This article published in our first LaBarre Newsletter was rather insightful in showing how the hobby was being expanded in the Winter of 1981.

Looking Ahead

In recent months, tremendous amounts of new, quality material have appeared on the stock and bond market.  All indications point to perhaps as much as a four-fold increase in the sheer quantity of rare and quality material that is surfacing.  Certainly one factor responsible for this remarkable increase, is the fact that the number of collectors, dealers, investors, and speculators has at least doubled in this country over the same period.  Since the number of participants in the field is not keeping pace with the huge quantity of superb material available for sale, overall market activity has slowed somewhat. To combat this imbalance, participants in the stock and bond field at all levels are needed.  This "recruiting" can be achieved via many avenues.  Education of the public at large to this area of collectibles, improved marketing techniques, more broadly-based advertising strategies, television exposure, increased publicity in the form of magazine and newspaper articles, new books on this fascinating and growing field and many others are a few of the myriad possibilities.

George H. LaBarre Galleries, Inc. firmly believes in the potential of this fledgling field, and is committed to its expansion and success. In upcoming months, our new Vol. 2 of Collecting Stocks and Bonds will be published. Plans have been finalized for mass catalog mailings to tens of thousands of current clients, as well as potential collectors, investors, and speculators among stockbrokers, bankers, financial advisors, and other investment-oriented individuals and groups. Our interest and commitment is further evidenced by this very publication, the "Stock and Bond Investment Quarterly," which we hope will be read, enjoyed, and utilized.  

Many others share this interest and commitment.  Half-a-dozen new dealers have joined the ranks and hung out their shingles for business in recent months.  At least three dealers are planning an auction and bourse during the first three months of 1981 alone.  Advertisements by individuals and dealers buying and selling stocks and bonds appear with increasing regularity in many antiques and collectibles magazines.  This list of examples goes on and on.

The stock and bond market appears poised on the brink of a new growth spurt following close on the heels of the plateauing evidenced in recent months. What conditions might affect this turnaround? One hypothetical scenario illustrates the point. Based upon past growth patterns, stock and bond devotees could easily double in number over the course of the next twelve months. Since the number of collectors, dealers, investors, and speculators is currently estimated at around 2500 in this country alone, any doubling would exert significant pressures on supplies, and push prices for rarities and investment-grade materials upward substantially.  Lower-priced items would increase as well. Large-scale involvement by even a handful of new dealers, major collectors, and investor/speculators could easily infuse several millions of dollars into the market in a very short period of time.  The effect this very real prospect would have on the market would be dramatic competition for quality material, increased demand, and sharply higher prices.

 

Attracting new participants to the field of stocks and bonds will continue to be a high priority for George H. LaBarre Galleries, Inc., in the future. We urge you to consider adding to your own portfolio while supplies and prices are at their present levels.

Originally Published and Printed by G.Labarre, The LaBarre Newsletter, Issue 1, Winter 1981

Comments or questions on this article click here