The Moneyball of the investment world

What do the Oakland A’s and the collectibles sector have in common? More than you’d think…

The parallels to the Moneyball book and film are astonishing.

The Oakland A's: Pioneers of a new type of baseball. Willing to think independently, to challenge traditional thinking, to look at the statistics and extrapolate the truth.

The old guard of baseball: Wary of change, unable to accept that the established way of running a baseball team was not necessarily the best way. Unwilling to believe the figures they had before them.

This is what the world of investment-grade collectibles often feels like.

It may sound pompous, but here at Paul Fraser Collectibles we like to think of ourselves as something of pioneers of investment, challenging the traditional view that portfolios are limited to stocks, bonds, and high interest savings accounts.

The A’s provided a fresh approach to baseball - the collectibles sector does the same for investment portfolios

In my 35 years in the business I have constantly come up against the traditionalists who pour scorn on the ability of the collectibles sector to provide regular financial gains.

The fact that I've made a very good living out of the sector proves them wrong. And there are thousands of others out there whose bank balances agree with me. You may be one of them. You may be one of them soon.

Study the stats

Some won't believe them. Some will ignore them. But for those willing to study the small data, just like the Oakland A's, there are gems to be found.

You'll probably be familiar with the PFC40 Autograph Index, which has tracked the 40 leading autograph investments since 2000. It's up 14.84% pa - far better than the leading stock markets during the same period.

Very impressive. But dig deeper and it gets even more exciting.

Fidel Castro: His autograph is up 22.20% pa since 2000 and currently valued at £2,950 ($4,540). His health is deteriorating. When he passes away, I fully anticipate a surge of interest in his collectibles, and the value of his signature to soar yet higher. Now is the time to buy. Click here for our Castro items.

Napoleon: 2015 will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 2021 will bring the 200th anniversary of his death. Huge commemorations will take place, raising his profile to a new level. His autograph has been steadily growing in value by 14.70% since 2000. Imagine what will happen over the next few years. View our Napoleon stock.

The Queen: The jubilee celebrations will be witnessed by millions around the world, boosting demand for her memorabilia. In September 2015 she is set to become Britain's longest serving monarch. She has presided over a time of turbulent British history. In short, she is becoming ever-more collectible, as the $11,390 paid for a pair of her bloomers earlier this month will testify. View our Queen memorabilia.

Let the sceptics be sceptical

In the early 2000s Billy Beane and his baseball team had to deal with the sceptics every day. And they were happy to do so, because while others laughed at their willingness to defy convention, the Oakland A's were winning baseball games.

As an investor in top-end collectibles you'll recognise the feeling. Let the sceptics be sceptical, I say - for as long as they are, there are more winning opportunities for those of us who know better.

Until next week,

Paul

Paul Fraser

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