Combined investment will cause Golden Age (Collectors) to explode 3 3

[valiantman]

Just now, batman_fan said:

1 minute ago, valiantman said:

I want a 24/7 digital trading platform.  RallyRd doesn't have it.

So you will wait till then and if they never have it not put any money into it?

I'll put an appropriate amount into RallyRd for me based on what they do offer, similar to every other investment and investor in existence, somewhere between zero and one beeeeellion dollars,

[batman_fan]

3 minutes ago, valiantman said:

I'll put an appropriate amount into RallyRd for me based on what they do offer, similar to every other investment and investor in existence, somewhere between zero and one beeeeellion dollars,

I was wondering if the 24/7 was A nice to have or a must have. 

[valiantman]

1 minute ago, batman_fan said:

I was wondering if the 24/7 was A nice to have or a must have. 

Similar to the preparation of beef, they're currently offering me a hamburger and I'd like a medium rare filet.   I'm in RallyRd for hamburger money.  I'll even go so far as to reveal that I own 10 of the 8,500 shares of this... which I purchased for $10.

I'm now prepared to be pilloried by the masses for not turning that $10 into $10,000 by flipping Bronze Age keys instead.

[PeterPark]

1 hour ago, sfcityduck said:

When was the MPFW sale?  I missed that one.  Details please.  Or was this just the OPG moving up a price without supporting data?

This is in the section where Overstreet lists the top books from each age and how their assessment of market value (I believe in 9.2) has changed year over year. I'm not saying their prices are correct this year or last, but it gives some idea of the expected annual increases of key books. Most were significantly lower than that. And when it comes to investing in a portion of a comic like you would a stock, the important thing is the percentage increase, not the overall dollar increase. I think Action 1 was something like 11%. I don't think these values are based on sales but perceived value. Of course, you'd need the comic to exist in that grade and be sold to see the gains from the Rally Rd idea, as I understand it. But percentage-wise and in the amounts people are looking to "invest", the better opportunities are in newer books. And when buying newer books, a lot of times the amount invested in these GA keys would allow the purchase of one or multiple copies of these other books. Some of these are very rare as well, so while Gobbledgook 1 or 2 might increase a lot year over year, good luck getting your hands on one. That's a market cap issue and it is serious when it comes to many an esoteric desirable issue. But this road goes very quickly into speculative practices that history has shown are not particularly kind to this hobby. If that is your game, I would stick to arbitrage opportunities and cash out right away.

[batman_fan]

5 minutes ago, valiantman said:

Similar to the preparation of beef, they're currently offering me a hamburger and I'd like a medium rare filet.   I'm in RallyRd for hamburger money.  I'll even go so far as to reveal that I own 10 of the 8,500 shares of this... which I purchased for $10.

I'm now prepared to be pilloried by the masses for not turning that $10 into $10,000 by flipping Bronze Age keys instead.

I won’t rag on you for it. 

[N e r V]

Since I do have some vintage car collectors in my family the general view has been that Rally Rd  is just another scam. The clip below kind of sums up a similar feeling we are seeing on the boards.

“So what do people think about the concept of fractional classic car ownership? “When you look at Rally Rd. strictly in investment terms, there are probably better ways to make money,” Brian Rabold, Hagerty’s vice president of valuation services, says. “But it really democratizes the opportunity to invest in cars. You don’t need to be able to pay $60,000 to buy a car; you can get in for $60.”

One obvious drawback, he says, is the lack of physical ownership—a sentiment echoed by many in the enthusiast community.

“The coolest thing about these cars as investments is that you have a tangible thing you can take out and show and enjoy and meet people with,” he says. “The downside of this fractional ownership model is that you miss out on the best parts of the ownership aspect.”

 

As my cousins commented about them before it’s an opportunity for you to help finance someone else’s collection. Reading up on  how easy it is to get in and difficult to get out isn’t exactly a great selling point either. Read some of their auto offerings reviews. 

[valiantman]

1 minute ago, N e r V said:

As my cousins commented about them before it’s an opportunity for you to help finance someone else’s collection. Reading up on  how easy it is to get in and difficult to get out isn’t exactly a great selling point either. Read some of their auto offerings reviews. 

Is it fair to say that your cousins would be interested in the shared ownership concept if someone other than RallyRd was doing it with a 24/7 digital trading platform and better business methods, or are they against the idea of two people (much less 2,000 people) owning a valuable car if it stays in a showroom/warehouse they can never visit?

[batman_fan]

I am definitely not the target market for their services. My investment strategy is more traditional and boring, directed stocks, mutual funds, and direct real estate. For collecting, I like to physically hold the item in hand. I would (and have) gone in with others on buying collections but have typically taken my “profits” as books from the collection. 

[adamstrange]

2 hours ago, valiantman said:

Is it fair to say that your cousins would be interested in the shared ownership concept if someone other than RallyRd was doing it with a 24/7 digital trading platform and better business methods

Here's an amazing stat:  every single one of these "opportunities" I've run across has turned out to be run by the worst sort with a one-sided business plan.

[valiantman]

1 minute ago, adamstrange said:

2 hours ago, valiantman said:

Is it fair to say that your cousins would be interested in the shared ownership concept if someone other than RallyRd was doing it with a 24/7 digital trading platform and better business methods

Here's an amazing stat:  every single one of these "opportunities" I've run across has turned out to be run by the worst sort with a one-sided business plan.

Not surprising.  Everything works in theory.  People are the worst.

[Professor K]

I think if that were to happen yes there would be an intitial BOOM the first time around for each major key. After that I think they may wind up right back where the supply/demand market wants it to be.

 

[N e r V]

2 hours ago, valiantman said:

Is it fair to say that your cousins would be interested in the shared ownership concept if someone other than RallyRd was doing it with a 24/7 digital trading platform and better business methods, or are they against the idea of two people (much less 2,000 people) owning a valuable car if it stays in a showroom/warehouse they can never visit?

They build race cars but own more than a few million dollar + vehicles. My uncle is a Ferrari collector as well. When you first posted about Rally Rd I didn’t make the connection that it was the same company that they had talked about. I can’t speak to what they are doing in comics now but just pointing out they are controversial in the vintage vehicle market to say the least. I read some reviews previously on how easy it was to buy in but hard to get out. There are reviews posted online about them. 
 

Their market in vintage autos is said to be more for the wanna be’s than serious investors. The guy that could never afford a Ferrari but can try and impress some chick or friends by saying he owns a piece of one. 
 

I’m not saying they haven’t made money by doing it either but it’s (generally) a certain type of investor that goes for this.

Thats their auto side though so I’m only commenting on that right now. I’m not familiar how their comics side is working other than what you or others have posted so far...

[N e r V]

1 hour ago, batman_fan said:

I am definitely not the target market for their services. My investment strategy is more traditional and boring, directed stocks, mutual funds, and direct real estate. For collecting, I like to physically hold the item in hand. I would (and have) gone in with others on buying collections but have typically taken my “profits” as books from the collection. 

Oh come now, if they offered you shares in the Bat-mobile you know you’d be falling all over yourself to give them money for shares, eh Batman fan...

[batman_fan]

1 minute ago, N e r V said:

Oh come now, if they offered you shares in the Bat-mobile you know you’d be falling all over yourself to give them money for shares, eh Batman fan...

Only if I could buy it outright but the real question is how to get my wife to dress like Robin when we drove it 

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

[PeterPark]

2 hours ago, onlyweaknesskryptonite said:

I don't understand what this is. It is a replica from the TV show? Meaning another car, not related to the TV show, made to look like it was the model on the show? Thank you Boba Fett and Screech for signing my Batmobile! 

[fifties]

Of course it's a replica.  My son works in security at a Warner Bros warehouse in Sun Valley, where the real Batmobile is in storage.

[Aman619]

Doesn’t the dentist own the real/best bat mobile.?

[onlyweaknesskryptonite]

Since we wandered off on expensive exotic cars and fraud add a dash of Florida Man and someone who obviously didn't know he could have invested in fractional shares..

[N e r V]

8 hours ago, Aman619 said:

Doesn’t the dentist own the real/best bat mobile.?

 

8 hours ago, fifties said:

Of course it's a replica.  My son works in security at a Warner Bros warehouse in Sun Valley, where the real Batmobile is in storage.

 

In the late summer of 1965, an all-new Batman TV series was gearing up, with Dean Jeffries hired to build a Batmobile for the show. When the show's production schedule was moved up, Jeffries had to pass on the job, which then went to custom car builder George Barris. With merely three weeks to build the car, Barris decided to use the Ford Motor Company's abandoned Futura concept car as a basis for what would go on to become one of the most famous cars in the world.

The Futura worked perfectly as a Batmobile, as it had many "bat" features built into the design already, such as the long fins and bubble canopies. According to Barris, he further enhanced the theme by converting the nose into an integrated bat mask, a first for the car. He also opened the wheel wells, and modified the Futura's fins into subtle bat wings by extending their leading edges into the doors and scalloping the trailing edges. Once bodywork was complete, the car was painted gloss black with red trim to accentuate the various lines of he car. Three replicas were eventually built by Barris' shop for promotional and exhibition purposes.

The car featured an impressive array of bat-gadgets. In addition to the "atomic turbine engine" (the car was actually powered by a blueprinted Ford V8), the car had a nose-mounted chain slicer, lasers, rockets, an on-board telephone, radar, dash monitor, on-board computer, and police beacon. If needed, the Batmobile is capable of a quick 180° "bat-turn" thanks to two rear-mounted 10' parachutes, and the it is equipped with a smoke emitter and a nail spreader to discourage pursuit. Some changes were made during the run of the series, including different license plates, a change in steering wheel, and the addition of extra gadgets such as the rear-facing camera and battering ram.

In 1979, the car briefly returned to the screen for the nearly forgotten Legends of the Superheroesshow. The Batmobile had gone through several more changes in the years since Batman ended. Most notably, the gloss black paint had been replaced with a flat black flocking, dubbed the "bat fuzz." An array of new and unidentfied gadgets had been added, as well as extra antennas, placards, mirrors, a new seering wheel, and spoked "Euro" wheels. The only subtraction from the car was the bat logos, now absent from both doors.

Today, the #1 car has been returned to its gloss black finish, though many of the extra gadgets remain in place. A tribute to its popularity, it set a world record on January 19, 2013 when it sold at the Barrett-Jackson auction for USD$4.2 million. Along with this fan recognition, its influence continues in Batmobile designs today and is considered by many to be the Batmobile.

Claim: George Barris/Barris Kustoms built three Batmobile replicas.

Status: True

Origin: NOTE: this is going to be the "Reader's Digest" version of things, so if you'd like the detailed account (complete with tons of photos) you should head over to 1966Batmobile.com.

It's no secret that Barris was not only responsible for the original Futura-to-Batmobile conversion, but for a number of replicas as well. It was even stated specifically in his contract that "...BARRIS is authorized to construct such copies of the Batmobile vehicle as FOX and GREENWAY may approve..." The problem is that the exact number of replicas was not stated in the contract, and several factors over the years have led to an inflated number of Barris-produced Batmobiles, as high as seven cars by some counts.

First, a little background on the replicas. They were created in November '66, when requests for local appearances were pouring in from all across the country thanks to the show's popularity. The producers were eager to accept as many requests as possible, which was impossible for a single car that was already committed to duty as an on-screen presence. So a few "stand-in" cars had to be created. The replicas were created by making a mold of the #1, then using that to make fiberglass copies to be mounted on extended Ford Galaxie frames. Because of the way they were built, the cars share a number of features. For example, all three have tilt noses, limited interior detailing, and non-functioning trunk lids. At the same time, there are enough differences between them to make each car unique:

• The first replica, known as the "#2" car, was powered by a 390 V8 and had neither exterior door handles nor headlights. Its beacon was a cylindrical unit with 8 slats, and it originally had a red/red light set on the canopy arch. It is currently owned by Dr. Dave Anderson of Virginia, USA.

   

• The #3 car was also powered by a 390 V8, though it had a manual transmission at first that was changed over to an automatic to match the other cars. It has both headlights and exterior door handles, but the door handles are for show only. It has a 12-slat cylindrical beacon and its canopy arch light set was originally amber/red. For several years it was missing its rear canopy, but has since been restored and is now part of the Pat Hart Collection in Washington, USA.

   

• The #4 car was the dragster, and was specially modified for speedway exhibitions. It was powered by a 427 V8, and had non-functioning exterior door handles but no headlights. Its beacon and arch lights were a near match for the #3, though the order of the lights was reversed to red/amber. This was likely the only replica used in an episode of Batman, before it was modified for drag racing. These modifications include a drilled rear canopy (to prevent blowout) and a longer exhaust nozzle for the afterburner. It is currently owned by Doug Jackson of California, USA.

   

Any and all other replicas built since then are the products of customizers outside of Barris' shop. The most famous one, often called the "#5," has been the subject of much speculation over the years. It was a steel-bodied replica of the car built from a '58 Ford Thunderbird by Jim Sermersheim, who was bringing the car to local shows. The car was seen at one of these shows by Michael Black, one of the men who worked on the original Futura conversion. According to Black, he contacted Barris as soon as he saw the car, and shortly thereafter two Marshals arrived and seized the car. However, there have also been stories that the arrangement was far more friendly, and Barris either bought the car from Sermersheim or they otherwise worked out an agreement that allowed Sermersheim to keep his car for a time. Regardless of what happened during that period, the car eventually came to be owned by Barris, and was stored at his shop exposed to the elements for a number of years. The car was eventually sold to Bob Butts, who fully restored the car and sold it to Mrs. Scott Chinery in 1989.

The number of changes made to the cars over the years has added to the confusion: during the 1970s, many details & gadgets were changed or added to the cars, most notably the #1. These substantially changed the appearance of the cars (as did the velvet-like "bat fuzz" and subsequent restorations), leading people to believe that there were more cars. But, through it all, there were really only four "official" Barris-produced cars: the #1 Futura conversion, and the three fiberglass replica exhibition/show cars.