Lindsay Pollock’s Art Basel coverage reavealed this interesting take on buyers at the fair:

Theories as to why buying had improved bounded around the fair. “Most people who had a billion in the bank still have a billion in the bank,” says London dealer Helly Nahmad. Many art world denizens said the continued art buying had a psychological root, that die-hard collectors were still attracted to the sport, financial meltdown or not. […]

Surprise Success: Art Basel Dispels Credit Crunch Blues (The Art Newspaper)