Part 1: Love

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I have been a collector for most of my life.

Whether it be the Star Wars figures or He-Man toys of my childhood, or the watches and sneakers currently stashed in my drawers at home, I have always had a fascination for collecting.

I bought my first watch in 1987, a Swatch Turquoise Bay GK103. As my love of watches grew, and after the Swatch had long since perished, I spent many months trying to track down another in good condition and finally sourced one from a dedicated Swatch collector in Germany in March 2021 – 34 years after I first set eyes on one.

Reconnecting with that model after such a long time was driven by a particular feeling that collecting gives me. It’s the same feeling I got when my parents bought my first pair of Nike Air Jordan sneakers in 1989. The price at the time (£69.99) was prohibitive enough to force me to accept them as both a practical purchase and an early birthday present.

But, along with my Star Wars toys, those sneakers would now be worth thousands, or even tens of thousands, had I been willing to keep them unopened, in their original packaging (try telling that to an over-enthusiastic 11-year-old).

Part 2: Investing and the Cadro balance sheet

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There is such variety in the modern world that many people simply aren’t aware of the monetary value of their property.

This applies as much to the game-worn Michael Jordan jersey which sold for $10 million dollars in 2022, as to a storage unit full of sneakers that could, conceivably, be valued in the millions.

But, seasoned economic collectors aside, it’s likely that the true potential of our collected assets will escape us, rolling around at the back of our heads as things that eventually need sorting or clearing out. If we keep track at all, maybe it’s using an out-of-date spreadsheet.

One of the great benefits of being a Cadro client is that the Cadro app is able, for those who have need of it, to keep track of the sum of an individual’s net wealth, from investment accounts to cars and houses (and yes, even trainer collections), through the application of the Cadro balance sheet.

Like Cadro investment portfolios, the balance sheet is aesthetically designed and intended to create a sense of intuitive order: putting all your assets and liabilities in one place and taking the burden of mental management away from you.

So much nicer than looking at a spreadsheet.

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Part 3: Legacy

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I haven’t always been a collector for financial reasons. Collecting is simply fun.

The hobby naturally fosters a sense of community. People connect through forums, events, and social media, and are always keen to share their passion and knowledge. This communal aspect adds a depth to the experience and enables individuals like me to build relationships with like-minded people worldwide.

But collecting can also be a way of preserving and passing down legacies. Items collected over a lifetime may hold sentimental value and become cherished family heirlooms.

My eight-year-old son already shares my sneaker obsession, and I am currently working on making him the next watch collector in the family.

It’s nice to know that, by the time he reaches that fair climb, he’ll at least have a place to order it all – away from the bulging cupboards in our hallway.

Christian Morrison is Head of Operations at Cadro. To find out more about the Cadro balance sheet or Cadro Wealth Management Services, please contact the client services team at info@cadro.com.

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