Comics as an investment
Old paper booklets as an investment? A roofer in the USA collected 175,000 US dollars (approx. 156,000 euros) for an old comic book. It was the first edition of the “Superman” booklet. The roofer found the specimen in the insulation of his house he had just bought. The roofer could have even become a millionaire with “Superman”, but unfortunately the comic book was not in the best condition. In good condition, the comic is worth $3.3 million. The “The Batman” comic published in 1939 even manages to be worth 3.4 million US dollars, making it the most valuable comic in the world.
If you consider that you only had to pay ten cents for the comic book in 1938, the return seems extraordinarily high. Savers can only dream of such an increase in value, since the classic investments such as savings accounts and time deposits hardly yield any interest. For these reasons, some investors are looking for alternative investments, some of which can be very exotic.
Condition matters
It has long been clear to a man from Friedrichsdorf that you can earn a lot of money with Mickey Mouse and co. In 1994 Micky Waue organized the “1st Comic Auction in Germany”. Since then, many comic lovers have come to the small town in Hesse every year. Some “waste paper” from the past has long since made the leap to “value paper”.
The appraiser for Waue’s auction, Christofer Krumm, explains: “What is location, location, location for real estate is condition, condition, condition for comics”. It is not surprising that some magazines disappear into the safe deposit box as an investment.
Classic cars as an investment
Vintage cars are a worthwhile investment, as the lobby association of the automotive industry (VDA) emphasizes. Since 1999, the lobby association has been determining the German Classic Car Index, which serves to provide a trend statement about the value development of classic cars in Germany. Since then, starting from a base value of 1,000 points, there has been an increase in value of 177 percent in Germany.
In March, during the Amelia Island Concours Week, the three auction houses Bonhams, Gooding & Company and RM Sotheby’s each hold an annual auction at which hundreds of classic cars are auctioned off. In 2022, the most expensive classic car at the Gooding auction, a 1937 Talbot-Lago T150 Teardrop Coupé, is estimated to fetch over ten million US dollars, reports auto-motor-und-sport.de.
Whether classic cars are actually a worthwhile investment class is very controversial. In the opinion of Götz Knopp, Vice President of the Federal Association for Classic Vehicle Clubs (DEUVET), an investment is only worthwhile from a value of 100,000 euros. It is important to remember that a classic car needs a garage, insurance and sometimes repairs.
Cuddly toys as an investment
Some teddies not only make children’s eyes light up, but also make the hearts of investors beat faster. There are plush toys with an impressive increase in value, but not every little animal can be used to achieve an animal return in one fell swoop. A collection of Steiff teddy bears auctioned off in 2010 brought a bid of 1.23 million euros at the London auction house Christie’s. A heavily indebted hedge fund manager put this historic collection up for sale. A single Harlequin teddy bear from 1925 brought in a price of 53,000 euros.
In the Swabian town of Giengen, stuffed animals from the Steiff company are auctioned off on a grand scale every year. For example, a teddy bear produced after the Titanic disaster in 1912 fetched 25,000 euros. Such horrendous prices are due to the small number of teddy bears. The black bear was only made 82 times in total.
Weapons as an investment
Original historical weapons can also be a lucrative investment. The quality of the weapon is very important. But it also depends on the history and the rarity of the pieces. For collectors and investors, the history of the weapon must be documented beyond any doubt. Some pieces can even achieve six-digit amounts. A gun from a James Bond film has even sold for around 328,000 euros at Christie’s auction house. There is similarly great interest in WW2 weapons where the owner at the time was a prominent figure.
Investments for lovers
Investors looking for something more exclusive often also invest in watches, jewelery or art objects. In a time of perceived financial uncertainty, investors are increasingly looking for real assets. It seems as if there are innumerable alternatives, but “in fact, such systems are more for enthusiasts and speculators,” as consumer advocate Niels Nauhauser explains. According to Nauhauser, one cannot assume that secure returns can be achieved in these areas.
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