While it is sensible to keep your money in a savings account, the truth is that no matter how much you save, you’ll find it won’t grow, other than the tiny amount your bank will pay you in interest. If you have a nest egg sitting in your bank doing nothing, you should look at making your money work better for you and build for your future. There are so many choices for investors these days, and understandably the stocks that tend to command most attention these days are the big tech giants, industrials, financials and high street retailers. We all know who they are, they are the companies we hear about on the news, see on our mobile phones and laptops and their logos are often on the clothes we wear. However, when the economy dips these investments can often take a dive in value. It can pay to invest in something unconventional as not only can they net a windfall, but they also can retain their unique value when more traditional options sour. Here are 3 unusual industries you could invest in.
Whisky
Whisky is not just for drinking! Everyone knows about investing in gold, but why not invest in liquid gold? There is no doubt that scotch whisky is booming with interest increasing all over the world, particularly in the enormous Asian and African markets. Figures released by the Scotch Whisky Association (1) in early 2020 showed exports in 2019 reached a record £4.91 billion, which is 20% of all UK food and drink exports. Meanwhile there is clear evidence whisky is a great long-term investment; according to a 2019 wealth report by Knight Frank (2), whisky topped the league table of luxury investments over the last decade – growing a whopping 582%, with cars the nearest competitor with 258% growth. The way to invest is basic; you buy a collectible whisky, store it safely for a number of years, then sell at a profit. Profits on collectible whisky can be spectacular, for example, if you had bought a bottle of 18-year old vintage Macallan in 2015 at $25,000 US dollars you could have sold it for $61,000 in 2016. Fortunately, you can get involved in the action with far less investment than that – check out the Rare Whisky 101 index which will show you what’s currently doing well and then have a look at the many providers of collectible whisky, all available online.
Online Gambling
Many of us have bet on sport online or have played virtual casino games, but have you thought of taking a stake in the industry itself? The market has exploded over recent years, and the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in online gambling. People unable to visit the casino or the racetrack have gone digital to get their fix, and stay-at-home restrictions have led to people trying their luck online for the first time. In Britain, figures from Analytics Insight (3) revealed that online casinos had seen a 25% increase in people trying online slot machines during the pandemic, while online poker had gone up by 38%. Meanwhile, a September 2020 report from RESEARCHANDMARKETS (4) quoted figures from Global Poker which showed a 43% increase in the use of poker sites in the US since the beginning of the crisis in March. There are thousands of sites with the bonuses casino’s offer driving further appeal and the industry continuing to grow as more countries legalise online gambling and ever more people play on their mobile devices. There is certainly great potential for investors and buying stocks in these companies may be an excellent avenue to follow.
Comic Books
An easily overlooked yet potentially lucrative investment opportunity, people often dismiss comic books as something for kids. However, it is a business like any other, and thanks to big budget blockbuster movies for Marvel and DC, right now the industry is bigger than ever. 2019 saw record growth, with total sales in the US and Canada of $1.21 billion, up 11% from 2018. Comics are not only surviving, but are thriving – with new comics telling the stories of a multitude of characters publishing every month and many are worth investing in. Famously, back in 2010, a pristine copy of Action Comics No.1, where Superman first appeared, was found stuck inside a movie magazine. It sold at auction for $1.5 million – and while old comics with first appearances from the likes of Superman, Batman and Spiderman are extremely rare there is real money in relatively new comics – a new first issue or first character appearance can earn thousands a few short years of coming off the shelves. There are many strategies to follow; for example you can simply buy already expensive comics and hope the value increases further, or you can specialise on certain storylines or concentrate on buying comics featuring one character. They could then feature in a new blockbuster the value of your collection could increase. Whatever you buy, be sure they are bought and are kept in great condition - missing pages, poor print quality, loose staples and other defects will all sharply devalue a comic.
Rhys Hughes
Muve MM
Rhys Hughes
Muve MM