Bob’s collection includes Campbell’s & Ford stock.
Bob Meihaus’s stock certificates tell his story: places he’s worked and companies he cares about. In addition to those featured on his office wall, Bob has over 150 certificates carefully arranged in plastic-protected collector binders. Some are colorful, some are rare, some are nostalgic, and some are “just plain Americana.”
At only 15-years-old, Bob scraped together savings and purchased five shares in Cincinnati Gas & Electric Company. Though he was first drawn to shares as investments, he’s always valued the concreteness of a tangible certificate. There was a time he didn’t “even know what it meant to have my ownership recorded in ‘book entry’ form”. Nowadays, the policy of issuing global certificates to brokers instead of directly to shareholders has become the norm. Bob has turned to OneShare as a final source for the paper certificates he loves.
As Bob’s collection grew, he began to appreciate the certificates’ beauty as collectibles. “I have companies that are still in business and their certificates are [already] worth more as a collectible than as a security,” he says. “I think this will likely become a trend, as stock certificates become more and more scarce.”
And scarce they are becoming. Bob, for one, doesn’t want to see them go. “I, along with many Americans, love our stock certificates!” he says. “It’s the same as trying to get rid of paper money, and we can’t do that!”
- – - -
We enjoy showcasing the more personal side of OneShare ownership. If you have a story to share — a unique gifting story or a special stock certificate in your collection — let us know!
Call at 1-888-777-6919 or email HELLO at ONESHARE dot COM. We’d love to feature you next.
Tags: book-entry, collectibles, customer, stock certificates
Your blog has been a wealth of information for me Bob. Such interesting comments from all walks of life. They all share and appreciate the value of holding actual stock certificates. Using them as gift ideas is also very novel.
I wasn’t aware that there was such a heavy charge for having a physical certificate delivered. Guess if you want certificates now is the time to get them. They certainly look better than any account statement I have ever seen!
Bob, I actually knew that about Delaware! We used to chuckle over that fact in my contracts and civ pro classes in my one (and only) year of law school.
As a scrapbooker, I am fan of anything memory related. I am very pro-collection. Congrats on having such a successful one!
~Stacie
Interesting Article, Bob! Definitely worth taking the time out of studying for my finals.
Bob,
What a great and interesting story. You have hit upon a very unique and clever hobby. Good luck with your collection.
Since blogging, I have been asked, “What is a Vignette”?
A Vignette is the image or picture displayed on a stock certificate. Vignettes often times are of mythological (Ancient Roman / Greek) figures, company logos or company products.
Another question I often receive is what companies make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA)components. The current 30 companies are:
3M Company
Alcoa Inc.*
American Express Company*
AT & T Inc.*
Bank of America Corp.
Boeing Company*
Caterpillar Inc.*
Chevron Corp.
Citigroup Inc.*
(The) Coca-Cola Company*
(EI) Dupont de Nemours & Company*
Exxon Mobile Corp.*
General Electric Company*
General Motors Corp.*
Hewlett Packard Company*
(The) Home Depot Inc.*
Intel Corp.
International Business Machines*
Johnson & Johnson*
JP Morgan Chase & Company*
Kraft Foods Inc.*
McDonald’s Corp.*
Merck & Company Inc.
Microsoft Corp.*
Pfizer Inc.*
(The) Procter & Gamble Company
United Technologies Corp.
Verizon Communications*
Wal-Mart Stores Inc*
(The) Walt Disney Company*
* Indicates stock certificates that can be purchased through OneShare.
Marcela,
I have been asked by a number of people how the blog works. There is some confusion about ‘posting’. There is a time delay, from when the comment is submitted and the time it is seen. I assume that this is so someone from OneShare can review the comment before going ‘live’ with it. Also, I have been asked about what to fill-in as the ‘web site’. You might want to explain the process to your readers to clarify the matter. Thanks.
Mother’s Day – May 10 – My Personal Picks, for what its worth. Obviously, this is not my area of expertise, nevertheless, here are my suggestions:
American Express – “Charge It”
Coach Inc. – Quality Leather Luggage, Purses & Gloves
Nike – “Just Own It”
Saks Inc. – “Shop Til You Drop”
Tiffany & Co.- Fine Jewelry, Crystal, Silverware, Etc.
It’s not to late to place an order!
Bob I need you to be my stock broker. Are you interested? I would also like to add that my own father has never given me a share of stock as a gift. Haha
This is a very interesting article. I have know Bob for about 6 years and what a wonderful and rare collection to have.
What a cool piece of memorabilia! I truly hope they don’t go away!
Good luck Bob!
Interesting article, good luck spreading the word about this!
In this day and age of a paperless society, it is nice to see that the stock certificates are still available. Ones that would have meaning to me would be past employers.
Reply to Emily Rasp:
(The) Walt Disney Company happens to be one of my most favored and colorful stock certificates. As you know, Walt Disney’s picture along with many of his now famous cartoon characters are pictured, along with the Epicot Sphere and the Magic Castle. A must certificate for a beginner collector!
Reply to Chris Caddell:
I too, “take stock in our friendship”. If your bank should ever decide to go public, I’ll be first in line to be one of the investors – and I don’t mean investing only one share. Thanks for your nice remarks.
Reply to Erica Walker:
Appreciate your nice remarks and agree that the loss of the paper stock certificate is another cherished thing that could be lost forever. How unfortunate! (Any friend of Katie’s is a friend of mine).
Reply to John:
WOW! What can I say…approaching a collection of 300 stock certificates! I hope you are not confusing shares with paper certificates. These are two very different things. I am wordless. Do you have all the DJIA 30 components, and what is your lowest serial number on GE and /or Home Depot including the alpha character before the number. Perhaps, the next blog should feature your collection. I am impressed, but suspicious on your count.
Interesting article Bob, I just now have gotten into stocks myself.
Reply to Carole:
You had written only a week ago about the volatility of the automotive industry. Since you wrote, Chrysler filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. I would assume with the filing, the stock certificate ceased to exist. GM, as we know it, could be the next to fall.
Reply to Nancy Pelzel:
It was good to hear from you. Yes, hobbies are indeed wonderful. In addition to collecting stock certificates, I collect coins, coffee mugs, medal cast cars, beer steins, pencil sharpners, minature led soliders and Hummel figurines. I collect just about everything. How about you? Do you have a collection?
Reply to Willa Burns:
I sure hope that I am the only remaining person holding a stock certificate in one of the high profile companies, although. I am doubtful that were to occur. I am taking a long vacation if that develops.
Reply to Jim:
Over the weekend, I tried searching for a value on KDI stock certificate, but came up empty. I too, had stock in KDI years ago, but turned them in to take some profit. The company had a major manufacturing facility near Cincinnati at one time. (It still may exist).
Reply to Tracey Hungler:
There is a “push” by the governemnt to go paperless on savings bonds. The initative started about a year and a half ago. At the current time, both paper bonds and electronic documentation is offered. It could be only a matter of time, like cancelled checks, before the paper savings bonds disappear.
Reply to Mary Webster:
I thought I was the “King of the Hill”, (I think that may have been the title of a popular TV show on Fox) with my stock certificates until I read John’s remarks. I might be the one to “think out of the box”, I believe John to be a “square”. Just kidding, John!
Reply to Shirley:
I am enjoying blogging, my first time, and feel collecting stock certificates is both unique and valuable. The down side is the amount of paper my collection generates. Hardly a day passes that I don’t receive a proxy statement, voting instructions, annual report or a dividend check. These checks can amount to as little as one cent. Think of the embarassment when I go to the bank to cash them. The postal carrier and I have become very good friends.
Reply to Stacie M.J.,
As the almost lawyer, any idea why so many companies elect to incorpoarate in Delaware? I assume for tax considerations? Let us all know.
I want to get a share of chrysler but I cant find it on the list.
Reply to Shirley:
Not just interesting comments received from “all walks of life”, but from many places too. Heard from a priest in India and a prior employee in Japan. Not counting the comments from various states! It would be interesting.
Reply to Don:
Amen, to the appealing ‘look’ of stock certificates as compared to the negative ‘look’ of those monthly / quarterly statements. I see red! Paper stock certificates are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. Where they are still available, there is a costly preminum. So far, OneShare seems to be the best alternative.
Reply to Rosie:
Not sure how much a financial adviser will be able to help in securing some stock certificates for you. If you are truly interested in starting a collection, OneShare.com is the place to go. Cut out the middle man, unless of course you want advise on buying multiple shares of stock for investment purposes. Good luck!
Reply to Gina:
It may already be too late to obtain a stock certificate in Chrysler. If not, I am going to try to get one too. It will be worth something in the future, even if the company comes out of bankruptcy successfully, the certificate will likely change. The correct name of the company is Daimler Chrysler.
Reply to all those that I have not individually responded to, I thank you for your interest and remarks.
Reply to “Little” Steve Meihaus:
What’s this another relative writing! Shame on your Dad for not purchasing you a share of stock! I would recommend your making him a deal that he can’t refuse. It might be back to cleaning the pool or mowing the lawn as in summer’s past. As to your personal stockbroker, I have to point to your father, who is much more knowledgeable than me in the financial arena. Listen to his good advise. Aren’t you glad you wrote?
Reply to Tom R:
My collection of course contains many companies; some which have more meaning to me than others. I too, sought out the stocks of my previous employers. Unfortunately, one was a private company, and therefore, had no issuance of stock. Another company went bankrupt and out of business. A third company was acquired and lost its original name, and consequently, its meaning to me. Good luck in your pursuit.
Reply to B.J. Santiago:
Good for you. It’s never to early to start a meaningful collection. Soon it will be too late! OneShare offers some inexpensive stocks with paper frames. The company also features a discounted stock every so often. Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia is one of those featured stocks currently on sale.
I have received a stock certificate as a gift, and it was a very memorable way to commemorate an event. To bad John and Bob my collection just reached 500.. So therefore I enjoy collecting Stock Certificate myself. This was a very good article
Bob, what a neat thing to collect. I never thought of it. I have the original certificates from Standard Oil of California that I inherited from my grandfather many eons ago!!!! I also didn’t realize that you could purchase certificates. I guess I should pull it out of the envelope and maybe frame it!!!! Never thought they would become a thing of the past………….
Reply to “Doctor D”:
Are you sure you didn’t slip in an extra zero to your collection? I thought your stock certifcates were in the 40 to 50 range!
Reply to Laurie:
Interesting! You might have a valuable document on your hands. To my knowledge, Standard Oil of California no longer exists. My guess in that it is now a part of Chevron Oil, but I don’t know for sure. I would suggest that you contact the Investor Relations Department at Chevron (Symbol: CVX) in San Ramon, CA to see just what this nice piece of paper represents in terms of money. The certificate alone, depending on when it was printed, could net you several hundred dollars in addtion to the value of the stock. I would be interested in hearing the outcome from your search. You may have found yourself a hidden treasure. Keep us posted on your findings.
Bob,
I have been collecting stock certificates for a few years and am up to 30. There is another website that I go to but not sure if I can mention here. I would greatly miss being able to purchase paper certificates and I hope that they continue to be offered at a reasonable rate for us collectors. Can you let me know where I can purchase the binders you mention to store the certificates as I would like to keep them in top condition? Thanks.
Of all the one shares you have bought what was the most expensive?
Bob,
What a great idea for anyone to follow. Wish I had started this 37 years ago when I began my career.
Reply to Jim:
Excellent question. My most expensive ‘one share stock certificate’ is in Google Inc. (Symbol: GOOG). It trades for around $ 400 / share. My most expensive stock, although not in certificate form, is Berkshire Hathaway, Class B, (Symbol: BRK-B), which has a current market price of over $ 3,000. Berkshire Hathaway, Class A stock (Symbol: BRK-A) is trading at $ 94,900/ share, down from its 52 week high of $ 147,000. Both are Warren Buffet companies. Sure would be nice to have several shares of BRK-A. I would not be blogging if that were the case.
One of my most interesting stocks is RMS Titanic, Inc. The background on the stock is of the famous ship,(you guessed it) Titanic. The company was chartered to do salvage work. It was acquired by Premier Exhibitions a couple of years ago. I am fairly certain that the older stock certificates (RMS Titanic, Inc.) are no longer printed and have already become a collector’s item. I have a low serial number, which makes it that more valuable.
Bob, great story, I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t mind having a certificate for one share of Berkshire Hathaway-A, I personally have never seen what theirs looks like!
What an interesting collection.
Reply to Astrid:
A collection of 30 certificates is respectful. I use Art Profolios by Itoya (www.itoya.com). The storage / display books are idea for art, phontographs and I feel stock certificates. They are archival safe, 100% acid free and durable. They comes in six different sizes with 24 sleeves for 48 views. I buy the 9″ X 12″ size – they are idea for the unusal shape of most stock certificates. I would think you could buy these display books at any office supply store, on in my particular case, Hobby Lobby.
Reply to Ellen:
Amen to that! Who wouldn’t want a few shares of Berkshire Hathaway – A? You would be set for life.
Having purchased almost of the stock certificates that OneShare offers, I am finding out just how difficult and rare these certificates are to get. I am trying to snap up as many as I can get before it becomes to late.