Monday, July 9, 2012

Investing in History I




There are many ways to save and invest for the future. Buying stocks, bonds, precious metals, collectable works of art, and classic automobiles have the potential to lead to healthy returns in the future. The major catch is that some of these investment choices cost so much that it makes them unaffordable. The remaining options are usually dull and offer limited to no opportunity for enjoyment. When was the last time anyone showed off their bond collection to their kids?

One of the more interesting opportunities to invest in the future and have a little fun in the process is stamp collecting. These small pieces of paper have immediate value when purchased and they are affordable with most budgets. The cost of a first class stamp is only 45 cents and there are no trading fees involved in the purchase. Compare the purchase of a single stamp to a single share of stock.

Buy one stamp at a Post Office and the cost is 45 cents. Buy a single share of stock and the cost, in general, can be as little as a few cents to as much as several hundred dollars. Add a commission of $5 to $15 to the price of the stock every time more shares are purchased and it could be years before the value of the stock rises to what was paid for it.

We’ll go over a few more advantages of stamp collecting tomorrow. Until then, see if you can find a stamp that interests you on http://www.usps.com.

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