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Christmas gifts that grow in value

Some festive gifts are out of date by January but others can prove a future financial investment. Here's how to give a gift that grows in value.

By Sue HaywardUpdated: 15 October 2014

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MEMORABILIA AND TOYS

Teddy bears have universal appeal but for collectibles look for 'Steiff 'bears. Jonty Hearnden suggests buying from the Twenties and Thirties, but these can go for £1,000 although bears produced in the Forties and Fifties may be around £100.

How much should you spend?
There's no fixed price to guarantee a return so the rule is 'buy what you like', rather than trying to second guess what could turn a profit.

A great book to get you started is 101 Extraordinary Investments by Toby Walne. Buy the best condition you can afford. Unless the gift will be unused; buy a second 'cheaper' version as books and toys must be in mint condition for resale.

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FIRST EDITIONS OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS

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A signed first edition of ‘Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone’ made £27,000 at auction but to resell for profit, books must be in mint condition with dust jackets.

‘Cash In the Attic’ expert Jonty Hearnden (cashintheattic.com) suggests browsing antiquarian book shops to find earlier first editions of now popular authors.

Classic orange ‘Penguin’ books can prove a budget investment as some copies are worth £60.

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GOLD COINS

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The price of gold has now fallen in value after shooting up 400% in ten years; but Tomas Paterson from goldmadesimple.com says coins make a good long term investment.

He suggests Sovereigns or Krugerrands in 24 carat gold. These sell for around £250 for a quarter ounce version.

Avoid ‘gold bar’ vending machines where mark ups can be 30% compared with dealer rates of 5-7%.

For more information visit the World Gold Council website at gold.org.

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AFFORDABLE ART

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Movie posters look good on walls and make great gifts. Stick with originals, says collectibles expert Toby Walne; typically 30 x 40 inch, whereas prints are smaller.

James Bond posters fetch ten times their value compared with a decade ago with ‘Dr. No’ posters selling for around £8,000.

For smaller budgets look for modern iconic movies like ‘Toy Story’ or foreign examples of classics like ‘Gone With The Wind’ or ‘Casablanca’ which can sell for a few hundred pounds.

Try the Reel Poster Gallery website, reelposter.com.

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WINE AND WHISKEY

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You may need to spend a lot on investment wine as it’s best bought by the case, (12 bottles).For individual bottles; a single malt scotch is a better bet.

Spending £80 could turn a 20% profit within 10 years. But forget blended whisky or your ‘off the shelf’ ten year single malt.

Toby Walne’s tip is buying bottled whisky from distilleries that have ceased production like Brora, Dallas Dhu and Glen Flagler which boosts their collectible factor.

For more information visit whiskymag.com and thewhiskyexchange.com.

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