Tuesday

Alternatives to Investing in Stocks

Alternatives to Stock Market Trading - Signed Books and Illustrations

Investing in Stocks for Beginners is all well and good, but you may be looking for something a bit less volatile or a bit more tangible that stocks and shares. Books and illustrations can be very interesting if you can buy them at the right price - to paraphrase Warren Buffett - It's far better to buy a wonderful investment at a fair price than a fair investment at a wonderful price.

(Rare Maurice Sendak Where the Wild Things Are up for Auction)
Maurice Sendak Where the Wild Things Are Auction
With that in mind there may be some 'fair investments' on offer at the auction being organised by Bloomsbury auctions  - on Wednesday 9th December at 2 p.m. - at 6 West 48th Street, New York for Original Illustrations and Fine Illustrated Books. The auction includes works by Dr Seuss, Maurice Sendak, Tom Feelings, A A Milne (Winnie the Pooh), Beatrix Potter, Roald Dahl and many others. Estimated prices range from a few hundred dollars to $40,000, so there should be something for everyone.

You don't have to go to New York of course, you can bid online (you need to register first, see the link above), but if you are in New York you can view the works on offer on Saturday December 5, 10 am- 3 pm - Monday December 7, 10 am- 5 pm - Tuesday December 8, 10 am- 5 pm - Wednesday December 9, 10 am- 1 pm - Or by private appointment

In Bloomsbury's own words "The sale will showcase important works from the Golden Age of Illustration to the present day. It will commence with the artistic estate of award winning African American artist Tom Feelings (who) worked as a freelance illustrator of children’s books for over thirty years. ... Among the highlights of the sale is the entire collection of Feelings’ seminal 1996 work The Middle Passage ($250,000-$350,000).

Also offered for auction are Maurice Sendak’s original designs for the Wild Things Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloon ($40,000-$50,000) and watercolors by William Steig for the original Shrek! ($15,000-$20,000)

Fine illustrated books include rare Oz titles, Winne the Pooh by A. A. Milne and a privately printed edition of The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter, plus limited edition Rackhams and numerous autographed picture books. Books and letters signed by Roadl Dahl. A 1957 first edition of the Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss with the dust jacket and the price of 200/200 plus a second edition (est. $5000 to $8000)

Plus plenty more - there are 365 lots in all and if you want to bid online you will need to register first. Signed and first edition books can be a good long-term investment.

Alternatively you might want to have a look through your old books to see if you've got the original edition of Dr Seuss's Cat in the Hat as described above - it will be worth a few thousand dollars.

Property is also a wise investment and France is a god place to consider as property tens to be not quite so expensive as in some other countries, especially if you get outside of Paris, in places such as the Loire Valley for example, which is famous for its chateaux but which also has some fine houses on offer.

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