the cultural and heritage sector, including art, antiques, collectibles and memorabiliaToday, it represents a growing alternative market for sophisticated family fortunes. These assets are not merely aesthetic or collectible objects, but play a strategic role in long-term wealth management, serving as tools for diversification, capital preservation, and intergenerational cultural transmission.
According to the Collectibles Market Report 2026–2033 di Grand View Research, Inc., the global collectibles market has been estimated to approximately $320,30 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $ 535,50 billion by 2033, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 6,9 % between 2026 and 2033. Within this market, the art and antiques segment holds the largest share (approximately 32,9% in 2025), while vintage goods represent approximately 39,9% of the total share, highlighting strong demand for objects related to history and material culture.
Market in Italy
The global art market shows a recovery in 2025, with Total sales estimated at approximately $59,6 billion, marking a growth of around 4% compared to the previous year according to the Art Basel & UBS Global Art Market Report 2026 Prepared by Arts Economics. The market recovery was driven primarily by high-value sales at public auctions, although the overall level remains below pre-pandemic peaks.
European market
Geographically, Europe continues to dominate the collectibles market with over 37% of global share in 2025, followed by North America and Asia-Pacific, the latter region with growth expected to exceed the global average thanks to the growing demand for cultural goods and collectibles. Demand for cultural goods is driven by several structural factors. First, these assets offer intrinsic emotional and cultural value, making them desirable not only as financial investments but also as objects of personal identity and historical memory. Furthermore, cultural assets serve as asset diversification tools with low correlation to traditional financial markets, providing potential protection during periods of economic instability. Finally, the digitalization of the art market, including the growth of online platforms and new digital ownership models (e.g., NFTs), introduces further opportunities and challenges, expanding access and transactional efficiency while still addressing issues of transparency and pricing.
Study Survey of Global Collecting 2025
It also shows that high-net-worth investors are increasing the share of their wealth allocated to art, and that younger generations, Millennials and Gen Z, are displaying diversified collecting behaviors, including a shift toward new categories and means of acquisition. This underscores the growing importance of the cultural market within the dynamics of modern, intergenerational wealth management.
Collections in family portfolios
Regarding the inclusion of art and collectibles in family wealth portfolios, these assets require specific expertise in valuation, conservation, logistics, and tax/succession planning. The most sophisticated family offices integrate these elements into wealth governance, recognizing that art, rare objects, and cultural assets are not just status instruments but can function as axist class alternative, with potential for appreciation, resilience and valuable memory.
THE “Quiet Luxury”
In the context of quiet luxuryThese assets convey a family's cultural identity without resorting to conspicuous forms of consumption, instead reflecting quality, history, and continuity. The market for cultural and heritage assets today confirms itself as one of the most dynamic and resilient sectors in the context of alternatives to the traditional financial economy. Art, antiques, and collectibles combine cultural value, capital preservation, diversification, and growth potential. For family wealth owners adopting long-term strategies geared toward intergenerational preservation, these sectors represent valuable tools in line with the principles of quiet luxury, helping to build, maintain and transmit family wealth and culture over time.
