Fair points, Jeff. i am particularly hostile to Wall Street but i see little else out there. All assets have their ups and downs, pros and cons.
I invest in the usual stuff but also in cards....but in the latter only with the proceeds of what I sell. Definitely makes it a challenge but also a boatload of fun.
I try not to forget that not everything is about making money (there's also women and weed, for example). Cards are (I hope) more than an investment for the denizens of this board. As Burdick said, a card collection is: "a magic carpet that takes you away from work-a-day cares to havens of relaxing quietude where you can relive the pleasures and adventures of a past day—brought to life in vivid picture and prose."
Gus agrees.