Member Info for devonplay

"less bad" LOL yes indeed.
I have to admit I was impressed with these and although still lose makin' and there's been no substantive improvement in sales they have managed to keep up the churn of low value, presumingly low margin, stuff.
The management has worked hard to try everything to make a crumb. Waivers, court action and stamping their feet!
Good to know they expect to come out of this better than they went in...in relative terms.
Long may they be beholding to their creditor for survival!
Pedal to the metal performance I thought...does that mean they have their foot on the breaks?

Just don't mention Debenhams or we'll never get any rest....

It could be worse, you could be facing a sleepless night worrying over PMO. Quite a drop today, could be a blood bath from here.

3 years it is then LOL

"I cannot see this carrying on much longer"
Just remind me. Have you been saying that for 2 or 3 years now?
-3% (down) as I type.

"I cannot see this carrying on much longer"
Just remind me. Is it 2 or 3 years you've been saying that?
- 3% (down) as I type.

Still stuck in the quagmire. Broad rally everywhere, except here as usual....

Almost everywhere blue today, with a few exceptions........

Hi Carpe, It's an efficient way of holding them in smaller amounts with more liquidity and tax efficiency. Other approaches come with inherent risk - large transaction value/platform risk.
I know most of Franco's top 10. Using the IT means I can deal within ISA and with liquidity in names I know.
We could could argue about it offering a more stable diversified position, but as you say, when it comes to portfolio construction it's very much "what works for you". Either way, I think the right tactic is pound cost averaging.
Banks....isn't one I hold. I do holding: LLoyds (very small) HSBC (average position) STAN/BNC (50/50 average position). As I have a tilt towards EM. I think Banks still play a part in portfolio. Even if the glory days might have gone, they still be offer high single digit returns. I want some exposure to the real economy, and they offer that, and the hedge against inflation. In theory...

Hi CM, I'm sorry I haven't. Thanks btw. I'm still preoccupied with capital preservation at the moment, so I've mainly been adding to resilient positions in my portfolio and seeking undervalued element that I think are capable of returning low double digit total return. Where I have been adding more exotic stuff it's been to offset exposure to corporate debt or pickup SEIS/EIS. So I've been adding debt from unlisted not-for-profit entities and "equity" from CIC's ( Community Interest Companies) ( those some times come along with a coupon and an exit strategy) which are surprisingly twice as resilient as for-profit SME's. And of course, for-profit EIS/SEIS. The only new position I've opened recently is in NCYF. I'm pretty confident Franco can keep the yield up, so I've bought when it's been looking cheap, what I'm not confident about is the share price, so I'm pound cost averaging on it (and expect to for the next decade or so). I also added debt from ORB last years and some off that's given my very decent returns. I have a couple of things I'm working on, one in the listed alternative income category, the other a total return play, but it's over priced at the moment. I may have have another look at PMO, when it's come back down to some kind of reality. But, like the City, oil is my least favourite place to be at the moment.
I'm still quite wary about valuations, but I'm happy to take a combination/total return approach and just avoid paying tax! Eat up my profits :( On paper I was up £70K last year without many sleepless nights. Not bad for a bloke in his pj's. I'd rather be slowly, slowly, than trying to get rich over night. Compound returns will do that for you anyway.

Surprised it's at 3p? I am. 2p must be on it's way.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-56413186
So, I'm sure this is where Pearls get all the hope of a swift recoovery for SGI.
But what do we know, there's no mention on stamps in this article and on the face of it Millenials/Gen X are collecting what's relevenat to them, like the previous generation of baby boomers did, no mention of SGI.
There is evidence of the resurgence of collectible prices on eBay, which on the face of it SGI haven't captured or participated in. December's report said sales were down almost 30%, which for me was positivce as I was expecting c40% or over decline.
So we find ourselves in the usual investor dilema playing the slow recovery or hoping for a chance "event". Event bumps have a habit of disappearing as quickly as they appear.
Could this be doubly negative for SGI? It could be, it could further alienate them from the next generation of collectors and supress interest in their core products and services. Reducing the value of any stock and future prospects.
If you belive there's a future in the NFT's maybe we have to also ask ouselves if the management is behind the curve in spnding cash on shop front rather than focussing on the hype and opportunity and doubling down on technology.
For my money, I see the most sensible route being the slow recovery process and business that maybe in 5 years time can generate regular earnings growth rather than boom and bust. I'm sure short termists will disagree.
As ever, we are dependant on either specualtion, chance and the company saying something.
Still a botton draw recovery play for me. I wont be adding any in the short term, unless we take a significant dip or there something interesting reported by the company. But given the resurgence in other collectibles, there's the question of how patient to be. That's a potential over hang as far as I'm concerned.

As an youngish curmudgeon, I would say voice of reason, but then I always agree with the man carrying the Japanese sword.
I think we can draw a line under the SGI crypto-fantasy. They've got enough real world problems for the moment as things are.

So I think your question is:
Are SGI capable of running a multi asset exchange that means traders can move from crypto-coins to stamp-bit and back, Retain their intangible asset, knowledge, in an age of mass shared intelligence,
Protect their tangible assets against loss of rarity,
and compete with an almost a century old entertainment franchise like Marvel?
Could be a tough call. Perhaps they could cure the common cold while they are at it. LOL
- except, I think you would say they are planning to cure the common cold if it means you could get out of them! ;)
Really, I go back to my original question, where is the evidence they are considering any of this? They are business that has been on it's knees and has years of recovery ahead it. No successful track record in technology delivery and just spent a pile doing up their only shop. Hardly sounds like they'll be in position to venture out into a new world. They just need to survive first. Positive top line growth would make a nice change.
On your question about bit coin exchanges, yes there are several around that you can trade from one type of coin to another.
I have an account with these guys: bleutrade.com They trade coins in pairs, very much like a currency exchange..always appear to be ample liquidity. Certainly more trades that a average day with SGI.
I wouldn't recommend them. I dont like it as an asset class. I prefer equity, debt, & physical metals. I have made money at it in the past, but it's not the same as owning good companies at reasonable prices. Sometimes you get lucky with a reasonable company at a good price, but rarely with bad companies at any price.

I can see the possibilityy, but I also see an enormous conflict between their existing business and the concept.
To an even greater extent for high value assets, content and asset owners, could do it without them, so the technology removes them from the process.
One of the points of block chain is to distribute the register/ledger, so making the process of ownership and transfer less dependant on one entity or organisation. Again for an intermediary like SGI that could make them obsolete or compress their margin.
As far as NTF's is concerned, it's for me another opportunity for content creators to control revenue, so unless SGI get into content production, then it may be a threat. They could with their own stock, but they run risk of damaging their own reputation and alienating their existing clients.
I'd ask this question, once they'd offered part of their stock as a "bit-stamp", could we exchange it somewhere else for a tiny fraction of a %, what would compel us to use them? Could it also undermine their market position? What would stop others collaterising their own collections and not bothering to involve SGI going forward.
I think it would be very possible that those trading "bit-stamps" could make the actual physical stamps less valuable. Why would you want to hold a cumbersome, physical object that needs to be cared for when you could trade a "bit-stamp" at the press of the button. Hence, adoption of it in the stamp world, could be an existential threat for SGI. It could cut them out and make their interlectual capital look like a charming historical quirk.
There lots of example where people trade the representation of an asset, but would look shocked if you offered to deliver a few tons of Pork Bellies. What would be the need for a stocking and auction house if you didn't want the stock and you were trading on an exchange in Brazil or Estonia ....it could just be the end of trading in stamps. Except for hobbyist wanting a bag of mixed stamps and that elusive small number issues that represent the real capital value in stamps.
I'm sure plenty of museums would also be interested in collaterizing their one collections if there was money in it, the death of rarity would follow.

The only upside I can see for SGI is if they could offer their existing portfolio as NFT's, but I have to say there's a massive gap between their existing client base and the collectors of other collectable that are being issued as NFT's. mainly by the content owners, and a very high risk that in doing so they'd alienate their existing clients and devalue their reputation.
My opinion of course, I just can't see young people being excited about stamp collecting and the more mature collectors wanting a virtual stamp they only own on a block chain somewhere. :)

I'm a full time private investor, but if you look at the recent history of stamps know one has consider them to be a proper store of value since the 70's. With the exception of a very small number of issues. I have said that before. As far as coins go, I do accumulate "rounds" which have an intrinsically closer value to the metal content. I have preferred those over collectable coins for some some time. They represent, in my opinion, a much better hedge and on a lower premium. So when I do buy I avoid the collectable and special issue type. I want what ever the mint issues every day at the closest I can to the metal value.
SGI, as far as I know, haven't made any effort in the direction of "virtual" offerings.
I expect those who want those type off assets will also be expecting sellers premiums to be wafer think, which can not be good for an operator like SGI. After all, with exception of a very few asset classes de-materialisation has been about driving prices and intermediary costs down and out.
If we can find the information we require via crowd intelligence, operate within a virtual market place and secure transaction and ownership via blockchain, what place for an intermediary like SGI? Unless they are the mint or foundry of the asset. Which looks very unlikely. They'd have stiff competition from the likes of De La Rue et al. And of course in the broader sense the content owner.
That was the Heap experience, she created the content, block chain was the register and the coins were traded on an exchange. No Record Company, No Broker, No Intermediary, No Auction House.
So you can see why I think this could be an existential threat to a business like SGI.

If you want an example of a token/crypto based collectible you could look at one of the first, if not the first, token based issue by a musician in the UK.
Imogen Heap issued a single using block chain, paid for with audio coins, a crypto coin. It was all over the BBC and others.
I participated in both the block chain issuance and the audio-coin market, but to say it kindly, they are both totally illiquid and as far as I can tell have floated into the ether with very little interest past the first issue.
The only place you can now use the coins is on the issuers web site, no market has appeared in the Heap issue, unlike the collectors who buy and sell her other physical records. Most of that is dominated by Discogs. As site run by a DJ, pricing and content provided by the "crowd" and lately expanding into posters, books, comics and films. Active users 400,000 plus.
I would argue a future based on "virtual" collecting could be an existential threat to a company like SGI.
Is it so difficult to believe that a site like Discogs would make a better fist as virtual collectibles than SGI?They have the collectors, they have the crowd intelligence and a much more active market already.

"I would expect SG to be leading the flag in the collecting of this new aspect of philately. "
- any evidence for that statement. Have the company said any thing about it?
It would odd when they've just invested in bricks and mortar, which according to you would drive sales, for them now to consider going in the other direction and embrace crypto
Shocking to think they might have wasted all that money!
Especially when prices for the physical stuff has been surging on ebay, or not, and they missed out on that by having declining sales. -26%
I would imagine heads would role when they go cap in hand asking for money to build a crypto offering when they've just spent big on a physical shop front.
If anything crypto is a threat to an old players like SGI. That's what start ups do, they kill the old school players.
Why would a company with the tech and ability offer a crypto stamps not also be able to offer an online market place? Makes no sense to see SGI in that field, after all they aren't the ones being asked to offer to crypto and block structure /issuance in the first place. If it's not the issuer then it's an exchange and that's where the tokens go. I hold several for participating in start-ups and tokenised issues of audio. They get traded, if at all, on exchanges or stay within the domain of the issuers control.

Thanks Clued, I try to be fair, even if the occasional joke overcomes me. If it's 5 years or more, I think there still a small glimmer of hope for SGI, just not instant gratification. I think it does the company no favours setting up these expectations.
Example: Pearls suggestions that prices are surging on other trading venues, I can't see that's the case, but it does lead to the inevitable question if prices and demand are surging, why did in that period SGI sales decline? You can only come to a negative conclusion, because stamp traders/collectors picked someone other than SGI. It's all counter so productive......