I Beat the Market
Almost exactly 10 years ago, on my son's 5th birthday, I bought him some large scale (G-scale) trains and track. It was a logical present given that I have always been a model railroader myself, though with smaller scale trains (HO and now N) and a different approach (for example, I fabricated my own track rather than buying it).
Anyway, I bought 4 boxes of track from the leader in large scale, LGB, for $85 a box (I know because the price tag is still on the boxes). We used the track only lightly and indoors. Over the holidays, 10 years later, we decided to get rid of it. I almost just gave it way, but put it on eBay instead.
Well, apparently LGB went out of business, and its track is still very much in demand on eBay. I sold the boxes for an average of $200 a box. That is an annual return, even leaving out the use we got out of it, of 8.9%. Compare this to the 10-year return of the S&P500 index as of 1/2/09 of -1.4%. Can you say, "found money?"
