Mickey Mantle vs the Stock Market: Collectibles That Outperform Traditional Investments

Investing in collectibles can be volatile and incredibly enriching if you have the right trading card, comic book or action figure in mint condition. The rise and fall of the Beanie Baby investment bubble from the mid-90s into the early 2000s is an example of what can happen when you follow a trend too closely. There were even organized Beanie Baby theft rings.

There is risk in most investments except U.S. Savings bonds and U.S. Treasuries . Investing in stocks is risky but the risks can be measured and reflected in the price as the market can adjust quickly and absorb changing conditions.

A recent study by Casino.org explored alternative investments with higher annual return rates than the average stock. The study looked at the following factors: Release dates, retail prices, current values, annual return rates, and total growth. I was very surprised by some of the top valued collectible toys and not so surprised by the enduring value of Micky Mantle's 1952 Topps card.

The alternative investments that are outpacing the stock market

The study looked into the unconventional world of alternative investments, analyzing over 85 different collectible products. Their findings show that collectibles such as Hot Wheels and rare trading cards are quietly outperforming traditional investments in annual return on investments (ROIs).

Let's first take a look at the past decade of returns on some of the most common investments, according to Bankrate.com .

• Average annual return on stocks: 12.8%
• Average annual return on international stocks: 4.9%
• Average annual return on bonds: 1.4%
• Average annual return on gold: 3.4%
• Average annual return on real estate: 4.8%
• Average annual return on 1-year CDs: 0.42%

Here’s a look at the top 10 products that have seen the highest total growth in dollar value, turning modest initial investments into remarkable profits.

Here are the top 10 categories with the highest average annual return rates. New to the list: Hot Wheels and Funko Pop! dolls. Old stalwarts of the pre-Ebay collectible market such as trading cards, comic books and action figures continue to deliver.

I was surprised to see that collectibles such as Hot Wheels are generating increases in value similar to trading cards, and that they are delivering impressive returns.

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