Looking for something beyond shares and property?

A new book, The Passion Portfolio: Investing in Style, offers Coasties a fresh look at investing—with a twist.

Written by University of Auckland finance lecturer Dr Gertjan Verdickt and co-author Jürgen Hanssens, this offbeat guide explores how collectibles like Lego, wine, vintage cars and even baseball cards can offer more than sentimental value.

Verdickt says passion investing opens up opportunities for people to put their money into things they enjoy.

“It’s for investors looking to diversify beyond traditional securities,” he explains.

“It’s also for people who are keen to put their money into something they love, something that’s tangible.”

University of Auckland finance lecturer Dr Gertjan Verdickt.

Verdickt’s own passion for wine started during a course he took five years ago.

“I was in a supermarket looking to buy a bottle of wine, but I didn’t really have anything to go off other than the price and label,” he recalls.

That course sparked not only an interest in fine wine but also a whole new research focus—on the world of alternative assets.

The authors back their insights with hard data. For example, whisky tops their list for historical average annual returns at 17.52 percent.

Baseball cards follow at nearly 13 percent—beating the stock market’s 10 percent.

The book covers the pros and cons of investing in collectibles like watches, jewellery, art, stamps, instruments and precious metals.

It also offers practical advice on authentication, spotting fakes, and understanding market trends.

For Coasties who love Lego, there’s good news.

According to Verdickt, it’s a relatively low-cost, accessible option with high demand and limited supply—making it more liquid than many other collectibles.

But passion investing isn’t without its challenges. Verdickt warns that these markets can be opaque, with fewer trades and less regulation than traditional investments.

“These are long-term investments that demand both knowledge and time,” he says.

For Coasties curious about branching out, The Passion Portfolio could offer a new way to blend financial goals with personal interests.

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