bad idea but it may not be a profitable one. With values for everything dropping, it is going to be a matter of time before the price of artistic pieces drops to match what the actual market will pay for something.
Basically, if you don’t know what you are doing in buying tramp art, you should study up, consult a genuine expert from a university or somebody who is familiar with the materials. Better yet, ask yourself why you are investing in something that you may not particulary understand.
If you enjoy what you are looking at, buy it for the sake of enjoyment whether it is an original or a copy. If you are looking into tramp art as an investment, you need to look super closely if it is something not made out of a cigar box.
The whole business is in the stylized woodworking. Usually you can look at the layering and it will look pretty cool. Some of the details in houses, castles and other miniature marvels are amazing, especially when you see that they were all hand carved. There are some modern artists who are creating modern tramp art with the same loving detail as people did decades ago. One of the biggest problems is that cigar boxes, the source and base for tramp art are not being made as much as they were years and ago and the boxes that are around are being used for storing people’s knicknacks once the cigars are gone.
Another question from a reader: “So art investments are a bad idea?”
My answer is no, but you should only do them if you love art and know what you are doing. If you like something, buy it because you are attracted to it. Think of it as starting a relationship before you plunk down any cash. Sure there is an infatuation but is it something you really want hanging around in your living room five years from now?
Another question from a reader:”What about comic books as an investment?”
My answer is if you like the comic book, buy it and read it. If you are interested in collecting comic books, you need to do some research and I will try and touch on this as a separate blog in the future sometime since this is another situation where you need to find what niche that you want to be in. Unless you are a multi-billionaire, you won’t be able to collect everything.
Remember people that in times like now, it doesn’t hurt to be patient (or at least move slowly on some investments) for at least a few months until our new Administration gets some economic programs going. It does go without saying though that if something is scarce and in demand, it will go up in value.
Kim Isaac Greenblatt
What is tramp art?