Spotlight on 'bizarre' alternative investments

Children’s dolls, shrunken heads and punk rock artifacts are some of the more unusual options available to adventurous investors.

This is according to the Guardian, which highlighted the most ’bizarre’ elements of the alternative investment market in a recent article.

The newspaper notes that shrunken heads - macabre trophies originally brought back from South America by British explorers in the 1850s - became a sought-after investment in the mid-20th century and now change hands for approximately £5,000.

Meanwhile, vintage toys such as Barbie and Action Man remain a potentially lucrative investment, with the value of the latter growing by an average of five per cent annually over the last ten years.

In addition, the original Barbie doll now fetches about £8,000 if in her original box, having been sold for $3 (£1.70) when first introduced 50 years ago.

According to the publication, punk collectibles such as Sex Pistols tour posters can sell for as much as £3,000 at auction, while Vivienne Westwood’s iconic clothes from the era also offer investors an attractive return.

The Guardian recently identified wine as the best alternative investment of the last decade, noting that the returns from top vintages have ’far outstripped equities, gold and property’.
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