Author Topic: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track  (Read 1771 times)

HPstache

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Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« on: February 15, 2021, 10:01:29 AM »
Inspired by the "everything bubble" that seems to be inflating at an incredibly rapid rate right now, I thought it would be interesting to track the value of more "interesting" things that may or may not store value.  When the bubble inevitably pops, I am really interested to see which ones actually store value and which ones plummet.  This may or may not help guide me to things that are a better store of value in the future.  Here's a random list I am thinking of so far:

Gold
BTC
Brand New Rolex Submariner 116610LN
PSA 10 Graded 1989 Upper Deck Ken Griffey Jr Rookie Card #1
New in Box Lego Millennium Falcon First Edition #10179
VTSAX

What are some interesting theoretical stores of value am I missing?  I'd like to have some fun/interesting things to add.  I will track them here monthly if that's entertaining for anyone else?  Some of the more obscure things, I'll be using eBay for pricing.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 10:05:45 AM by v8rx7guy »

secondcor521

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2021, 10:23:18 AM »
Beanie Babies (limited editions only)
Cash in the back yard
GME
Tulip bulbs
Rai stones
Frequent flyer miles
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 10:27:41 AM by secondcor521 »

HPstache

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2021, 10:43:13 AM »
Beanie Babies (limited editions only)
Cash in the back yard
GME
Tulip bulbs
Rai stones
Frequent flyer miles

Beanie Babies - Almost literally do not even sell on eBay, thought about that... just no data points to make it work though
Cash in the back yard - all prices will be quoted in USD, so I guess cash in the backyard will be the denominator for all data points?
GME - Could be interesting/fun to track
Tulip Bulbs  - Futures? lol
Rai Stones - never heard of them.  Will research
Frequent Flyer Miles - Definitely a store of value!  Too close to cash though.

theoverlook

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2021, 11:23:11 AM »
Beanie Babies: Good gosh $21k for a manufactured bear: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Princess-Diana-Beanie-Baby-RARE/141846702710

Vintage computer gear has been going crazy, too. I know it need narrowed down more than that, so for example an original IBM PC XT model 5160 sold for $1200 recently: https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-5160-PC-XT-5154-Display-Math-Coprocessor-Microsoft-Windows-1-0-/274633330289. A 5150 PC new in box sold for $2250. They made literally millions of these things. Most got scrapped but there have to be thousands upon thousands clogging up closets all over the world.


Morning Glory

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2021, 11:44:08 AM »
What are rai stones? I'm bored today.

Stores of value..hmm.
50 state quarters
Arthur's education fund
Dead peasants
Bottles of whiskey in the basement
Healthcare REITs
Venezuelan bolivars
Derivatives
A time machine
MLMs

maizefolk

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2021, 11:56:30 AM »
If you don't know about Rai Stones they are definitely worth a read: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rai_stones

They basically work like gold or bitcoin, there is no particular reason anyone needs a rai stone (just like they don't need a gold bar or the private key to a wallet full of bitcoin), but because the stones are very effort intensive to create, producing a limited supply, and a particular society has decided to place value on them, they operate(d) a lot like money.

v8rx7guy, I would address the cash in the backyard issue by looking at three different currencies. I could bury a big bag of $100 bills, or 100 euro notes, or 100 RMB notes*.

*Which are worth way less than the other two per note, so I'd need to bury more of them.

MustacheAndaHalf

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2021, 12:03:38 PM »
Dead peasants
If only you'd mentioned this before these guys yelling "Bring out yer dead" came by, I could have stocked up.


---
There has been a need to save businesses and unemployed people from going under during the pandemic, but maybe all the added money will have side effects later.  Too much money chasing too few items could inflate prices.

One step I don't hear often... buy stuff.  Pulling the next 2 years of spending forward to right now is one way to invest inflated dollars before prices catch up.  So I'd suggest tracking the prices of the bestselling couch, TV, and monitor:

#1 selling computer monitor : Acer SB220Q costs $93 now
#1 selling LCD TV : Insignia NS-24DF310NA21 $90
#1 selling couch : Serta RNE-3S-BK-SET $170 (average of 4 prices)

Or commodities ETFs:
USO : oil ETF $39.94/sh now (Note I own call options on USO)
IAU : gold ETF $17.36/sh now
BCI : Aberdeen Commodities ETF $23.48/sh (gold, gas, copper, soybeans, ...)

The most balanced of the 3 ETFs is probably BCI, with it's 0.25% expense ratio and exposure to various categories of commodities.  It will be interesting to see how all of these do this year.

Morning Glory

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #7 on: February 15, 2021, 12:33:36 PM »
I forgot about guns and ammo, or survival food. Dang it. I'm not going to survive very long after the apocalypse. Luckily I don't need to eat much and I'm acclimated to the cold.

Don't forget to snag a couple cc bonuses if you pull your spending forward 🙂.

HPstache

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #8 on: February 15, 2021, 12:59:38 PM »
I forgot about guns and ammo, or survival food. Dang it. I'm not going to survive very long after the apocalypse. Luckily I don't need to eat much and I'm acclimated to the cold.

Don't forget to snag a couple cc bonuses if you pull your spending forward 🙂.

Ammo is a fantastic one to add.  What should be the standard?  9mm or .223 ?  Something else?

secondcor521

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #9 on: February 15, 2021, 01:21:01 PM »
WTI I guess would be a good one to add.

PDXTabs

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #10 on: February 15, 2021, 01:34:54 PM »
I forgot about guns and ammo, or survival food. Dang it. I'm not going to survive very long after the apocalypse. Luckily I don't need to eat much and I'm acclimated to the cold.

My roommate (who neither drank nor smoked, but did menstruate) always told me with a straight face that if you wanted tradable goods in the end times that you should stock up on:
  • Hard liquor
  • Cigarettes
  • Tampons

And I think that cigarettes are at times prison currency.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 03:01:51 PM by PDXTabs »

Wintergreen78

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #11 on: February 15, 2021, 02:55:58 PM »
Stanley hand planes
High-quality woodworking chisels
Disston hand saws
Starrett combination squares

With those items and not much more you can make any piece of wooden furniture you need. If well maintained they will all work for many lifetimes. 100 year-old examples in good condition often sell for close to what a new equivalent tool sells for.

Telecaster

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #12 on: February 15, 2021, 03:02:30 PM »
Frequent Flyer miles aren't that good because the airlines devalue them regularly.   Best to spend 'em if you got 'em.

Vintage guitars and related equipment have done really well, but I think that's because guys in their 50s and 60s who grew up listening to Clapton and rock in general can afford them.  I'm not sure if subsequent generations will be as interested.  Also (looks over shoulder) new guitars are better.

Raw land is usually a good store of value. 

Art can be hit or miss.  Some artists become popular for a while and then slowly fade away, and prices for their works do the same. 

Guns can be pretty good, because they generally have a floor.  Occasionally, a model will be come collectable and appreciate like crazy.

Edit:  Here's a specific gun recco:  A Colt single action Army revolver.   Also maybe track high capacity magazines. 
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 03:11:46 PM by Telecaster »

secondcor521

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #13 on: February 15, 2021, 03:08:27 PM »
Frequent Flyer miles aren't that good because the airlines devalue them regularly.   Best to spend 'em if you got 'em.

Agreed and I do.  I was responding to the word "supposedly" in the thread title.

Steeze

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #14 on: February 15, 2021, 03:11:49 PM »
Real-Estate in Manhattan & SF - perhaps limited to only SFH / townhouses in only the most desirable locations. 'trophy properties'

Rare sports cars, like a classic Ferrari, McLaren, or Porsche

Paintings / Artwork from select artists

Rare Books?

HiFi Stereo Equipment

Rare Guitars

1k Flawless Diamond (stone only)

^^ vote for 9mm ammo
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 03:14:51 PM by Steeze »

BicycleB

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #15 on: February 15, 2021, 03:12:17 PM »
Old cars that people like. Mustangs. Trucks. Mercedes. At some point of age, the price stabilizes as depreciation balances out against practicality + collectibility. After that, value depends on maintenance and practicality, modified by the market's desirability decision.

Maybe in a crash, desirability falls but practicality rises, so these items might still have a floor?
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 03:16:31 PM by BicycleB »

BicycleB

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #16 on: February 15, 2021, 03:15:29 PM »
I forgot about guns and ammo, or survival food. Dang it. I'm not going to survive very long after the apocalypse. Luckily I don't need to eat much and I'm acclimated to the cold.

My roommate (who neither drank nor smoked, but did menstruate) always told me with a straight face that if you wanted tradable goods in the end times that you should stock up on:
  • Hard liquor
  • Cigarettes
  • Tampons

And I think that cigarettes are at times prison currency.

I heard almost the same thing from a woman I dated for a bit!

Her further contention was that the best item when the SHTF was a stash of weed, because everyone will want to be calmed and it has medicinal properties. For longer term crises, grow your own for sustainable trading power.
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 03:17:03 PM by BicycleB »

electriceagle

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #17 on: February 15, 2021, 04:16:36 PM »
One step I don't hear often... buy stuff.  Pulling the next 2 years of spending forward to right now is one way to invest inflated dollars before prices catch up.  So I'd suggest tracking the prices of the bestselling couch, TV, and monitor:

#1 selling computer monitor : Acer SB220Q costs $93 now
#1 selling LCD TV : Insignia NS-24DF310NA21 $90
#1 selling couch : Serta RNE-3S-BK-SET $170 (average of 4 prices)


Manufacturers work hard to drive down the cost of making their products. Thus, the price of a new TV will probably be lower three years from now than it is today, even if the money supply is low.

This is probably why the deficits of the past decade or so have not driven inflation up: there has been inflation in investable goods (useful goods with inherently limited supply, such as houses in areas with good jobs and years of instruction at Harvard) but there has been deflation in manufactured goods as manufacturing & logistics become more efficient and factories expand. The average of the + and - has been low overall inflation.

HPstache

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #18 on: February 15, 2021, 04:18:38 PM »
Real-Estate in Manhattan & SF - perhaps limited to only SFH / townhouses in only the most desirable locations. 'trophy properties'

Rare sports cars, like a classic Ferrari, McLaren, or Porsche

Paintings / Artwork from select artists

Rare Books?

HiFi Stereo Equipment

Rare Guitars

1k Flawless Diamond (stone only)

^^ vote for 9mm ammo

I like the idea of adding in a collector car.  I personally like the 911 GT2 or MKIV Supra as good "Holder's of value" .

I'll be working on this all a bit tonght... getting the graphs stared so that hilarity can ensue :)

Steeze

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #19 on: February 15, 2021, 04:28:04 PM »
Vintage wine also comes to mind

What about shoes? Isn’t there a thriving rare sneaker market these days?

1-3 letter domain names?

Morning Glory

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #20 on: February 15, 2021, 05:00:53 PM »
I don't like the physical things because you have to store and care for them. Books, furniture, artwork, shoes, tools, guns, and ammo can be damaged by moisture and temperature changes. Plus you would need a bigger house. Land has property tax. Wine and weed would just go bad after a while. I suppose things like gold and gems became traditional stores of wealth due to this concern.

I like the rai stones, the way the value is in the story. I suppose you could call them intellectual property. You could buy the rights to a popular song or something,if you wanted to store value that way. Of course it might lose its popularity, seems like a risky investment.

celerystalks

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #21 on: February 15, 2021, 05:35:12 PM »
High end camera lenses
Forever stamps
« Last Edit: February 15, 2021, 05:36:58 PM by celerystalks »

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #22 on: February 15, 2021, 05:58:07 PM »
Few things hold value like an Hermes Birkin or Kelly bag. They cost more than a lot of cars and they almost always sell for significantly more used.

I keep waiting for them to finally become passé, but they keep bloody persisting with both Melania and CardiB being known for having huge collections of them.

They're a weirdly persistent, universal symbol of status among women. I suspect Gen Z might finally kill them along with diamonds, but we'll see.

But I can dream that someday $75,000 purses will become embarrassingly tacky for women and not a dream to aspire to.

Morning Glory

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #23 on: February 16, 2021, 08:53:54 AM »
High end camera lenses
Forever stamps

I had some forever stamps that were kept on my fridge with a magnet.  They got really faded from the sun but I was able to take them to the post office and exchange them.

Morning Glory

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Re: Interesting things which supposedly store value to track
« Reply #24 on: February 16, 2021, 04:18:38 PM »
Timely Update: I got my husband to get rid of some old music CDs on Decluttr and he found a marijuana leaf in one of them. It was so dried out it didn't even smell like marijuana anymore, so it went in my compost bin. It must have been twenty years old.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!