...........and tell him if he would like to look at secure investments in troubling times................ Amid Economic Turmoil, Vintage Collectibles Shine
The economic uncertainty following the Fannie Mae, Freddy Mac, AIG and Lehman Brothers collapses and the resulting swirl of political discussions have dominated the mainstream media. The media has found itself driven by this topic, obscuring even the coverage of the upcoming election. Many theories of what to do to fix the system have been offered, but few eyes in the traditional media have looked to areas with traditional, longterm growth and stability. In the face of the fear gripping invenstors, Wall Street, and the overall finacial community, it seems wise to consider the alternatives that are performing. Any such list has to include vintange pop culture collectibles. The rare “invert” 1869 American stamp, which depicted the signing of the Declaration of Independence, set a record at $1.2 million at Philip Weiss Auctions. ComicLink sold a copy of Incredible Hulk #1, CGC-certified at 9.2, for $117,500. An onionskin swirl marble sold for $10,350 at Morphy Auctions this month. Morphy Auctions realized a price of $57,500 for a cast iron Hubley Hill Climber motorcycle in their September 11-13, 2008 sale. Philip Weiss Auctions sold a May 1953 Peanuts Sunday page and two Peanuts dailies bring a combined $110,740. A William Jennings Bryan campaign poster brought in $5,556.26 at Hake's Americana & Collectibles' auction this month. With the collapse of AIG, Lehman Brothers, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac swirling through the daily financial news and the fallout reaching who knows how far into the future, investors large and small have found themselves in uncomfortable territory. “The covers of Time, Business Week, The Week and other publications tell the story. It seems like all anyone is talking about is the financial market and the collapse of investor confidence. Maybe someone should tell them again about what’s been happening with vintage pop culture collectibles for the past few years,” said Steve Geppi, President and Chief Executive Officer of Diamond Comic Distributors. “I believe there is a very strong case to be made for re-evaluating portfolios in light of the negative information from the traditional market and the continued positive news from ours.” “The world of popular culture collecting essentially has gone from my auctions averaging a few hundred dollars each in 1967 to a collectibles industry exceeding the billion dollar mark,” said Ted Hake, author, historian, and founder of Hake’s Americana & Collectibles. “That's not just inflation. It's built on the interests, and in many cases passions, of millions of individual collectors. During my professional lifetime I've witnessed a collecting phenomenon begin, grow, and just now start to mature as a market for the artifacts of our personal memories as well as artifacts of the cultural history that preceded us as individuals.” “For many years we were told that collectibles weren’t a good investment because they lacked instant liquidity. Over the past decade, that has clearly been changing. When you add to that mix, though, the so-called liquidity of the stock market and real estate market proving to be somewhere well south of actual liquidity, it’s comforting to know that our collectibles do more than simply retain their value,” Geppi said. The market Geppi spoke of is one that has witnessed sustained, steady growth over a protracted period. Whether one investigates cast iron mechanical banks, toy robots, antique product promotional displays, or comic books, the demand for rare, high grade artifacts is relentless. Trains, dolls, coins, movie posters, doorstops, cap guns, marbles, and political buttons are among the varied items with strong and broad markets. While it is impossible to discount the growing acceptance of popular culture and society’s general hunger for history as contributing factors to this growth, Josh Nathanson, President of ComicLink, an online auction house for comic books, also sees the financial markets’ woes as a key component. “One thing that comes to mind immediately, is that when traditional investments like the stock market, real estate, or even interest bearing money market accounts are performing poorly or seem particularly volatile, people look for other places to put their disposable income,” he said. He added that when traditional markets do well, investors who have become comfortable with the collectibles market will often take their financial market. freeman fisher 8601 west knoll drive #7 west hollywood, ca 90069 **************Looking for simple solutions to your real-life financial challenges? Check out WalletPop for the latest news and information, tips and calculators. (http://www.walletpop.com/?NCID=emlcntuswall00000001) Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
