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]
