Soviet Christmas tree decorations have become a profitable option for investing money
When analysts give advice to Russians about increasing capital, they usually talk about stocks, bank deposits, buying gold bars or coins made of precious metals. Few people know that in the world there is a whole sphere of “non-traditional” investments in artifacts that, at first glance, are of dubious value. These include postage stamps, celebrity clothing, long-discontinued Lego models and much more. Russia has its own unique analogues of this kind of non-traditional investment. Member of the supervisory board of the Guild of Financial Analysts and Risk Managers Alexander Razuvaev told MK about them.
— One of the most interesting ideas for investment is Christmas tree decorations produced in the USSR, which did not make it into mass production. Today they can be sold for hundreds of thousands of rubles. They have long become collector's items. There are many thematic groups on social networks with thousands of participants who are trying to sell or purchase Soviet Christmas tree decorations. Their cost depends on the degree of preservation and uniqueness, that is, the smaller the circulation of such toys, the more interesting they become for collectors. Very expensive, for example, toys from the “Cipollino” and “Pushkin’s Fairy Tales” collections produced in the late 1950s. The price of the toy itself from “Cipollino” starts from 120 thousand rubles, and then it’s up to you to negotiate with the seller.
— In my opinion, if you still have such Christmas tree decorations from your parents or grandparents, then you should not sell these toys right now — of course, unless there is some immediate need for money. Soviet toys are no longer produced, so the demand for them will be stable and they will become more expensive in the long term. In addition, there is a new trend: preserving toys for future generations. Russians now really appreciate the beauty and quality that characterized Christmas tree decorations of the Soviet period. In 1992, the USSR collapsed, and with it our happy, without any quotes, Soviet childhood went away. Every year, more and more people, through the purchase of such Christmas tree decorations, try to feel nostalgic about a country that no longer exists. There are collectors who are willing to pay 300–400 thousand rubles for them.
— Yes, I have my own collection and I’m not going to sell them yet. But I came to the conclusion that this could be a profitable investment in the future after an interesting incident with a former classmate. Several years ago he wanted to take Soviet Christmas tree decorations to the trash heap, but I dissuaded him from doing so. Like, if you have children and grandchildren, you can show them and rejoice together. We recently chatted over the Internet, and he thanked me for that advice, saying that now Soviet Christmas tree decorations are a fortune. The question intrigued me, and I decided to study the topic. The fashion for Soviet Christmas tree decorations began in the last 6-7 years. Now there are a lot of groups on social networks on this topic, and some already have thousands of participants.
— A completely festive investment idea is investing in wine. Few people realize that wine is not only a joy for the soul and a warm, friendly conversation, but also an opportunity to increase their savings. And now it is available to everyone: there is even a corresponding application for smartphones. The global market for collectible wines is estimated at 4–6 billion euros. The advantages of investing in wine are good returns. This hobby, under certain circumstances, can become a tangible addition to the family wallet, give a pleasant lifestyle, become an inexhaustible topic for conversation with friends, which will change your entire destiny, without any exaggeration.
— No more than other investment properties. First, the price of wine may fall if it goes out of fashion. Secondly, you can run into scammers and buy a fake. Thirdly, wine requires special storage conditions. But if you don’t want to deal with all this, then you can do it simpler: on the Moscow Exchange you can buy shares of a famous Russian wine producer with a century and a half history. Of course, this is not a blue chip from the energy or telecommunications sector, but as a New Year's gift it is not a bad idea.