Every day, in the world of investment and finance, we often discuss strategies and market trends to ensure that investment goals and outcomes meet the satisfaction of investors. However, if we invest in what we love and know well, using our personal interests and passions as investment opportunities can help diversify the risks of core assets and create opportunities for profit and wealth. This can be referred to as investing with joy in cherished collectibles (Passion Investment).

Passion Investment from a love for what you cherish... to flourishing investments

Ms. Lalitphat Thoranawikrai, Deputy Managing Director of the PRIVATE BANKING division at Siam Commercial Bank, stated at the exclusive seminar SCB PRIVATE BANKING “The Passion Investment Exclusive Dinner Talk” held for important clients to share experiences about investing in alternative assets that, “Passion Investment, or investing in collectibles with sentimental value, is not just about taste or luxury; it is an investment that is charming and can genuinely create growth both mentally and in investment value. If investors have knowledge, expertise, and experience in using insights and passion as a strategy to analyze the value and trends of those items, they can invest to seek profits from those collectibles.”

Fulfilling Valuable Childhood Dreams with Clear Goals

Meanwhile, Mr. Krit Chanthanohtok, Chief Executive Officer of Siam Commercial Bank, shared his experience of starting as a collector, saying, “As far back as I can remember, I have always felt like a collector, starting with stamps, coins, cars, motorcycles, amulets, and art. However, the spark for serious collecting came from watches, as it was the first asset I could sell for profit at the age of 15. The most memorable and emotionally valuable collectible for me is a remote-controlled car that my mother bought for me in childhood. This became one of my inspirations and motivations to one day buy a real car of the same brand as that remote-controlled car. Eventually, I achieved that goal because I believe in dreaming big and having confidence in myself that I can do it. If we believe we can do it, that means we are already over 50% successful. I have reached this point today because of my lifelong identity as a 'collector.' Whenever I acquire something I have been searching for or collecting, I always have a new goal. Looking ahead with clear goals is what I value most in life.”

Opening the Path to Becoming a Collector that Shapes the Identity of “Krit Chanthanohtok”

Mr. Krit continued, “Being a collector has brought me to where I am today, partly due to meeting people from various cultures, experiences, and perspectives. I have a passion for collecting various types of items, but more than just collecting, it is the experience of learning and 'understanding people.' In each industry or field, groups of people have different profiles, which allows us to understand individuals from diverse backgrounds and societies. This enables us to empathize and open our hearts to understand people broadly, allowing us to interact and learn from others wherever we go. These experiences and knowledge from childhood cannot be bought in any educational curriculum. Certainly, being a collector, in my view, is not focused on having the highest value items, the most profit, or the most of anything. It is all about the experiences that shape my identity clearly, and I always reflect on the good fortune I have had in life.”

Passion + Investment = Happiness

Dr. Tisapol Nakhonsri, Chairman of the Executive Board of Bangkok Solar Power Co., Ltd., shared his experiences about his passion for supercars leading to becoming a dedicated collector in the automotive industry. “I put Passion before Investment, so what I gain is 'happiness.' I will never wake up and think about how much that item is worth. Instead, I summarize the price graph every month to see how much profit my investment has made, which is mostly profitable, with some losses in the early stages. Therefore, what I bring into my collection are things I love, but it is a passion that is hard to quantify in terms of profit. However, I have experience in observing cars, which allows me to analyze trends. The cars I choose to collect are those I want to see every day.”

Value Beyond Price

Dr. Tisapol emphasized, “I have gained a lot of social connections from collecting cars, from local teenagers in Munich, Germany, who would wait to chat whenever I drove by, giving me a different social experience with Germans. I also have the opportunity to drive with a group of watch enthusiasts in Austria, who meet annually for drives, which has broadened my network. All of this combined makes me feel that collecting cars has true value both financially, mentally, and socially. Additionally, many people ask me when I will sell my collected cars. I would want to sell them when the prices are highest, which probably won't be in my generation. I plan to pass them on to my eldest son, believing he will manage them well, as I have been teaching him about cars and society all along, including taking my children to meet friends when driving abroad, allowing them to socialize with their children. I believe that having a broad network is worth much more than these cars.”

From a History Enthusiast to an Action Figure Collector Who Transformed Passion into a Beloved Career

Dr. Wit Sitthivekin from the podcast 8 MINUTE HISTORY from THE STANDARD PODCAST discussed collecting models, saying, “The joy of collecting is like sitting in a time machine going back to the past. I see that Value can be interpreted in two ways: monetary value and intrinsic value. The starting point of collecting action figures was my deep passion for history, wanting to open a history museum at home, which I couldn't do, so I turned to collecting action figures instead to fulfill my dream. I often faced criticism for why I was doing it since it was something few people talked about. Until one day, I discovered the work I love most in life: creating a history podcast that has gained popularity, and recently, I had the opportunity to host Thailand's first Edutainment history talk show. I feel that my passion has been utilized, allowing me to live happily every day.”

“In conclusion, SCB PRIVATE BANKING believes that Passion Investment, or investing with joy in cherished collectibles, will be another option that helps investors accumulate beloved items that can enhance both investment value and emotional worth, while also planning investments to diversify risks across various assets beyond fundamental assets,” Ms. Lalitphat concluded.