The Chief Executive's liquid GB stamp investment portfolio
The most popular rare stamps from Great Britain provide safety in our time of need...
Dear Reader,
As a subscriber to our newsletters, you benefit from inside information on the stamp market.
As Chief Executive of Stanley Gibbons, I benefit from a wealth of knowledge and expertise at my fingertips.
Stanley Gibbons is unique...
We have been around for over 150 years. This history is where our unique experience in the market comes from. We have been around that long by sticking to our core trading principles (through good and bad times):
- Honesty
- Integrity
- Quality
I always ask our experts to check everything I offer before you see it.
When they tell me it's good too, I know I'm safe, and so are you.
Today, our GB Specialist buyer liked what I showed him. Read on...
Popularity = Liquidity
In the current economic climate, we are all struggling to find ways to preserve and grow our wealth. Many investors are looking for safety first, returns second...
In that vein, I decided to produce a portfolio of what I consider a safe investment in GB rare stamps.
I analysed our sales records over the past three years to see which rare stamps from Great Britain are the "best sellers", (i.e. those in consistent demand).
These are stamps consistently popular with collectors and consequently are most liquid. Popularity drives demand, which in turn drives increases in prices. This is simple economics – nothing clever.
Liquidity is important for a safe investment. I want something where I know I can find a buyer for in the future when I want to sell. So, stamps which have always been popular provide that safe vehicle.
Now there is an obvious contradiction here...
How can something which is rare be liquid?
This is where it gets exciting. The investment portfolio I offer today contains stamps, rare in the context that there is an insufficient supply to meet demand most of the time...
But... they are not so rare that too few exist to provide a meaningful market. We buy these stamps whenever we can, we just can't buy enough to meet demand.
Historic 10-Year return of 190%
What is so special about this investment though, is not only do you get safety, you can get double digit returns.
These are rare qualities to find in combination.
The portfolio contains stamps most collectors would recognise, but are sufficiently rare to provide the "scarcity" issue creating pressure on prices and long term investment returns.
You can view the 10-year historical performance of the liquid GB Portfolio below:
Click here
The portfolio consists of 10 rare but popularly traded stamps from Great Britain. The 10-year return of 189.5% equates to a compound annual return of 11.2%.
BREAKING NEWS: As I have been writing this, we have sold the first item that I was planning to include in the portfolio for £15,000. When you click the portfolio link, you will see that there are now only 9 items remaining.
Historic returns are, of course, no guarantee of future returns but, unlike many other assets, the stamp market does not show any material correlation with other markets.
What is perhaps more interesting is that in the past year the portfolio catalogue values have increased a staggering 21.9% during a year when most other asset classes faltered.
The graph below shows the growth in the GB Liquid Portfolio compared to other considered "safe" asset classes...
The traditional thing most investors do in hard economic times is convert assets to cash and hoard their money in the bank. Today, with low interest rates and banks in serious financial trouble, returns are low (less than a third that achieved in the GB Liquid Portfolio) and are no longer safe.
Next up is gold where the compound 10-year returns are similar to our GB Liquid Portfolio. But, returns are the most volatile and gold shows an inverse correlation to traditional asset classes creating a cyclical return pattern. Getting into gold at its current highs may not be the wisest decision to make.
And finally, good old bricks and mortar. House prices in the UK are falling at an annual rate of 12.4%, according to Nationwide. This is the largest ever annual decline even compared to the 1990's when prices fell 10.7% in one year. I would never recommend anyone invest in a falling asset class.
You can view this classic stamp collection on the following link:
The CEO's liquid GB Portfolio
It is a tangible asset that grows in troubled times. If you are looking for somewhere safe to put your hard earned money or want to protect your children's inheritance this is a perfect opportunity to do something creative.
Please contact our Investment Director, Adrian Roose today on:
+44 (0) 1481 708 277
email investment@stanleygibbons.co.uk
TOLL FREE from the USA 1 866 644 6146
This is a unique portfolio and we therefore have only one of them! First come first served as always...
Sincerely,
Mike Hall
Chief Executive
The Stanley Gibbons Group
PS. Although only one investor can "get in" on this portfolio, Adrian can put together alternative portfolios for you providing similar returns.