It used to be that investors and traders were typically individuals with slicked back hair and expensive suits, shouting incomprehensible jargon into phones while surrounded by screens. Well, some do that, but nowadays lots of individuals do it with a few taps on a phone app.
Whether through crytocurrencies or strange shenanigans with Gamestop shares, the world of investing has changed a lot. One option, if you really want, is to put money into shares of gaming memorabilia, like the rare and incredibly expensive Nintendo World Championships Cartridge.
This is via a company called Otis, an investment vehicle that appears to live up to scrutiny. It utilises an app to allow investors to buy shares in a range of popular culture items, including various rare games, comic books, original sneakers, and even artwork by Banksy and others. Though investors are owning shares in real-world items they'll never 'own' the item alone, it's basically a trading tool tied to highly regarded pieces that are then preserved.
The mission statement is below.
Otis was born out of a passion for art and culture, as well as a belief that it’s possible to find meaning in every facet of life — including investing.
Out of that passion and belief came another conclusion: that investing in cultural objects like art and collectibles can be a financially savvy part of a diversified investment portfolio. The problem? Only the very wealthy could afford these assets. Until now.
Enter Otis, where we’re making the investment opportunities previously reserved for the few accessible to the many — all while building a museum-worthy collection, and making that collection free to view in spaces around the world.
The website has various documents and SEC accreditations, while the items themselves are in the possession of the company and put in free displays, primarily in New York at the moment.
It's part of the brave new world of micro-investments, it seems, and with examples like the NWC cartridges selling for six figures it's unsurprising to see initiatives like this spring up.
So, is this good for preservation and small investors, or perhaps you're not a fan of the concept? Let us know in the comments!
[source withotis.com, via ign.com]
Comments 20
What mug would invest in this scheme?
I don't think it is a bad idea, depending on the price per share and min. amount of shares you need to buy, if it helps to preserve art plus allow you to make a little extra money on the side. I'll take this any day, over teenagers making over $100,000 scalping consoles that cannot be easily purchased.
Can we please go back to the 90s.
Imagine if the cartridge gets accidentally destroyed and they just keep posting photos of it like "see, it's still okay!" Like Bridget in Death Stranding.
Honestly, this is starting to sound a lot like money laundering.
Now if you thought NFT's were bad, get a load of this
from an investment point of view this would be very risky to invest in
Six-figure investments for the masses. Finally!
Anyone got a few hundred k to
giveloan me tospendnet returns onbuying retro gaming swaginvesting in cultural assets?What are "crytocurrencies"?
At least they aren't pretending anymore.
you had a very similar article with pokemon tcg
@GrailUK even the early 2000s would be more preferable...
@Shadowmoon522 Yeah, would take that.
So it's basically like that Simpsons where Bart, Martin, and Milhouse jointly buy a copy of Radioactive Man #1 except you don't get to touch it or have the fun of trying to kill your co-owners.
Hate it when people are misinformed and misguided. It's not a "scheme", per se, but an opportunity
Yea, No. why would I invest in something that I can never even look at without paying money to fly to go see it? I’ll keep my money in stocks, at least that’s something that I’m insured for.
Luckily for me I own an official Grey NWC cart all by myself ..
Rare games are currently at an all time high and I got the feeling that we're entering a heavy recession in the upcoming years.
Investing in luxory goods like videogames seems like a terrible idea right now.
The other concern I have with this is that it's really hard to assess the value of a rare item when it isn't being traded. I assume it's gonna be unlikely that someone buys all shares and get the item, so most likely it's gonna be in possession of the company forever.
@dBackLash ..As an owner of an official Grey NWC Cart I can say I do not have any regrets in my decision to purchase one ,that being stated I have owned it for years before the price for one got exorbitant..And I might add I do not see the practicality of one buying “shares “of any collectible,including a NWC cart ..Because unlike a time share or some other such investment one can not make use of their partial “ownership “of a collectible ,as they could a time share ,etc ..Of course when the main “share “holder(s)decides to sell it everyone will benefit from the proceeds.But I doubt it very seriously that a company that as the primary share holder would “ship “the NWC cart to a smaller share holder when they want to play it ..After all games were /are meant to be played ..And that fact it being “slabbed “does not help the situation either ..So I think being a “share “holder for this ,or any other collectible is pointless ..Thank God I hold all of the “shares “for my NWC cart ,as well as all my other collectibles ..
I think this is an interesting concept and gives access to a new asset class for smaller share holders.
Are the shared openly traded on an exchange to provide liquidity? And does the company own multiple items or is each item housed in an individual company with its own shareholders?
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