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X Metal value /popularity 2030

No way of predicting... However... I feel like only the generation who bought, handled, and really appreciated the genuine "X-metals" will truly know the real value of said X-metals... There's so much plastic in frames nowadays that I feel like the next generation would be paper thin and light as a leaf or something to that effect... I honestly believe that the actual heft/weight (considering the great strength-to-weight ratio) of the original X-metals gave them the elite/prestigious quality they claim to have... Then again, this might only be me :)
 
My Juliets will probably be more worn, but I'll still love them and I'm stocking up on rubbers for them so they should do fine :D
 
No way of predicting... However... I feel like only the generation who bought, handled, and really appreciated the genuine "X-metals" will truly know the real value of said X-metals... There's so much plastic in frames nowadays that I feel like the next generation would be paper thin and light as a leaf or something to that effect... I honestly believe that the actual heft/weight (considering the great strength-to-weight ratio) of the original X-metals gave them the elite/prestigious quality they claim to have... Then again, this might only be me :)

Or, Oakley will listen to their core fan base, and scrap the current design for something better. Lol
 
OK I gave a joke answer earlier, here's a serious one:

It's entirely possible that 15 years from now, original x-metals will be even more highly valued, especially complete LNIB sets.

On the other hand, what's more likely is the average used pair will have dropped in value, and the few remaining LNIB will have been hoarded be serious collectors and remain static.

Why? For one thing, right now a pair can be restored - x-man's doing tuneups, LG rubbers are available, OEM rubbers can still be found, lenses can still be cut. Will that still be true 15 years from now? If not, worn out pairs won't have much use. Or value.

More importantly, though, is that people move on - the next big thing comes out, people get tired of stuff and find other passions, technology advances, people die. The world changes. Maybe it'll take 15 years, maybe it'll take 150. But it's guaranteed that sometime down the road, nobody's gonna care about x-metals any more. Sad but true. The question is not if, but when.


Regarding collectibles as investments, here's a repost of my thoughts on the subject:

Collectibles, x-metals or otherwise, should not be approached as an investment. If you want to invest to make money, there are many, many better investments out there.

A collectible may appreciate in value, but it's a gamble - traditional investments balance risk and return: low-return investments are usually low-risk, while high-return investments are usually high-risk.

With collectibles, for a high return you really have to get lucky and get something at MSRP while it's still an available product (i.e. not discontinued) that ends up being highly valued after it's discontinued, and it's very hard to predict which items will do well. Buying a collectible after it's already been discontinued is usually low-return, high-risk - they've already appreciated to some degree and may or may not appreciate more, while they could also have already hit their max and even depreciate a bit over time. Who knows?

You should also factor in inflation - like with a savings account, it earns interest, but usually at a rate lower than the inflation rate. So savings accounts don't actually grow your money, you just lose it more slowly than you would if you stuffed it in a mattress. Can a collectible that's already appreciated continue to appreciate more at a rate higher than the inflation rate?

Collect because you have a passion for the item. If it happens to earn a return, too, then that's a bonus.

Invest in a mutual fund-based Roth IRA and/or a 401K with employer matching.
 
When you get into hard numbers I hope you're also adjusting for the rate of inflation, and the increase in the rate of inflation.
And the rate that I'm inflating this balloon.
 
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