The high-end collectibles market has enjoyed a hugely buoyant 2011, with the five sectors below performing particularly well.
These areas are worth following closely as we move into 2012...
Classic cars
July's $16.39m sale of the 1957 Ferrari 250 Protoype was the second biggest classic car sale of all time, behind last year's estimated $30m for a Bugatti Type 57sc Atlantic.
It was a record for a Ferrari. The previous high-mark, $12.4m, was set by another 1957 Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa at RM Auctions in 2009.
The Historic Auto Group Index's HAGI Top 50, which tracks the value of leading classic car marques, rose by 16.34% in the 12 months to November 2011.
Rare art
 Qi Baishi's work set a new record for a contemporary Chinese painting |
Qi Baishi's depiction of an eagle in a pine tree sold for $65.5m in June, setting a new World Record price for a contemporary Chinese painting.
China's booming economy and growing number of wealthy, aspirational investors has prompted a surge in repatriation of Chinese artworks in recent years.
The Artprice Global Index reveals that global art prices are approaching pre-recession levels.
Perhaps 2012 will be the year an up and coming talent in your collection makes the big time?
Postage stamps
June's auction of the Chartwell Collection at Spink featured the £1.08m sale of the 1847 Mauritius 'Post Office' 2d blue, making it the most expensive postage stamp ever auctioned in a UK saleroom.
A further Chartwell Collection auction in December featured the £102,000 sale of one of just 12 extant 2d Tyrian Plums, issued in 1910.
The Great Britain Concise Catalogue valued the stamp at £65,000 in 2007, rising to £100,000 in 2011 - an increase of 8.99% pa.
Another superb 2d Tyrian Plum postage stamp is available through Paul Fraser Collectibles today for £85,000 (approx. $132,000).
Autographs
Between 2010 and 2011 the value of Michael Jackson's autograph soared by 60%, from £750 to £1,200, according to the PFC40 Autograph Index.
Former Beatle Paul McCartney also performed well. The value of his signature increased by 16.67%, from £1,500 to £1,750 over 12 months.
We have a McCartney autograph (on a photo taken by his wife Linda) available to you today for £1,000.
Space memorabilia
 The Vostok capsule sold for $2.9m |
In April, on the 50th anniversary of the first man in space, the Vostok 3KA-2 capsule became the world's most expensive piece of space memorabilia.
The test capsule, sent up to orbit three weeks before Soviet Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, sold at Sotheby's New York for $2.9m.
Earlier this month, an Apollo 13 check list sold for $388,375 - a record for an Apollo 13 artefact. This was against a pre-sale estimate of just $25,000.
