Distinguishing Second, just because of this limited supply, Fine Art is perfectly qualified for distinguishing yourself from the masses. Take any other high priced single item like sports cars or wrist watches or whatever. You can't keep your neighbor from acquiring just the same article if he wants to. Individuality Third, people are eager to express their individuality. They want to know their peer group to reassure themselves, so they tend to accept certain values esteemed high by this group, but equally important is the need to set themselves apart from any mass phenomenon so they can feel their individuality.
Property is a very good means to achieve both.
Take for example a Porsche driver. He will belong to his peer group of Porsche drivers, set himself apart from all other car owners, and express his individuality by certain add ons to his mass production car costing lots of extra money. But in the end, he is just another Porsche driver nevertheless. Fine Art is much more rewarding in this respect. Of course, you can't show it to your neighbors like a car.