Today's Wall Street Journal (p. W1) has an article that you may want to read soberly:
"The New Investment Vehicle: In an booming classic-auto market, collectors are driving up prices for '60s Muscle cars, VW vans -- even early SUVs"
Now, there are lots of ways to read any such article, but the reason I call it out is that parts may be applicable to our hobby and Cause, too. Basically, as I read it, the recent boom in these things is caused by folks now in collecting years (40s and 50s (?)). These cars are what we lusted for as 20 year olds. That's fine, that's why some of us buy Cinellis, Masis, Paramounts &c. But wait, there's more: the article notes that many older cars, really beloved classics (Cords, Packards...) have fallen substantially in value, with the retirement and passing of the generation of collectors who had lusted for them when they were young.
To me, the take-home lesson is to buy what I can afford, for my own pleasure. I can't afford to fantasize that eventually selling them would fund a big chunk of retirement or even one heck of a party after I'm gone. I think they're wonderful to own, work on, and ride, but investments? Any one want to buy some Enron stock? Special Dutch Tulip Bulbs? Brooklyn Bridge? (Actually, I'm even more conservative than this, generally prefering "riders" to Museum-quality NOS or restorations. After all, Museums prefer to acquire through donations, with purchases considered a distinctly inferior alternative. :-)
Harvey Sachs
mcLean VA