The Economist valuables index

PRICES for rare and valuable items are on the up. An index of the 50 finest and most valuable Ferraris, Porsches and other marques compiled by the Historic Automobile Group increased by 53% in the two years to July 2013. Price indices for vintage wine, fine art, rare stamps, precious coins and even classic guitars and violins have for the most part done well, too. The Economist has collated recognised indices for each of these assets to create a “valuables index”. We have weighted each asset in the index according to rich individuals’ holdings: 36% fine art, 25% classic cars, 17% coins, 10% wine, 6% stamps and 6% to guitars and violins. Our index has shot up by 211% in nominal terms since 2003 and by 54% since the first quarter of 2009. In comparison, the MSCI World, a rich-world stockmarket index, has increased by 147% since 2003, including income from dividends. See full article.