Many people look to the collectables and antiques market when they think of saving money and investing for the future. With inflation at five percent and Mervyn King still adamant that interest rates will stay at half a per cent, putting money in a savings account is a guaranteed way to watch it shrink.
There are more niche investment opportunities than ever before, especially when it comes to antiques, but many of the markets for watches, oil paintings, furniture and wine are saturated, they have become the preserve of wealthy, expert buyers and there is little room in the market for newcomers.
You might find a treasure trove of collectables that is much closer to home, however, in the shape of children's toys. The child toy collectable market has always been buoyant, but in recent years the advent of the internet and especially EBay has made it a very lucrative marketplace.
Toys of the 1970's and 1980's such as Action Man (or GI Joe, if you're reading this in America) are now demanding high prices from collectors. In some instances, buyers have offered up to £1,000 for figures that are in mint condition and still in the original packaging.
You might not have an Action Man, Barbie or Cindy in the attic, or if you do, the chances are it has seen better days, but don't let that put you off a potentially lucrative career in pop culture memorabilia and toys.
Try to gauge now which toys are likely to become the antiques of the future, the point of collecting isn't to buy and sell right now to realise a profit, that's dealing, which is a completely different practice. You need to have an eye for what is currently popular, zeitgeisty and what will be remembered in 30 years time, so figurines based around blockbuster movies and TV shows are probably a safe bet.
The laws of supply and demand will gradually work in your favour over a long period of time. An X Men or Buffy toy that is well looked after will accrue wealth because the million other toys like it will gradually become worn or thrown away, and as we all know, scarcity equals value.
Another good investment is the graphic novel market. If you are an avid graphic novel reader, if you buy comics by the kilo, then now might be a good time to turn your passion into your pension fund. Far too often people dismiss the idea of turning a hobby or passion into serious money, but more often than not there is investment potential in the most unlikely of interests.
The next time you buy a new Spiderman comic, buy a second as well, one for reading and one for keeping. Make sure you seal your comics in a clear film wrapper as air oxidizes paper over time, turning it yellow or brown, not an attractive product to eventually auction.
A comic alone is worth very little (unless it is extremely rare) but an entire series is a much more valuable commodity. So making sure that you have every issue, or if you are collecting Star Wars figures or football stickers, that you have a complete set. Being thorough now will pay off in the long run, think of it as a future pension scheme and you won't go far wrong.
James McHeggins is the lead content writer at JustRemortgages.com one of the UK's top sites for finding the latest remortgage rates and remortgage deals for our customers.
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