There will be some GOATs that won’t be considered GOATs in the next few years. That perception gap will likely greatly impact the value of their chase cards. It’s true marketability is part of the GOAT conversation, however, I see that as a force multiplier based on athletic performance that manifest into major achievements and […] The post Why LeBron will be the greatest athlete to ever live and…
I think the 48th president of the United States has a higher probability of being a Republican than being a Democrat. Putting all partisanship aside, at this point, the Republicans are too talented and organized to be displaced out of the presidency. The world has changed dramatically, when people compare the economic growth of the […] The post Vance and Rubio, the next president and vice…
Cuernavaca is only about 50 miles south from Mexico City and has an altitude of about 5,000 versus approximately 7,400 feet altitude for Mexico City. The altitude for Cuernavaca is less than that of Denver where the Denver Nuggets play their home games at. Cuernavaca already has a women’s soccer team playing in Mexico’s top-tier […] The post NBA expansion teams in Mexico City played in nearby…
“My name is K. I grew up here and dreamt about this place at least once a month,” said K. Suddenly, the group of men fell back behind a masked man in suit and wearing gloves. The masked man made a hand gesture and the group of men pulled a hidden lever on the wall […] The post The Legend of Ocekay: Genesis – Chapter 4 appeared first on The Permanent Contrarian .
Yes, I think there is a high likelihood of this happening soon. Population growth is dramatically slowing down in the world and will likely peak then shrink in a few decades. Much of the industrialized world is either already experiencing population decline or is experiencing slowing population growth. The real issue is the fact that […] The post Robot and AI tax for displaced humans via UBI? The…
From a cash flow standpoint, both are horrible as scalable strategies without cash inflows. The only way to make this work is if there is a continuous streamline of cash inflows that can support the outflows. The only way to build a steady cash inflow is by tapping into a liquid market. The liquid market […] The post Hoarding or actively investing? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on living life,…
I always tell people this. There are no such thing as useless skills. There are such things as underutilized skills however. When you are able to, learn as much as you can but do spend more time focusing on skills that are complementary to your overall strategy in life. For example, if you like collectible […] The post Best sustainable side hustles businesses that build transferable skills and…
The Index is valued at $1,205 USD on August 9, 2026, a gain of +20.5% since its inception in July 2026 at $1,000 USD. Ben Rice: 2025 Topps Chrome Update Series #USC138 – 150 copies at $2.00 each = $300 Total Value at 24.90% Total Index Weight Nick Kurtz: 2025 Topps Update Series #US201 – 100 copies at $1.50 each = $150 Total Value at 12.44%Total Index […] The post The United States Alternative…
When you close your eyes forever, you probably won’t be able to take any of whatever you earned or owed to wherever you go next. It basically comedown to two main scenarios in terms of cash management. You have enough money to spend or you don’t have enough money to spend. Whether any of that money […] The post Why credit cards are mostly great, cash rewards are somewhat good and rewards points…
First of all, all five nations are part of the European Union so you know it’s relatively safe and stable to visit. Round trip from a major US city to the area is around $600 USD if you plan it ahead. These countries are also all part of Schengen Area so you can spend $100 […] The post 3-day US to Northern, Central, Eastern Europe and the Baltics (Finland, Poland, Estonia, Lithuania and Latvia)…
This holds true for sports cards, TCGs and many other types of cards and collectibles. Sure many people collect some TCGs like Pokemon cards for their in-game functionalities. The vast majority of the people who do collect Pokemon cards do not play the tabletop game at all, most probably don’t even know how to play. […] The post Why you should not ignore the aesthetic, branding, backstory and…
K looked through the peephole, no one was on the other side. K figured someone probably accidentally knocked on the wrong door. K sat down on the hotel bed and ran some image and text searches on the internet. That inscription was apparently inscribed on many finely crafted items back in the old days. Upon […] The post The Legend of Ocekay: Genesis – Chapter 3 appeared first on The Permanent…
K froze. A few seconds later, K felt another light tap on the right shoulder. K suppressed the anticipatory fear then bravely turned around only to find nothing there. The eeriness had K shook. Just when K was about to walk back to civilization, K saw something moving in one of the old houses through […] The post The Legend of Ocekay: Genesis – Chapter 2 appeared first on The Permanent Contrarian…
Because most companies in North America and Europe are the busiest toward the end of the year holiday season due to increases in business activities during that period of time. Also, budgets for the year is typically on a use it or lose it basis. Combined with the holiday season and compliance requirements, a lot […] The post Why getting hired in August or September for an office position is the…
Listen, you know I won’t talk about this in detail due to social contract reasons but I think baseball style cards subtle valuation criterions are coming to basketball cards as well. The Eastern Europeans or Western European cousins of Eastern Europeans players were the first step to this process starting in the late 1980s. This […] The post The rise of White American Caucasian basketball players…
The biggest issue with cryptocurrency is transparency. I’m not talking transparency in the sense that you must give up protecting your personal privacy and your financial transactions. I’m talking about calling a spade a spade. Would you be comfortable literally put most or all your savings into a class of assets that was basically invented […] The post Digital assets investing: cryptocurrency…
The low-income and the working class make up the majority of the society and the world. If they had the kind of money and financing options to dish out that much money to buy and/or flip houses, at that very moment, housing prices will be super low as a flood of supplies will flood the […] The post Why buying investment properties and/or flipping houses are terrible ideas for people who are just…
I recently created the United States Alternative Assets Collectible Cards Composite Index, Alternative Assets Collectible Cards Composite Index, Alternative Assets Collectibles Composite Index and the United States Alternative Assets Collectibles Composite Index for my own entertainment so I can track the growth of a select number of high potential collectible cards and potentially other types […]…
The kind of fear that typically produce the most stress for a prolonged period of time is usually anticipatory fear. Most terrible, unanticipated events in life that could potentially happen to oneself, while cannot be completely stopped, their risks can usually be lowered through minimizing daily risky behaviors and performing active daily preventions. People fear […] The post Conquer your fears…
Listen, as I have posted numerous times previously, nothing elude the economic patterns that have been tried and tested for millenniums. Supply and demand dictate macroeconomics. You can rationalize why there are increases or decreases in demand. Heck, you can even prophesying future trends. But when the torrential landslide occurs, regardless where you live in […] The post Hedging strategies for…
Years after a life-time ago, K woke up in the morning and drove to work. It was just another daily grind of meaningless work and dumbfounding actions by K’s coworkers. It’s not fun living life like this but it pays the bills and keep life running. By now, K is fully integrated into this mundane world […] The post The Legend of Ocekay: Genesis – Chapter 1 appeared first on The Permanent Contrarian…
The answer is yes, but only when you buy bulk that include the chase cards and buy it super cheap. The biggest issue you will encounter when trying to sell these cards are most these cards are not eligible for grading by major grading companies which put significant downward pressure on the upside for these […] The post Should you collect cards of popular franchises that are not known for issuing…
If you work as a white-collar worker, the answer is you won’t be able to in the long-run. Basically what happens in many competitive workplaces is that you and your co-workers who do similar work are in an ecosystem designed to achieve maximum optimization. What that ultimately means is eventually either you leave or your […] The post How to get along with coworkers? The Permanent Contrarian’s…
As I had mentioned before Lebron made his decision on his next team, I though the Pistons was the best balance between money and championship for Lebron. I also mentioned the Sixers was the second best option for him because it had the best team out of all his top choices but they could probably […] The post Can the Philadelphia 76ers win an NBA championship and how long will Lebron stay with the…
I think realistically Lebron can still play another five years at a high-level as a starter. If Lebron really wanted to, he could even play until he is 50 which I don’t think will happen. I believe Lebron will play at maximum five more years in earnest. I think he really want and need another […] The post Lebron James’ best landing spot is the Pistons followed by the Sixers and the Warriors but…
The best type of chase cards are the ones no one is currently chasing and you have good reasons based on reliable data and analysis that these cards will increase in value in the future. There are tons of reasons why this could occur and there are mega tons of examples of this happening every […] The post Best type of chase card? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on investing in alternative assets.…
I know there are a lot of different sports out there. The ones I mentioned below are ones that are quite popular with a lot of people. Ultimately, the popularity of a sport serves as a baseline when estimating how many people of that fan base may collect cards hence creating an active market for […] The post The athletes with the best base rookie cards ROI in every major sport in August 2026? The…
I believe the winning strategy for the US in the Iran War is by enforcing a de facto no-fly zone around the Strait of Hormuz (SOH) by incrementally and eventually taking all seven of the islands Iran controls in the SOH. This will allow the US to control the entire strait and allow allies to […] The post How will the Iran and Ukraine wars end? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on the economy and…
Many people think non-legal tenders and/or obsolete currency that were once legal tenders should be measured based on its popularity as a collectible. While this assertion is partly true, one should not negate the time value money principles that partly determine the value of such collectibles. All money issued by governing authorities had some type […] The post Best ROI in collectible coins and…
As I had mentioned before the FIFA 2026 tournament started that I believe Ronaldo, not Messi will be the GOAT or at least a Co-GOAT. If you follow sports you know most fans love the underdog story especially when that underdog becomes the GOAT. Ronaldo, coming from absolute abject poverty whereas Messi was born into […] The post 2026 FIFA World Cup Final result: Spain defeat Lionel Messi and…
People ask me this all the time and I tell them straight up, can you chip in 10,000 USD a year for 30 years into your employer sponsored 401(k) plan? If you start doing so at your early twenties and your employer do some kind of significant match of your contributions, based on current and […] The post How to achieve FIRE (Financial Independence, Retire Early)? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on…
Remember, careers and jobs are usually dead-ends. Any equity you build for the entity typically does not belong to you. You could spend years working for a company and be let go at any moment without any significant equity in the entity. The whole point of getting a job is to get compensated for your […] The post How to choose the right career and/or job? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on living…
Starting a business is almost never about starting a business. Starting a business is about fulfilling a societal needs that you have the interest and resources such as capital and skills to fulfill. Without understanding this concept, your business will likely not be very optimal and sustainable in the long-run. Put it this way, let […] The post How to start a business the right way? The…
It is clear that most people have accepted cards as a medium of expression. I think in the medium to the long-term the global collectible cards market will breach the annual $100 billion dollar mark. I live in America which means I have the rights to exercise reasonable free speech as permitted by the law. […] The post The future of the collectible cards industry? The Permanent Contrarian’s view…
The valuation for a near GOAT chase card versus a non-GOAT HOFer chase card is huge. The lists are not based on absolute appreciation in value but rather based on comparative appreciation in value. We are not talking about 1,000% or 10,000% increases. We are talking about exponential and quantum jump type of growth that […] The post Collectible sports base rookie cards to sell and to buy list for…
I will simplify the answer here. As a regular person who may not have much disposable income and probably do not have an Ivy Plus or prestigious work experience background, you really do not have a lot of margins for errors. I highly recommend you utilize the excellent safety net already created for you and […] The post Invest in real estate, collectibles (sports cards, coins, stamps, antiques,…
Here is the truth. Nearly 100% of the people will never become rich in their careers regardless whether they work for themselves or for other people even if their career earnings are a million plus. The issue is economies of scale, cash flow limitations, experience gap and more or any combination of these. Borrowing or […] The post How to maximize your career potential? The Permanent Contrarian’s…
There is no such thing as a dead-end to anything in life because…..see, you get it. Anyway, the whole point of getting a job is to get paid. The whole point of career advancement, you guessed it, is to get paid. If the end goal has always been to get paid, isn’t the job just […] The post The Risk-Adjusted Above-Average Life-Time Earnings (RAAALTE) method for decision making. The Permanent…
I will say it again, based on my experience working in many of these fields and knowing the speed of mass technological deployment, adaptation and integration numerous changes into daily lives, it will literally take decades. Even when they are fully implemented, in most democracies and market-oriented economies, there will be at least a decade […] The post Will AI, robots, virtual reality and…
I have been frequently right about my predictions. Even when I wasn’t 100% right, my logic was usually correct. Invariably people will ask me how I was able to make accurate predictions consistently. Listen, you probably heard the saying many times, “it’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of […] The post How to consistently pick winners? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on…
Just a forewarning, a large number of the sets mentioned on the list will be 2025 MLB baseball sets because these sets will likely contain a large number of some of the best rookie cards in MLB history. At this moment, this rookie class looks better than the 1995 Rodriguez, Jones and Rivera rookie class […] The post Top ten sports cards sets based on ROI in July 2026. The Permanent Contrarian’s…
Right now, most of the TCG money are going to Pokemon and most of the big spend per unit in sports cards are going to basketball cards while baseball and football cards get more volume purchases. Typically anything that is 25 years or older can qualify for the “classic” label though the cards communities use the […] The post Top ten TCG and non-sports franchise collectible card sets based on ROI…
Ever stressed out about money? Yep, many people have dealt with this. Manage cash flow is all about balances. Cash flow does not flow at any one direction. To make money and live happy, you not only have to make money but will also have to spend and/or invest. Some expenditures are no brainers like […] The post How to manage cash flow when starting from nothing? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on…
What I learned over the years is that you will almost never be 100% right on everything. In terms of investing, you can still make money if you are 50% right all the time. At the end of the day, it’s really all about managing risks, reaping returns and managing cash flow. If you are […] The post What stocks to buy? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on living life, career and financial freedom.…
I live in America which means I have the rights to exercise reasonable free speech as permitted by the law. All posted content(s) on this website are my opinions only which means they should not be taken as advice of any kind. I am a non-celebrity, non-public figure posting anonymously for my own entertainment on […] The post Ten adventurous fantasies existing in real life. The Permanent…
Listen to me very carefully. First thing first, if you can, conceal your newly found wealth and your connections to such wealth as best as you can. Human nature is such that people will get jealous, enviously and/or both especially from those who are the closest to you who knows you and/or have access to your […] The post How to keep your wealth when you get a financial windfall and don’t have…
Yes, yes and yes. Ohtani will likely also break Barry Bonds’ fourth consecutive MVPs record as well. Bonds will likely not be considered a GOAT due to the main issue that prevented him from getting into the hall of fame and for not getting the magical MLB 3,000 hits number by a few dozens hits. […] The post Will Shohei Ohtani win the MLB MVP for the fifth time (fourth consecutive) and CY Young in…
I live in America which means I have the rights to exercise reasonable free speech as permitted by the law. All posted content(s) on this website are my opinions only which means they should not be taken as advice of any kind. I am a non-celebrity, non-public figure posting anonymously for my own entertainment on […] The post World trends in this century to bet against? The Permanent Contrarian’s…
I want you to remember this, you can master your own destiny. When you are down to nothing, some people might tell you to do whatever it takes to survive. While I agree to the survival part, I disagree on the whatever it takes part. If the whole notion of surviving is to see better […] The post How to survive and thrive when you are down to nothing? The Permanent Contrarian’s view on living life,…
The most important lesson here: keep calm, don’t try to solve everything at once and prioritize on obtaining necessities like food, shelter, health and safety then start thinking about next few moves. It’s only when you are able to think that life may start to get better. Pegging back on the same principles and applying […] The post How to make money in alternative assets when you have no…