Do investments have to be boring?

My Orange Vit T. I Paid £800, Today, if you can find one, there going for over £2000.

It’s no wonder people don’t invest, Have you ever been to a meeting about stock prices? If the price of bit coin or Tesco's gives you an adrenaline rush then you really have had a boring life. This is why so many of us struggle, but why not invest in something interesting. Most people know something about something. So why not look for investments in the areas we have interest? Hay presto, suddenly investing isn’t that boring any more. So if you know nothing about the stock market but enjoy fine wine, then why not invest in a few bottles of fine wine to sell on at a later date? I’m the same, I love cycling, always have and always will. I used to build my own mountain bikes and race on them. Sadly I’m stuck behind the wheel of a lorry all week and I don’t get the time to do it any more, I also know the absolute squared root of nothing about the stock market or the rates of inflation. I nearly became interested once until it turned out this so called pie chart had no pies in it. Unfortunately i can't say any more on that as my lawyer say it may harm my defense in court. So swiftly moving on i was messing around on ebay one evening, drinking wine, hhhmm, wine and ebay at the same time, nothing to go wrong there, please don't buy another tank, I spotted a very nice Orange VIT T mountain bike for £800 and only a few hours drive away from where I live. Now this is a very nice and rare, reto bike of the 90’s. The bike I had dreamed about riding but I couldn’t afford at that time. Sadly now I can afford one I’m too old and unfit to race them. But I thought to myself its rare and interesting so there for it will go up in value. So I placed my bid, won, and five years latter they are going for £2000. I think I’m on to something. Since then I’ve also sorted myself an Offroad Proflex 550, which I paid £50. Not as nice as the Orange but it’s the first ever full suspension mountain bike, well if you can call 25mm of flex in the stem and a bit of rubber and a rear pivot on the back suspension that is. However I suspect one day it might be worth something. So it’s now hanging up in my workshop. I now have a list of bikes I’d love to own from a Pace rc100 to the Alpine Stars al-mega. I’ve also been keeping my eyes open for a GT Xizang or the Cannondale Raven in carbon fibre. I also have a strange urge to buy a penny farthing, i've never ridden one so that day will be a lot more adrenaline filed then looking at stock prices on a spread sheet. So although you will probably never see me outside the London stock exchange I should one day have a workshop full of nice bikes. And here’s the really nice bit, if the price drops, even to the point where they are worth nothing. I’ve still got a bike I love that I can ride and show of with to my mates when they come around. Then when we are all drunk i will get the penny farthing out and everybody will start chanting my name and it will seem like a good plan at the time, then lawyers will get involved and tell me to say nothing outside court. So why aren't financial advisers saying go forth and buy interesting bikes?

The first full suspension mountain bike, Worth siting on for a while, the price can only go one way.

My silver coin collection. Still more fun and interesting then silver bars or shares, The middle one is a 10 oz Unicorn from the queens beasts collection.

I do invest in a few well known investments like silver. However I like to make it a tiny bit interesting by making it silver coins. Reasons well for starters I can’t afford gold coins, YET, The price of a 1oz Silver Britannia Coin at the very moment i'm writing this is £22.50. The same 1oz coin in gold is £1252. Secondly coins are more interesting to look at then say a 100g lump of silver. My favorites are my Egyptian Relic Series but you can also get star wars if your into that or animals, I’ve got a doggy one that looks like my Jack, London land marks I’ve got a few off so its defiantly more interesting in coin form. Yes the coins are more expensive to buy and I could have more silver in bars then in coins but you also get more for the coins when you sell so in my hairy little head it makes no difference. I might get a few bars this year although the price has shot up so I’ve stopped buying for now. It’s all good because my little coin collection is worth more than I paid for it so it’s worked. Just remember to buy low sell high. I would also highly recommend you only buy from a reputable dealer. Yes its slightly more expensive but there are many naughty people out there selling fake silver products over the internet, so be aware. If your silver points North, goes rusty, glows luminous green in the dark, you notice flash bangs going off all around you and special forces have just abseiled through every window in your house, You wake up strapped to a wooden chair inside what looks like Guantanamo Bay, and theirs an alarmingly large shouty army type person clamping electrodes to your nipples while telling you to start talking. Then you might regret purchasing said silver from mrRambo74988. And when the alarmingly large and shouty army person turns the voltage dial up a few notches you to would like to find out the real name of said glow in the dark silver dealer. Apart from that there really is not much to know about silver, or if you have the money Gold. Keep an eye on the price and buy when its low, if the price drops even more don't be disheartened you've still got an impressive collection of silver coins to look at. Just sit on it and one day it will go up in price.

Two of my 5oz Egyptian Relic coins, look how thick they are.

Built in 1954, it still usable as a working tractor and going up in value.

Now if you read last week’s blog about my Top Vehicles and if not then WHY NOT? You will know I’ve driven, owned and still own a few interesting vehicles. My land rover which I still own shot up in value when they stopped making the defender. My gray fergie still owes me money at the moment as the rebuild cost more than it’s worth. But they don’t make them any more so it will go up in value, just a question of sitting on it really and one day it will be worth more. So if you buy smart, you could almost drive a car for free. But don’t drive new, you’ll lose money as soon as you drive it out the show room, Unless you know a car with a really long waiting list. With these if your brave enough you buy the car and wait until your near the top of the waiting list then sell your place. I've never been brave enough to do this as i know my luck i wouldn't be able to sell it and will end up having to buy a car i can not afford. But if theirs a two year waiting list then it stands to reason it shouldn't be to hard to sell yours. I would however go classic or even better, vehicles that aren’t quite classic. You see I love E type Jag’s but I think they are a bad investment, reason why is we’ve missed the boat and they’ve already shot up to such a stupid price it’s hard to afford one in the first place and I can’t see them going up much more in price. So something that’s not classic yet but not far off would be good. I love the old shape mini but it’s a shame I just don’t fit in them, they are steadily going up in value though i just wouldn't be able to enjoy driving it. I also love my ford transit vans which i can fit into and you do see classic ford transits out there for good money, steadily going up in value as they become rarer and rarer. Looking on the internet I've seen MK1 Ford transits starting at £500 for a shed in need of much work up to £25000 for one that look like its just left the factory, that's even more then you pay for the basic new Ford Transit today. You can even do tractors if that’s your interest, lorries or buses if you’ve got the room to park them. I have a friend who loves buses, he owns an old red routemaster which in itself is an investment but he also earns money doing special events with it or taking privet groups on scenic tours. You do need a bus licence and your o licence to run a commercial bus so you have to really enjoy doing it to have to sort that lot out. If you can't and you don't even have room to park a car then you could consider motor bikes. I also have a Triumph Scrambler motor bike and although it’s not a classic yet it’s not far off. Even so it’s held its price pretty well and I’m sure if I ever needed to sell it I could get back what I paid for it. I think of all the fun I’ve had riding it an all the fun memory's i have of my Triumph so even if i only manage to brake even on the money I've still won, And it will fit inside a shed.

Investment without a spreadsheet or web site anywhere. Now that's more like it.

So when one door closes another one opens and that's when you know you've brought a terrible car. So it's time to get the tools out and its a good job I’m good at swearing and repairing these toys of mine to save me on the repair bills, Not only that but tools can be an investment to. One day in a market place i found two snap-on speed wrenches for £5 each. So i had the two of them, they now fix my other investments while themselves going up in value. You can also find vintage oil cans and garage signs. I've even seen complete vintage fuel pumps outside peoples workshops. The final touch for any vintage car or bike collection. I also Have a grey fergie oil can and am on the look out for the ferguson spanner. I can easily get a fake one for around £20 but the real ones these days if you can find one is around £50. It will fit every nut on the tractor, has a fuel measure gauge on the side of the spanner which you simply unscrew the cap and dip the spanner in the tank. I'm sure i'll find one soon.

My two classic Snap-on speed braces and my ferguson oil can.

Even my old oak work desk is going up in value, So if my writing is so terrible it makes nothing i'm still earning something while i'm sitting at it.

Antiques, ok here’s a funny one, you see I’m not overly interested in antiques. However, I do believe that today’s modern flat pack furniture is rubbish. So why spend £200 on a table that will be worth nothing in ten years’ time when you could buy an antique good quality solid oak table for £400 and in ten years’ time it will be worth £500. It’s also nicer to look at and I didn’t need to build it, Honestly i tried to build a desk once but i had no ikea. It’s also in keeping with my country cottage in the country side and i really should have tided it up before i took the photo. So you can invest in all aspects of your life from hobbies to furniture you need. I did want a grandfather clock for my hallway once however having gone to see them they were a little bit bigger then i thought. I would have had to cut a hole in the ceiling or a hole in the floor or about 2ft of the clock. I had a nice cuppa tea and a chat with a clock person and it ended in me buying a 150 year old grandmother clock which although isn’t quite as impressive as a grandfather clock is still rather nice to look at, it also has a lovely tick to it and it bongs the old stile bonging noise an old fashioned clock should bong. So I’m investing and improving my life and the environment in which I live all at the same time. You see you can’t go wrong and its far better than a clock made in China with the cheapest source of materials as cheaply as possible that probably won't last 150 hours.

Not quite a grandfather clock. But my Grandmother clock makes all the right noises.

Jewellery, well that’s not really for me and we could include that in the silver. However I did treat myself to an Omega sea master watch. That’s the one Pierce Brosnan made famous as 007, Although I haven’t found out how the laser works yet. I didn’t buy one new because they go down in value for a while then they start going up after 20 years or so. Mine is around 15 years old, very important to get one with the box and papers and again avoid unknown suppliers as the internet is full of fakes. With Rolex watches which I would love by the way so keep up voting the fraudsters are now copying the watch number from known Rolexs. So you could easily buy a fake watch with a real number that comes up on the Rolex web site. I was looking at a Rolex submariner with date a few months ago as I’ve got this thing where I’d love one the same year I was born. So for me I want a 1975 watch, and in good condition with box and papers if you can find one they are nearly double the price of a brand new one. I should also point out like the cars with a long waiting list some Rolex watches have a two year waiting list. So some people are buying them and then selling there position in the waiting list or buying the watch and selling it as new without having to wait but at a higher price. Easy way to make a profit and i have considered having a go, seeing as i actually want one it won't be to bad if i can't sell it.

Do try to bring this one back 007.

So there we have it, the best Investments are all around us and not just locked away in a bank volt or in a share certificate. They don’t just go up in value they can also make are lives more interesting, a better place to be or something to talk restore or reminisce about. It’s funny how some people think I’m rich when I’m not. I just don’t waste my money on the latest phone or gadget. Then if I really must buy a gadget I don’t go and buy the latest model when it comes out every few months. I earn my money driving a lorry, and i earn no more then the other lorry drivers doing the same job, it might be because I avoid loans or credit cards, it might be because I’m strict with myself financially. But it’s mostly because I try and buy things that are good quality and will last. Most importantly they will go up in value. Remember the age old saying, buy cheep buy twice. There are off course things like food or clothing in which there really isn't much possibility, unless you can get hold of Kylie Minogue's hot pants, which my lawyers have instructed me to under no circumstances talk about outside court. However there is an endless list of possibilities that are easily possible in everyday life. You just need to look for them. Just remember one thing, your health is your most important investment, although you can not put a price on it or sell it. Without it you have nothing and life can be miserable. So please look after yourself. Good friends is another, so investments that are fun and bring people together can be the most rewarding, just not in terms of money. Somethings don't go up in value, but they can create great friendships that are worth far more.

My car and train collection. In all honesty i don't think they will go up in value to much, but i love to look at them. My sisters kids love them to. Although i have to be careful as i'm sure little Harry would have cars jumping of a giant ramp and through a ring of fire if i left him alone with them long enough. still, its an investment and fun for me to show the kids. Its amazing just how much fun investments can be when you stop thinking about the money.

Hornby O gauge pre war clock work engine. A sure investment but to be honest i just love playing with it.

I'd like to thank you all kindly for taking the time to read my little blog and i hope the sun shines brightly on your weekend while your nipples remain voltage free. If you like what you've just read please don't forget to up vote my post, If you didn't like it but you made it this far then you might as well up vote it any how, If you would like me to be your financial adviser and your not scared of losing everything and living in the gutter then please up vote my post then send me all your money, If your strapped to a wooden chair and unable to reach the up vote button then i'll let you off. But just this once.

00 gauge hornby LNER 4472 A1 Flying Scotsman A4 Golden Eagle BR A1 peppercorn 60163 Tornado and 9F class 92220 Evening Star.