# Investment Blunders



## ehanes7612 (Mar 9, 2012)

curious to know people's stories on investment blunders not related to orchids

My story: as a kid i collected comics ..i had every amazing spiderman from 7 to 300 ..i also had ten copies of wolverine number one (for some reason i knew this would be a great investment)..well, in 1983 i sold my entire spiderman collection for 200 dollars and somehow lost the wolverines .. in 1985 , i visited a comic store just for old times sake and noticed that many issues of spiderman had increased in price by seven to ten fold (just two years later). This was because of Frank Miller (new direction in art) and the Venom series (about the time i stopped collecting comics because i didnt like the new direction)..also, that wolverine number one comes in at 600.00 now


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## tim (Mar 9, 2012)

I spent thousands on baseball cards in the mid 1980s-1990s, all of which are now worth less than the cardboard they are printed on. I had a great time finding new things, and collecting specific players, particularly my collection of 350+ roger clemens cards. big asterisk there... lol.


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## Lanmark (Mar 9, 2012)

Back in 2008 I listened to the old adage of "invest for the long haul" and followed the advice of my financial advisor. I didn't sell off fairly significant stock holdings in a certain large bank when given the opportunity even though I felt it would be prudent to do so. The bank nearly failed, stock values crashed, dividends plummeted, and soon this bank was swallowed up by another bank for mere pennies on the dollar. It was a classic "take-under" where the purchase price was far below the market value of the target company. End result: I have a *LOT* less money today than I did just a few years ago.  Diversification over the years is the only thing that saved my ass, but losing large chunks of money such as I did was a cold, hard, disastrous slap of reality which hurts to this very day.


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## Justin (Mar 9, 2012)

I think i actually have a wolverine #1 somewhere. Need to dig that up...

Before i got the orchid bug I collected record LPs...I still have my collection. I have some very valuable punk records...remember thinking an $800 record was beyond reach. I laugh when i think about that compared to how much the orchid hobby costs.


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## ehanes7612 (Mar 9, 2012)

Justin said:


> I think i actually have a wolverine #1 somewhere. Need to dig that up...
> 
> Before i got the orchid bug I collected record LPs...I still have my collection. I have some very valuable punk records...remember thinking an $800 record was beyond reach. I laugh when i think about that compared to how much the orchid hobby costs.



people pay a lot for vinyl these days...i know a lot of electronic music djs who are vinyl purists


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## NYEric (Mar 9, 2012)

Hmmm... I collect comics, vinyl, and orchids!


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## Paphman910 (Mar 9, 2012)

Which Wolverine is worth $600.00?

Paphman910


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## Justin (Mar 9, 2012)

I think it's the Frank Miller one from 1982. Turns out I don't have that one, i have #1 from the 1988 monthly series. Oh well.


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## Paphman910 (Mar 9, 2012)

I use to have that one!

Paphman910


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## ehanes7612 (Mar 9, 2012)

Justin said:


> I think it's the Frank Miller one from 1982. Turns out I don't have that one, i have #1 from the 1988 monthly series. Oh well.



Yep but of course in mint condition


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## Lanmark (Mar 9, 2012)

Oh, I collected gemstones for several years too.  Actually, I have several rather nice ones but several more which turned out to be overpriced aquarium gravel. :rollhappy: Oh well...

I've been thinking about selling off the good ones.


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## biothanasis (Mar 10, 2012)

I use to colect phonecars. Not buying them myself, I took what I usually found left (disinfecting them at home...lol...) or given by friends etc... I also have a collection of many post stamps, obtained by letters etc sent to me. This collection is gradually growing... 

I also got a small collection of gemstones, but stopped it, as I do not have something to display them on.... and some can be very expensive....


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## Ray (Mar 10, 2012)

My absolutely worst investment ever was my first orchid, back in 1973. It has led me to pour SO MUCH cash into that strategy, that I'll never recover.

Not that I'm not enjoying it.


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## likespaphs (Mar 10, 2012)

lava lites


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## Clark (Mar 10, 2012)

I've had some bad dates.


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## cnycharles (Mar 18, 2012)

lately what comes to mind was the front wheel bearing that didn't last a year...


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## jtrmd (Mar 18, 2012)

Over the years I've collected Baseball Cards, comics, vinyl, and now orchids!I have a bunch of Baseball cards in the attic(since I am back in the house I grew up in since the parents passed,and I dont know why they didnt throw them out),and I doubt they're worth the time and gas taking to one of the only Baseball card shops around.The comics and vinyl went years ago to make room for a GF's clothes in the closets they were taking up.I dont know how the Orchids are going to go yet.


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## Eric Muehlbauer (Mar 18, 2012)

My father had only been in this country a short time and was in the process of establishing his physician's practice. It was the early 1940's. A colleague asked him if he'd care to invest in a pharmaceutical company...it would be about $1000 or so. My father couldn't chance taking a risk like that, so he declined. The company was Pfizer. They held the patent on penicillin. If my father had only invested!!!!!!


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## orcoholic (Mar 19, 2012)

I have all my money invested in my checking account.


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## tocarmar (Mar 19, 2012)

All my money goes in one hand & out the other it doesn't even make it to a checking account..


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