Dear Resellers,

People who want to involve on this Auction for profit or financial gain reason only are welcome ! Collectibles or Personal Collections is actually an investment instrument which is almost the same with other investment instruments such as: Stocks, Bonds, Property & Real Estate, commodities, etc.

Collectibles or Personal Collections naturally will increase its economic value when:

1. The original owner (Seller) become more well known compare to the time when you bought his/her collection. For example, when the time you bought his/her collections, there are only 1000 people know about him/her. Years after that, when the time you want to sell his/her collection, there are about 1 million people know about him/her, the selling price naturally will be much more higher than the acquisition price.

2. The original owner (Seller) makes higher and higher achievement on his/her life. Achievement parameters are different to each profession. For a Singer or Movie Star, his/her collections will increase in value when he/she receive Award, compare to before he/she receive that award. For a businessman, his/her collections will increase in value when he/she become more successfull in his/her business. For a scientist, his/her collections will increase in value when he/she invent something new in this world or he/she receive Nobel Prize Award. The more The Original owner (Seller) makes achievement on his/her life, the more his/her collections will increase in value.

3. No matter number 1 and 2 above happen, naturally collectibles or personal collections will increase its value by time. The older the collections you have, the more its value will be. it is called Historical Value.

on the contrary, Collectibles or Personal Collections will decrease its economic value when:

1. You have made a major damage to its physical existance. So, you have to keep any collections you bought very well. If you do not have a safe place at home or office to store it, rent a deposit box.

2. You can not prove the Authenticity of your collection. It can happen when you lose the Certificate of Authenticity which will be provided for each item.

Nowadays, Collectibles become almost as liquid as other investment instruments because of internet and online auction such as www.ebay.com . Thanks to Mr. Pierre Omidyar who has founded www.ebay.com !  There are also more prestigious auction house such as   www.christies.com or www.sothebys.com . Someday, you could auction collections you bought from me on those prestigious auction house, not now :-)

Now, I will give you a comparison study between Collectibles and Stocks at Stocks Exchange. This is based on my point of view and experience, so it will be very subjectives and still can not be proved scientifically. Please see the Resellers Diagram below.   You could also find a better quality picture of this diagram at  http://roby-widjaja.spaces.live.com/photos/ , with album name: Resellers Diagram. When the first time I (Seller) sell my collections at eBay, it almost like Initial Public Offering (IPO) of a company's stock at stocks market. When the time the buyers trade my collections to other next buyers, it almost like After initial Public Offering (IPO) phase of a stock at Stock market. 

My suggestion, for your own investment portfolio health, 

1. Do not buy collectible using loan money, or short term money (the money that you will need it for other purposes within 5 years horizon).

2. Do not use more than 10% of your investments nest egg to invest in Collectibles. Except you are a true Antiques or Arts collectors, it will be ok to use more than 10% of your investments nest egg to buy Collectibles, because True Antiques or Arts Collectors buy collections for hobby and pleasure purposes more than profit purpose.

Well, I do hope all of you, potential resellers are also learning from other sources about the behaviour of collectibles as investment instruments. The more you understand the behaviour and character of an investment instruments, the more you will have better investment strategy and win !

One more thing, a company could be bankrupt and so is the stock, but collectibles will have no bankruptcy experience.

Buying stocks is not just buying a number on the Stock Exchange computer screen, but you are also buying portion of ownership of the company. So is collectibles, you are not just buying a "thing" , but you are buying a history of the owner, the witness of the history of the owner, and the hope of the owner.

When you buy stocks, of course you are going to monitor the company's performance periodically. So is collectibles, you are going to follow the news about the owner. You will feel and experience what the owner feel and experience. If the owner happy, sad, success, fail, etc , you will feel and experience the same thing. You will got share of the owner's glory too. The more glorious and successful the owner will be, the higher value of collection you have bought will be, and the more financial gain you will earn !  

I will always posting my personal news on this Blog. It just like a company posting its financial report quarterly at Stocks Exchange :-)

No insider trading please !

Happy Investing and Trading !

Sincerely,

Roby Widjaja.