Scripophily

Some people collect keychains. Some collect shot glasses, or Star Wars action figures, or rubber ducks. But none of that appeals to our cousin Fred, who feels like he’s a more sophisticated kind of collector. He’s into “scripophily,” which means he collects rare stock and bond certificates. It’s like antiquing, but for paper certificates instead of armoires. The more rare the certificate is, and the better the condition of the paper it’s printed on, the more valuable it is.

Does this make Fred fun to talk to at parties? Not so much, no. But it makes him happy, and that’s all that matters.