Collectables

[planteria]

seems that a lot of investors are collecting physical items of value alongside traditional investment products nowadays.
is that the case with folks here?
we have an old stamp collection, and some coins.. i've added some gold and silver coins to that collection in recent years, but i'm not really into it.
Wristwatches have become interesting to me during the past year or so. not sure if anyone else here is into Watches

[planteria]

anyone? i'm fairly deep into wristwatches nowadays.. 3 Seiko, 3 Rolex, 2 Panerai.

[blythburgh]

This is the place for you: https://www.yesterdaytime.co.uk/about

[pabenny]

No

Huge buy-sell spreads, holding costs (insurance) and arbitrary pricing.

[planteria]

is that 'No' to blyth's link pab? i assume so.. the spreads have been well in my favour during 2021

[blythburgh]

I have no experience of the site but have looked in the window of the shop and it looks very nice. But of course he will have to have a decent mark up but that is the same with any shop. Assuming it is a he could be a she that is the owner

[pabenny]

That's no to buying collectibles as an investment.

Don't know what you mean when you say spreads are in your favour.

[blythburgh]

My advice is the same as what experts have said over the years. Collect what you love and if it grows in value that is a bonus.

Listen to "antique" shows and the expert will say "hard to sell now, less than £100 but 20 years ago it would be £400-£600". Or 70's stuff is so hot at the moment but twenty years ago we could not get a bid for that.

[MrsXfile]

anyone? i'm fairly deep into wristwatches nowadays.. 3 Seiko, 3 Rolex, 2 Panerai.

Are Seiko watches collectable? I have one that my late husband was given for his 21st birthday in 1977. i doubt I could part with it though.

I do believe some Lego is collectable and commands good prices once particular sets are "retired". I guess you'd have to know a lot about which ones are likely to increase in price though.

[macliam]

anyone? i'm fairly deep into wristwatches nowadays.. 3 Seiko, 3 Rolex, 2 Panerai.

Are Seiko watches collectable? I have one that my late husband was given for his 21st birthday in 1977. i doubt I could part with it though.

I do believe some Lego is collectable and commands good prices once particular sets are "retired". I guess you'd have to know a lot about which ones are likely to increase in price though.

As with all things, some Seikos may be collectable, but not all - so it depends on the actual model, etc. With all collectables, unless something has an intrinsic value (like gold), the "value" is dependent on many factors.... whether it is sought after, the rarity, the the condition, etc., etc. The supposed "market price" of an object is important - but in the end it comes down to what someone will pay you for the item.

Then, as suggested, there are buying mark-ups and selling costs - and the margins can be huge. So, unless you have insider knowledge, it's a gamble, rather than an investment in the normal meaning of the word. Those who make the money are those who live via the margin costs, those who sell or who arrange a purchaser, rather than any increase in the value of the asset, weighted against inflation. How many times have you heard that something was bought for £50 in 1950 and is worth £500 today - is that a real-world increase? Could you have made more by using that £50 for something else? It all depends.

Too many factors, too little certainty. I'm out.

(Actually, this is a fib, I have a number of gold coins, bought to avoid the cost of bullion purchase. These have increased substantially in value..... but the increase in the price of gold far outweighs other factors. This is something I couldn't have predicted on purchase)