You might have noticed that Leapfrog, Singing Machine, Peet’s, Steinway, and Denny’s disappeared from our catalogue last Thursday. That’s because Continental, the transfer agent that manages these certificates, started tacking a hefty $25 surcharge onto all orders. We’re hoping to bring back Leapfrog and the others by asking that they be purchased with one of our cool framing options — which would mean offering them at OneShare for that much longer.
In certificate land, it looks like the beginning of the end. The basic story runs: company charges extra, company drives down demand, paper certificates are laid to their peaceful rest. There are just a few transfer agencies who manage almost all the stock in the U.S., and Computershare has already indicated it may join Continental as early as this summer. The news doesn’t bode well for enthusiasts of popular brands like Harley-Davidson, GM, Apple, and many others all managed by Computershare. We’ll be sure to post a complete list if this goes through.
In the meantime, make sure you spread the news: stock certificates are going away, OneShare may be the last source, and the onset of new fees means you must act quickly.
Tags: apple, computershare, Continental, denny's, extinction, fees, gm, harley, leapfrog, peet's, singing machine, steinway, transfer agents
Do you guys have an idea when you’ll be adding Denny’s back?
Hey Jason — we’re still working out the details, but Denny’s and (other Continental certificates) should be back on our site within the next few months.
We’ll post an update as soon as we know more.
i bought 2 shares of dennys 4 weeks ago. will these go through?
Hey Glenn! Your order was placed prior to the surcharge, so you will indeed be receiving your Denny’s certificates. Hope you enjoy them!
If the end of physical certificates is near, does that mean the end of OneShare.com is near too? Now, that would be sad.
Thanks, Keith. We’d be pretty sad too. Fortunately, we have a few ideas on the horizon (more on that to come!).
If you haven’t already, go ahead and check our OneShare Investments division. It’s a pretty cool way for family and friends to start (and continue to contribute to) a child’s college savings plan. College isn’t getting any cheaper, but you can help make it achievable for the children in your lives!
My oldest grandson was very pleased with his first stock. The other kids have already picked out their graduation stock. I understand I won’t be able to wait till they each graduate and be sure of getting the certificates they want. I checked out the site for One Share Investments. What I didn’t find out was if you had your own certificates that were framed for display. What means the most at that time is something tangeable. The kids will be old enough to understand that they digitally have a stock, but to be able to hold evidence would be great. I like the idea of consistant investments, but I want the first one to be a wrapable or deliverable gift for my grads. So how about it?
Hi Jan! You’ve touched on some good suggestions. We have a few ideas on the drawing boards, so keep checking the blog for updates.
Also, you might consider buying certificates and holding onto them. As official stock certificates get more and more rare, they’ll make great collectibles for your grandchildren! Many people cherish discontinued certificates for their rarity — and as symbols of commitment to a particular brand, they really can’t be rivaled.
As always, we appreciate your thoughts.