Of course, I know he's no more able to answer my queries about the future of the Dow or of the downward-spiraling dollar than I am to predict when the thirst for Hirst will be slaked or whether you're wiser over the long term to put your money on Monet or Manet. Sure, he and I have the conversational tools to make our conjectures sound plausible, even profound: Unprecedented globalized wealth will bolster faltering markets. This is one new asset class with legs. What goes up must … you know the rest. But in the end, it's anyone's call if we're headed for boom, bust or some in-between word that's far less arresting in headline-size type. Really, your guess is as good as mine.

Nonetheless, there are certainly subtle signs and indicators that those of us who study the art market daily can read better than the average blowhard. And it's those tiny tidal ripples with the potential to gain tsunami force that we address in our second annual "What's Next" feature. Whether it's emerging collecting fields, such as midcentury Abstract Classicism and fine furniture from the American South, or evolving business practices—auction houses going after the middle market, galleries moving toward greater transparency in the wake of recent high-profile scandals—these are phenomena that you'll want to know about now, before the rest of the world catches a ride on your wave.

Some shifts in focus can be decades in the making. Such is the case with photorealist painters like Robert Bechtle, Robert Cottingham and Richard Estes, who first made their mark circa 1970 and are only now earning the critical acclaim—and significant prices—devotees have long believed they deserve. Their exquisitely rendered work, Philip Gefter writes in his feature, "reflected the new pervasiveness of photography in contemporary life" and the way people then "saw and framed the world."

Today we view the world largely through the Internet. That's one reason I'm so excited about the recent launch of artandauction.com, which dramatically propels the magazine into the 21st century (yes, I know, eight years after the fact). Filled with stories from our current issue alongside original content that complements and/or updates them, the Web site, a component of artinfo.com, also provides access to the Art Sales Index, with more than three and a half million auction transactions dating back to the 1920s; articles from our sister publications, Modern Painters and Culture+Travel; and the news and information generated daily on artinfo. In the coming months we'll be expanding and refining our online approach (which includes adding a complete electronic archive of nearly 30 years of back issues). And while the lush, beautifully designed magazine you're holding will always be our flagship, our site will help us to remain the most compelling and comprehensive provider of art world information.

That's one prediction you can take to the bank.