Non-standard investments

You've probably already heard that you can earn money not only by buying and selling shares or investing in real estate. There are stories when inherited old books or grandfather's coins became the initial capital for the grandchildren. To roughly estimate the cost of antiques, you need to understand in detail the factors that shape the demand and, as a result, the price of a lot.

It is interesting that a lot of investors deliberately choose antique items as an investment object. Let us share how it works.

1. Old books. Investments in vintage edition books pay off in the long term. The price of a book depends directly on its beauty and condition, but almost does not depend on its rarity. For example, the illustrated colourful "A Natural History of Birds" with images of birds was sold at the Internet market Abebooks.com for 191 thousand dollars. Collectors distinguish incunabula (editions published before 1500) and paleotypes (1501 – 1550). If the former can be sold profitably for at least 4000-5000 euros simply based on their age, the prices for the latter start from 200-300 euros if the copies do not possess additional qualities that are in demand on the market. The big advantage of investing in books is that there are very few fakes in this market.

2. Coins. All coins issued by the mints of different countries are divided into the regular ones – those that are in everyday use - and commemorative ones, the circulation of which is timed to a certain event and is extremely limited. Collectors know about limited quantities of such coins, so they are out for them. Check the money in your wallet: an ordinary coin issued with a defect, for example, with a bitten-out spot - a defect of the round shape - or with an inverted reverse side automatically becomes interesting for numismatists. This coin can be sold at a much bigger price than its nominal value. Besides, eliminated coins will rise in value over time. You will have to wait for this, of course, but if you do not hurry anywhere, one day your granddaughter will be able to swap the collection you have collected to her first electric car.

3. Paintings or photographs. If you are interested in art, combine business with pleasure and make a collection of paintings. Even if you do not make the right choice with the investment, the pictures you like will decorate your home for a long time. It is best to start with the works of young but promising artists. Analyze market and fashion trends: they can greatly affect the price of an art object. Paintings are not your style? Take a closer look at the movie posters dating back to the 30s and 50s of the last century, they are steadily growing in price. An interesting copy can be bought for $50, and after a couple of decades - sold at a much higher price. All of this has a disadvantage: it takes a long time for art objects to become more expensive, and you can make a wrong guess with the trends.