| As we muddle through the first half of the year | | | | looking at it or in many cases using it, and then sell it |
| 2009, I have never seen anything like this. Never | | | | down the road sometime in the future for a nice |
| have I witnessed the fear and panic in investor's | | | | profit. |
| eyes like I have in the past few months. I was | | | | You can start investing in collectibles right away and |
| thinking of spearheading a new organization--maybe | | | | at any dollar level--whether you have $100.00 or |
| calling it something like the Battered Investors Club or | | | | $1,000,000 to invest--there are collectibles for any |
| BIA, an acronym for Broke Investors Of America. | | | | interest you can think of. Some of the most popular |
| The stock market has become nothing more than a | | | | areas of investing in collectibles are coins, stamps, |
| roulette table, and retirement accounts such as 401K | | | | antique furniture, art, rare books, autographs, and |
| plans have separated the hard worker from half to | | | | even classic automobiles are good investments now. |
| almost all of the savings they have responsibly set | | | | There are dealers, appraisers, and experts in every |
| aside for their retirement. | | | | field that can help you get started. Attending |
| Do you believe in the politicians and financial "gurus" | | | | auctions, antiques and collectibles shows, and online |
| that assure us that the hundreds of billions of | | | | venues such as eBay are good places to do some |
| "stimulus" dollars that are being printed 24/7 and | | | | research and see what you may be interested in. |
| thrown around like confetti are going to fix this | | | | Many investors start out buying a few collectibles |
| financial disaster that we are in? I don't--I think it is | | | | just for the intention of selling at a profit-- without |
| going to get worse. Sure, you are going to see the | | | | planning on developing an interest in the collectibles |
| stock market, real estate market, etc., rally for a little | | | | markets. With many, this soon changes as they |
| bit. The amount of money (read: our taxes, children's | | | | develop a love for buying and selling collectibles and |
| , great grandchildren's) that the government is | | | | end up making a business and career with collectibles. |
| handing out is bound to cause a blip on the screen | | | | I have been involved in the collectibles business for |
| for a short term, but then--lookout! The long term | | | | 25 years, and I feel your investment dollar could not |
| result of all this may remind one of something that | | | | be safer at this time. There are no guarantees in life |
| happened in Rome's history. | | | | but I know this -- I'll take a signed document by |
| In the interim, I made the decision that I wanted to | | | | George Washington or Abraham Lincoln over an equal |
| take back my money (what was left after they got | | | | dollar amount of blue chip stocks every time! |
| through with me) and control when and how it was | | | | As investors, we all have taken some very hard hits |
| invested. I pulled my money out of my 401K and | | | | over the past year. But it does not have to continue. |
| purchased collectibles. I now have something tangible | | | | You can stop the bleeding today in your investment |
| that I can hold in my hand and admire, It does not | | | | situation. Place your money in tangible collectible |
| have the potential to drop to zero value, I can enjoy | | | | investments and go back to sleeping at night! |