5 gifts that will grow in value
The average Brit spent £476 on Christmas gifts in 2020, a figure likely to grow in 2021. If you want to get creative, why not buy a gift that appreciates in value? Not only are you giving something special, you’re also investing in a loved one’s future…
1 TOYS & MEMORABILIA
Teddy bears have universal appeal, but for collectibles, look for Steiff bears. Cash in the Attic expert Jonty Hearnden suggests buying from the Twenties and Thirties, but these can go for £1,000 – bears produced in the Forties and Fifties may be £100. A great book to get you started is 101 Extraordinary Investments by Toby Walne, who advises that you buy the best condition you can afford. Unless the gift will be unused, buy a second, ‘cheaper’ version, as books and toys must be in mint condition for resale.
2
SIGNED FIRST EDITIONS
A signed first edition of JK Rowling’s Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone made £27,000 at auction – but to resell for profit, books must be in mint condition, with dust jackets. Jonty Hearnden suggests browsing antiquarian book shops to find earlier first editions of now-popular authors. Classic orange Penguin books can also prove a budget investment, as some are worth around £60.
3
AFFORDABLE ART
Movie posters look good on walls and make great gifts. Stick with originals, says collectibles expert Toby Walne. James Bond posters fetch 10 times their value compared to a decade ago, with ads for the first 007 feature, Dr No, selling for around £8,000. For smaller budgets, look for modern iconic movies, like
Toy Story,
or foreign examples of classics like
Gone With The Wind or
Casablanca,
which can sell for a few hundred pounds.
4 PREMIUM BONDS
Instead of giving cash or gift cards, investing in premium bonds could make your grandchildren millionaires. Anyone can buy bonds for children under 16, costing from £25. There are around three million prizes on offer in each month’s draw, from £25 up to £1 million. Winnings are tax free. Find out more at nsandi.com
5 WINE & WHISKY
You may need to spend a lot on investment wine, as it is best bought by the case (12 bottles). For individual bottles, a single malt whisky is a better bet. Spending £80 could turn a 20 per cent profit within 10 years. But forget blended whisky or ‘off-theshelf’ single malt. Toby Walne tips bottled whisky from distilleries that have ceased production, like Brora, Dallas Dhu and Glen Flagler. Visit whiskymag.com and thewhiskyexchange.com