Alternative Investments

  Watches (1999) Patek Phillipe Pocket Watch The most expensive watch sold in the 1990s was the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Supercomplication pocket watch, which sold for  $11 million  at Sotheby's in 1999. This watch is considered one of the most complex and intricate timepieces ever made, featuring 24 different complications, including a perpetual calendar, moon phase, and split-seconds chronograph. The watch was commissioned by banker Henry Graves Jr. in the 1920s and took eight years to make. The watch was purchased by Sheikh Saud Bin Mohammed Bin Ali Al-Thani of the Qatari royal family for his private collection. Most Recent Record Sale: $23.98M  (+117%  -  Sotheby’s, 2014)

  Comic Books (1997) First Appearance of Superman In 1997, a mystery buyer purchased Action Comics #1, the first appearance of Superman, for a record  $150,000  in a private sale. That buyer was eventually discovered to be actor and collector Nicholas Cage. The book, graded 9.0 by Certified Guaranty Company, was the highest publicly-graded copy known to exist. It is believed that only 5 copies graded 8.0 or higher are in circulation, and generally it is considered one of the most valuable comic books in the world. Most Recent Record Sale: $3.25M  (+2,066%,  8.5, Comic Connect 2021)

 Trading cards can be a great investment if you have the correct card and quality grade. Trading Cards (1996) The T206 Honus Wagner In 1996, a T206 Honus Wagner baseball card sold for  $640,000 , a world record card sale at the time - though it was never intended to be sold. As part of a promotion by department store Wal-Mart known as “The World's Greatest Trading Card Give-Away,” the card was given to one lucky participant as a free prize. The winner of the give-away, however, could not afford the taxes associated with it, and it ended up being sold at auction to a Chicago businessman. Most Recent Record Sale: $7.25M   (+1,032%,  SGC 3, Goldin, 2022)

  Dinosaur Fossils (1997) Sue, The Tyrannosaurus Rex In October 1997, Chicago’s Field Museum purchased Sue the Tyrannosaurus Rex at a Sotheby’s auction in New York City for  $8.36 million , with additional financing provided by the McDonald’s and Disney corporations. This was the highest price ever paid for a dinosaur fossil at the time and made Sue the most expensive dinosaur ever sold. Discovered in South Dakota in 1990 by fossil hunter Sue Hendrickson, it was one of the most complete and best-preserved Tyrannosaurus rex fossils ever found, and it was named in her honor. After the purchase, the Field Museum organized an exhibition of Sue, which opened in 2000, and has been one of the most visited exhibitions ever since. Most Recent Record Sale:  $31.8M  (+280%,  "Stan," Christie’s, 2021)

  Alternatives Investment - Luxury Watches Is luxury watches a Good investment? However, there is a “bigger picture” when it comes to investment models:  luxury watches are very valuable and that value can increase drastically over time . 5 Watches That Will Increase in Value Over Time Rolex Submariner. Rolex Submariner Tudor Heritage Black Bay. Tudor Heritage Black Bay. Rolex Explorer 2016. Rolex Explorer 2016. ... Omega Seamaster 300. Omega Seamaster 300. ... TAG Heuer Carrera. TAG Heuer Carrera.

Easy Money - savings Get a target rate from 4.53% to 8.00% with an Innovative Finance ISA or Regular account Invest in peer to peer loans backed by UK property - from one of Europe's best-known brands No investor has ever made a loss Ask to withdraw at any time - average over past 12 months: under one day Have your interest paid monthly Refer a friend - receive £50 each.  Terms apply Option of  tax-free interest  in an  Innovative Finance ISA Get FREE  easyMoney Plus membership  when you invest £1,000+ GET STARTED

  earlyinvesting.com Early Investing’s mission is to help its readers find the most promising investment opportunities outside the stock market. Our research is focused on two areas in particular: private startups and cryptocurrencies. We provide both educational material and recommendations on specific investments. With more than 140,000 readers and 40,000 subscribers, Early Investing is a leading destination for guidance in the alternative investment space. Helping our readers find promising private, early-stage startup companies has been a core focus of our business since 2013. Using our research and recommendations, readers have invested in some of the fastest-growing private companies in the world, including Spotify, Lyft, Dropbox and many more. We recommend startups that range from early stage (initial funding rounds) to later stage (more mature, but still private companies).

  crowdcube.com Whether you're a beginner or experienced investor, you can join our million-strong community investing beyond their property and pension by building a portfolio of startup, growth and venture-backed businesses with the potential to deliver significant returns. We’re excited to announce that we’re expanding into new markets across Europe, giving you greater access to an even more diverse range of businesses from across the continent. With dedicated new teams across Europe, we’re already in talks with a great pipeline of exciting businesses and will share news and updates as they launch in the coming months.

  crowd2fund.com Back British Entrepreneurs Potentially earn 6-15%* before fees, tax and bad debt, while helping people like Deborah grow their businesses.   We help entrepreneurs who have fast-growing British businesses to take the next step. Businesses that have proven success, a social or ethical cause, or can offer rewards are best suited to Crowd2Fund. 

  archover.com archover.com ArchOver is a member of the  Hampden Group . Hampden is a leading provider of financial and business support services and manages insurance assets and underwriting capacity in excess of £2bn. Hampden is both an investor in ArchOver (the company), and an active investor over the ArchOver platform, investing on the same terms as every other Lender. Risk Warning Lenders:   Your Capital is at Risk.  Interest payments are not guaranteed, if the Borrower defaults we offer no assurances that capital can be recovered. Historic returns and loan default rates are not necessarily indicative of future returns and future default rates. Lending over the ArchOver platform is not covered by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme. Borrowers:  In the event of default, ArchOver will seek to recover assets to the full value of the loan.

  AngelList https://www.angellist.com Invest deal-by-deal in world-changing startups Join leading investors funding the next wave of world-changing startups.

  NFTs had a great week, with our blue-chip index up 18% so far in 2023.   Say it quietly, but volumes are also up, with trading activity last week   double   the autumn 2022 lows:

  Premium Bonds vs savings accounts  This month the prize rate on Premium Bonds rose from 2.2% to 3%. The rate effectively outlines what sort of return you are likely to get if you have average luck.   However, this is not the same as an interest rate on a savings account. You are not guaranteed to earn a 3% return on your Premium Bond holdings - ultimately the return comes down to how lucky you are, so you could get a far better return, or you may never win a prize at all. National Savings & Investments (NS&I) , which runs the popular Premium Bond accounts, has revealed that the jackpot winners are from South Yorkshire and Wiltshire. Nearly five million prizes are being paid out this month, totalling nearly £300 million - a new record.

  Real, Rare, and Enduringly Desirable Trophy assets have three core characteristics… They’re real  – Think art, real estate, and luxury cars. But they can be digital, too. Think scarce cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin, and music royalties. They’re rare  – You can’t easily manufacture or mass-produce them. They’re enduringly desirable  – Trophy assets have a history of high demand from ultra-wealthy investors over the long term. And they’ve been bright spots lately. Stocks and bonds got crushed in 2022. But luxury watches and contemporary art delivered positive returns. You can buy a share in a Picasso, or a Basquiat, or a Rothko. Rally  is one of my favorite fractional investment platforms. It has more than 400,000 users. And it lets them buy shares of collectibles ranging from classic cars… to comic books… to dinosaur skeletons. And it’s already delivered triple-digit profits to discerning buyers. Twenty-seven of the collectibles trading on Rally have risen by...

A range of alternatives can be invested in, some are listed below.  Results of poll asking “What alternative investments have you got your eye on?” (multiple answers were allowed). qqq