February 5, 2012

The Creed Fragrance Collection Post Expansion

The Creed Collection Grows

I couldn't resist grabbing a picture of the newly expanded Creed fragrance collection in my bathroom now that I picked up the "Royal Delight" fragrance as one of my birthday-gifts-to-myself.  It's clear I have the collecting bug once I find something that brings me joy.  Coffee cups, pens, Carl Barks artwork, stocks ... I like to build "sets" for my own enjoyment. At this point, the Creed collection includes: … [Read more...]

We Added Some New Perfume Factice Bottles to the Company’s Collectibles Portfolio

Calvin Klein Obsession for Men Factice Bottle

Through one of the private businesses I control, we have a collectibles portfolio consisting of everything from the Carl Barks artwork I've told you about to rare books.  One of the things we acquire is the hard-to-find perfume factice bottles that used to be popular at department stores, especially those in the high-end spectrum, back in the 1980's and even 1990's.  They still exist to some degree but are a dying art, it seems. We buy these bottles on a targeted basis, have them polished … [Read more...]

Spoiling the Concert by Carl Barks

Spoiling the Concert by Carl Barks - A Scrooge McDuck Painting

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It Was an Amazingly Productive Day

We are having an amazingly productive day.  Thus far, we have: Paid a ton of bills for one of the businesses. Submitted the final tax documents to the accounting firm that handles our business and personal filings. Had lunch / dinner at Panera Bread with Aaron. Went to Michael's and got a bunch of our Carl Barks rare lithographs framed for 50% off! Went on a book run to Borders to pick up a bunch of business, psychology, and biography books. Spent a few hours talking politics with … [Read more...]

Breakfast of Tycoons by Carl Barks

Breakfast of Tycoons - Carl Barks Scrooge McDuck Art

We added Breakfast of Tycoons to the official Carl Barks collection at Mount Olympus Awards.  We've been selectively acquiring more and more of his stuff when the price is attractive and it just fits with all of the framed stock certificates and financial artwork. I've identified a few other pieces we are interesting in actively acquiring but only on our terms.  Most of the time, we have them reworked in far nicer frames, matting, etc.  I'll try and update a future post with what they look … [Read more...]

The 5 Levels of Building Wealth

Scrooge McDuck Carl Barks Money Bin

Early in life, I developed a theory that there were five levels of building wealth that most self-made men (and women) go through to reach financial independence.  It was started by my love for Carl Barks Scrooge McDuck comics.  When I started reading the Federal Reserve reports of consumer wealth, empirical studies, and other sources of data, and discovered that 90% of those in the United States who are millionaires made the money on their own - that is, they did not inherit it - I … [Read more...]

Business Should Be Fun … If It’s Not, You’re Doing Something Wrong

Monopoly collectibles in my office

When I talk about the idea of tap dancing to work, in the words of Warren Buffett, I'm not kidding or making a joke.  You should wake up every morning and jump out of bed because you can't wait to spend your time focusing on something that makes every part of you - physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually - satisfied.  This is going to be different for everyone. Building a financial net worth that allows you to live any way you wish and enjoying your life are not mutually … [Read more...]