Betting is fun! But it is far from a sure thing. And while that is what makes betting fun, it can also make it expensive.
No matter how hot we are feeling, a cold streak can hit at any time and you can find yourself quickly in the hole. When this happens, it is recommended that you walk away and reassess your moves. If you find yourself in the middle of a losing streak and looking to right the course, you might want to consider some different investing strategies.
To give you some inspiration, we have compiled a list of some unusual investments of the past and present and examined how they have performed.
Designer Handbags
Yes. Those crazy expensive purses your wife or significant other keeps coming home with or has been dropping hints about in the hopes that you’ll pick one up for her are actually great investments. So much so that Forbes has declared them a better investment than art (another classic physical investment that historically performs well, just ask Jay-Z).
Bags such as those designed by Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Hermès have seen a valuation spike of an average of 83% in the last decade. To put that into perspective, the next closest fashion investment, watches, has only increased by 72%.
Of all the designers, Hermès has performed the best due to their exclusivity and difficulty of procurement. If you are lucky enough to obtain a designer handbag, it might be worth keeping it in the closet until the estimation jumps. Just don’t tell your wife!
Beanie Babies
The height of the Beanie Baby craze has long since passed, but these classic collectibles took the world by storm in the late nineties, selling over $1.4 billion in 1998 alone. During the peak of their popularity, the plush toys accounted for almost 10% of all sales on eBay, often selling for six times their retail value at $30 a pop.
Since the craze ended, you have probably heard that choice Beanie Babies like the Princess Diana toy have sold for hundreds of thousands, but those cases are far and few between. If you were alive at the time, the chances are you have a box of these in the attic or stuffed away under your bed. Sure, most of the value of the Ty manufactured animals have dried up since the boom in the market, but there were still several that sold for large price tags as recently as 2021.
The top five sales are below:
| Beanie Babies Name | Price |
| Gobbles | $24,000 |
| Halo Bear | $23,500 |
| Princess Bear | $20,000 |
| Valentino Bear | $20,000 |
| Clubby Bear | $20,000 |
Pokémon Cards
Another carryover from the late nineties, Pokémon cards almost go hand in hand with Beanie Babies. This writer can personally recall trips to the local mall to get a five-pack and settling for a new Beanie Babies when the store was sold out. So clear is the memory of my first Charizard card that I can still recall where I was when it happened and the longing looks I received from my peers as I exited the store.
Since the height of its popularity, the card game has continued to be a weirdly good investment. In 2020, eBay reported a 60% increase in card sales in less than a year. Celebrities like Logan Paul have dropped small fortunes on first edition Charizard cards. If you have a three-ring binder full of these bad boys, it might be time to pull it out and see if you have anything worth selling. Then you can use that cash to hit the sportsbooks again!
Mostly, though, these cards are not worth investing in in the long term. But crazier things have happened!
NFTs
These are not a true physical investment since they live in the metaverse, but these digital pieces of art have come crashing into the zeitgeist in the past year as the new way for the crypto-savvy to make a huge ROI. Some NFTs have sold for millions of dollars including the Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs which are digital collectibles that lice on the Ethereum blockchain.
Yeah, it all sounds like made-up craziness, but these new-age collectibles follow the same rules as any other art piece in that their value is dictated by supply and demand. Unlike the waning popularity of some items on this list, NFTs are always unique and made in limited supplies, helping drive up their value. Some even have utilities built-in, meaning owning one can gain you access to an album release or show or give you a vote on a new project. It’s really interesting stuff.
If you are looking to get into the web3 space and buy some digital assets, NFTs are a good place to start.
Coins
If Bitcoin isn’t quite your bag, maybe you would feel more comfortable investing in physical coins. Yes, it is a little nerdy and certainly old-school, but nearly every government-minted commemorative coin set has increased in value since being minted.
Some super rare coins have been known to sell for millions, including a 1943 bronze Lincoln penny which went for $1.7 million in 2020. Coins of this value are hard to come by, but any piece you purchase from the US mint or reputable collector is sure to net you a decent ROI.
Yourself!
Lastly, the best investment you can make is in yourself! Whether it is learning a new skill or following a passion or just a fitness goal, no physical asset can give you a better ROI. Spending time and energy on your own growth and self-development will lead to years of success and better life all around.
Happy investing!
