How is your investment doing?

  • Profitable

  • Not Profitable


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Al Shareef Oudh

Master Perfumer
The dictionary definition for investment goes something along these lines:

'the investing of money or capital in order to gain profitable returns, as interest, income, or appreciation in value.'

Taken from dictionary.com.

If you are one of those people (not vendors) who purchased oudh and then resold it , for whatever reason, did you make profit or not.

Please answer based on actual sale of an oil, not what you perceive to make IF you sold it.

Your answer should also be based on the retail value of a particular oil at the time of your purchase and not a discounted value. Sometimes vendors give a discount to clients and there is an immediate incentive there to make sales, however I am more interested in true gained value. Where you purchase the oil which is retailing on vendors site for $1000 and you pay $1000 then few years down the track you sold it for profit greater than inflation. Assume inflation at 3% per year.
 

Martin

Oud Novice
Thus far I’ve only sold oils at a loss. I do have several highly desired oils where I’m confident I’d get close if not all of my money back. Oud and agarwood is the hobby of kings. My “investment” in purchasing oud oils and agarwood is almost purely for my enjoyment now and for years to come. I’ve learned to be more discriminating today with my buys.
 

OudGood

True Ouddict
Its been only two years since I started collecting high end/artisanal oud. As with most investments, you have to wait to get a return. For me I guess its too early.

When I buy oud I dont see that as an investment but I do sell a lot. This is mainly because I have a limited budget for oud and often I need to make room for a new oil in my collection so I let something go. I have never made any profit.
 

IM_AU

Oud Fan
This is actually a nice topic and I appreciate that is coming from a Vendor himself.

As an old timer, I can tell you that the life of this catch phrase "Oud Oil as an investment' is done and dusted. There may be few new comers who are living in this illusion however I think, as with everything, the Oud community has grown mature. With the advent of new vendors there is a whole heap of choices becoming available every now and then, also the level to which organic Oud is touching is remarkable.

Personally I believe Artisanal Oud is a hobby of riches, where people like us from mid/higher income stream are trying to squeeze in with best of our ability. I did tried to sell few items in the past and did end up selling some, but in my experience (with sincere upfront apology to all) it wasn't great and I felt that when you selling as an individual, people will test you to the limits. But I figured out that people are not the problem, its just a true nature of this expensive hobby where people are also bound by the limits.

The crux of all these years of experience is that, Oud is an expense for personal satisfaction with very few exceptions.

As I said earlier, 'Market place is a delta of expectation and the reality'. Therefore selling high is a very rare occasion that one may see, with obviously few exceptions.

Cheers!
 
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Ashfaque

Jonoon al Oud
I will wear my economist hat on here .... After a certain price point and use (of any item), the marginal rate of satisfaction from that object will have a downward slopping curve. When someone buys ouds, especially artisan ones, that curve is even more acute as it is a highly volatile market. If one doesn't understand that and falls into that trap and thus invest, he will be in a lot of trouble. If one does not understand market trend for which one needs a lot of data points across times, he should not invest. Oh then there is the notion of inflation.

PS: I don't invest in that way. I buy ouds and other things only to wear and seek satisfaction out of them - that's my investment in oud. :)
 

EJayB

True Ouddict
Oud as investment ?
The whole thing sounds absolutely crazy
Oils are expensive and a luxury item afforded to the wealthy. I buy nice smelling oils and honestly get quite a bit of satisfaction from wearing them. I use them in meditation and reflection . Buy gold or silver, buy real estate buy rare gems and minerals if looking for an investment. Plant trees and wait a decade or two and call that an investment.( return is 20% annually in case you are curious) buy stocks and bonds if you believe in that sort of thing( I don’t) but buying a luxury pleasure item as an investment? Sounds like snake oil as we call it! Getting something other then what you expected.
I love Oud and wearing different scents everyday and it’s a very satisfying hobby and a pleasure I enjoy. But when I couldn’t afford these type of luxuries in my past life I loved a simple walk in the woods to relax just as much.
If we tell ourselves the crazy money we spend on our selfish pleasures are investment it make it sound not so foolish. Wine is the same to me when I buy. A 200$ bottle of opus1 and hold it for 5-10 years I know it’s worth more when I drink it(500$) but I drink it all the same because that’s why I bought it.
Only wine dealers buy AND sell , most collectors just buy and drink and collect as a status symbol. Same with OUD
I’ll wear it and collect it.
 

911LambMelb

Oud Beginner
You shouldn't invest in oud. Period.
There are much better things to invest in.

Enjoy oud oils as a hobby. I've never made any money on an oud oil.

However, I do have some perfumes that if I were to sell them, I would absolutely make a substantial profit. That's after buying them for more than retail but earlier on in the game.
 

Rai Munir

Musk Man
In fact, one buys from a reseller when there is no possibility of getting oil from the vendors. Second, new oils are launched with fast and furious zest that one has to choose either would be legends or legends. Things become complex. Third, at least I have observed, the moment one posts to resell a legend, that very oil is mostly offered by the vendor/s, if not openly, in private. Investment gets blocked.

It could have been investment a couple of years before when there were two or three vendors and two to three hundred members on forums. Now the market is quite open. Majority of distillers themselves offer oils on different forums. So, oils of any quality can be acquired. Custom distillations can be actualised. It is more enthralling than going back to the past.

When an investor lists a legend and mentions price, sometimes that oil emerges on the respective vendor's website at less price, and soon discount pops up, and then in private even less price is also offered. This is why investment is now a sheer illusion. It is quite obvious. This is why majority of members now acquire one bottle. Now one ml is being offered by all vendors. It does indicate something.
 

Ashfaque

Jonoon al Oud
Antiquity (ALD) - a wild stallion that is somewhat tamed and stunningly beautiful!

Apologies: Just realised I posted my SOTD in the wrong thread!
 
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Spaz

Oud Beginner
I have never considered selling my oils for profit - for many of the reasons above. However...... As the Australian dollar has plunged to around US .65, and I bought many oils when there was parity, maybe I could break even? Haha but all new oils still cost me 35% more than marked price :( . So yeah nah.....
 

Santal Claus

True Ouddict
The concept of oud as an investment is a farce. I've long wanted to comment on it but really didn't care much to, but I've read over old stories here as well as read the original material proposing it and thought I'd share my bit. Maybe it works for marketing for some percent of the population, and that is unfortunate. No matter who you buy essential oils from, of which oud is one, buy them and enjoy them!
 

Santal Claus

True Ouddict
I personally lost thousands of dollars in oud as an investment. Now I buy oud oils only as a source of enjoyment . Don’t buy oils from any vendor who is giving you false hope of huge returns. It has been strategy of certain vendors to boost their sales .
Sorry this occurred with you. I've been dismissive of this as someone being gullible, but that is clearly not the case when you didn't have a reason to know better.
 

Anwar

True Ouddict
Third, at least I have observed, the moment one posts to resell a legend, that very oil When an investor lists a legend and mentions price, sometimes that oil emerges on the respective vendor's website at less price, and soon discount pops up, and then in private even less price is also offered.
I talked with a guy that this exact thing happened to. He wasn't an investor, just trying to get rid of a "legendary" oil from his collection. He was going to sell it for a loss, if I remember correctly. Then, about the same time, the distiller put the same oil on sale for a massive discount. c'est la vie!
 
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