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Rick Schmidt – Ask Rick:

It is the month of Thanksgiving and time to gather around family and remind ourselves how good we really have it in this life. It is also time for another Ask Rick segment where I ask him the tough questions! This month I Asked Rick which is the best at the Thanksgiving table, Pumpkin Spice everything or just pumpkin pie? Turkey or Ham? Mashed potatoes or Sweet potatoes? Corn or Beans? Rick’s answers were once again well thought out and defined to the point where there is no argument about the results.

Rick’s Take On Voting:

Rick has always been an in person voter but understands the reasons that people are encouraged to vote ahead of time. Rick wants to see his ballot scanned in real time to make sure his vote counted but either way he knows it is important to vote and make a clear difference. He encourages people to get out and vote or turn in an absentee ballot but either way get your choices in and utilize our rights.

Rick’s Take On Investing:

Many listeners have asked about investing and if the “common person” can get involved in alternative ways to invest in other vehicles than the stock market. Ricks dad always said that the stock market is nothing more than bits and data in someone else’s computer. There could be a bad day when everything crashes and those spreadsheets disappear then where is that money. He invested in his business and buildings and homes, in otherwards something tangible that will gain in value over time. This could precious metals, art, cars, real estate or anything that you know about and can gauge intelligently for a future value. It is amazing how far someone can go with small investments wisely placed over time making small amounts time after time. It is possible to build your way up to some amazing levels if you go about it in a strategic way. It is very important to get out and stay out of debt so you money can work for you. Paying off a home in fifteen years instead of thirty saves a homeowner an immense amount of money that can then be invested in something to make a profit instead of paying interest.

Rick’s Take On SEMA and Large Trade Shows:

SEMA is here and starts on Monday. The major OEM manufacturer at the show is Toyota and many of the other big car companies are not present. Rick said that the large corporations seem to drift in and out of showing at the larger shows and it is hard to quantify if attending that show has impacted sales at all. They flip flop between spending the money there or spending it at other up and coming types of venues. Rick said that he has attended a show where a Big Three manufacturer showed up with a preplanned layout showcasing electric vehicles and then the winds of public opinion changed but it was too late at that point to change the layout. He said he felt bad that no one was visiting that area at all but there was nothing that could be done at that time. These kind of gafs lead a larger companies to not even attend in the future and save that money for the safe bet advertising ventures that they know works.

Rick’s Take On Investment Cars to Perform Better Than Inflation:

Our audience needs to invest in something as an inflation hedge. Which is these pre-election investments will perform BETTER than inflation….no matter who gets elected?

Car #1:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1956-studebaker-golden-hawk-12/

Rick appreciates the Golden Hawk but does not think this a place where the value will go up at all. It is old enough that the prices have already stabilized and it is at the value that it will stay at. 1950s vehicles have already gone through the price drop and then raise phase and have now settled where they will stay except for inflation.

Car #2:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1983-jeep-cj-7-49/

The older Jeeps are finally starting to be collected and restored but still do not retain the value of other iconic vehicles like the Bronco. As an investment Rick does not think there is as much money to be made after fixing the hidden rust issues that plague the CJ series.

Car #3:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1967-pontiac-gto-154/

The 1967 HO GTO is one of Rick’s favorite vehicles to see and own. It has amazing looks, great body lines, and a high value proven in the market over years. The drawback as an investment is that the price has already been set by the market and probably will not fluctuate much which means it will not beat inflation especially in an election year.

Car #4:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1988-ford-mustang-convertible-29/

The Fox body Mustangs have been a hot commodity up until recently. Rick believes that prices may have gone too high and are in a correction period. That being said this is a very nice low mileage car but there could be hidden issues that are not shown due to the low miles. He noted that the automatic transmission was not the best implementation and would affect the end price.

Car #5

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1975-porsche-911-carrera-coupe-7/

Out of the list of inflation buster cars, Rick thinks the Porsche would be the best rate of return out of all of them. The market for the little sports cars has been going up rapidly and there is no going down. Every car in the list with the exception of the Studebaker, would make a little money but the Porsche would hold the biggest profit even in the uncertain future the election will bring.