Your treasures: appraising value

If you are staring at your tchotchkes and thinking, “They are my retirement fund,” you may want to be better prepared by knowing if your treasured objects really are valuable. Collecting can be a fun hobby and worthwhile, but are you mistakenly presuming it to be a lucrative endeavor as well?

Amassing most collectibles is usually disappointing in the sense that your tastes are very subjective, personal, and simply decoration.

Keeping collectibles safe, in good condition, and insured requires your effort to objectively appraise their value. Surprisingly, collectibles have changed in value drastically over the years. The following graphic from a recent issue of Crain’s New York Business gives a snapshot of current yields.