US To Stop Issuing Paper Savings Bonds In 2012

Based on this article, maybe paper savings bonds will be the new collectible of the future?

Actually, I pulled the quote out of the middle of this article (have to scroll halfway down to read it) but I can relate to the entire dilemma of those who choose not to use computers and have difficulty filing taxes, banking and/or investing in the traditional way:

http://blog.oregonlive.com/finance/...rs_want.html

I know I am in the minority, but I do not like doing certain things online. All you ever hear about are computers and accounts being hacked. They tell you your info is secure, but then you find out your credit card or social security number MAY have been leaked to a hacker. It happened this year with the Massachusetts unemployment department. It happened to Sony.

... but soon there will be no choice...

This topic is being discussed on an investment forum I frequent. For what it's worth, there appears to be a small loophole. From the TresuryDirect press release:

Series I paper savings bonds remain available for purchase using part or all of one's tax refund.

While I don't know about older savings bonds, the current issue I series are nothing special to look at. Even though owners are issued physical bonds, the treasury keeps electronic records. They can't really be counterfeited so there is no need for artful engraving or security features. Just plain Jane documents with no real aesthetic value in my opinion. Coolness-wise they are a step above a bank statement but several steps below currency or well done postage stamps.

I had forgotten about this post from so many months ago. Whatever the outcome, stamp collectors (or in this case, collectors of ephemerma) collect just about anything no matter what the aesthetic appearance may be.

After all, some of us even collect modern issue self-stick postage stamps that are hardly comparable to the beautifully engraved stamps of yesteryear!

How true! Actually, I've thought of credit cards as having some collectible potential some day, so savings bonds certainly wouldn't surprise me now that I think of it.

I've thought of that, too. But with all of the present-day concerns over identity theft and what not, I decided against it, as I wouldn't want to sell a credit card as a collectible if I'm endangering my identity (or someone else's) in the process.

Actually, I have an old Getty Gas Credit Card I still keep when they had their own gasoline credit card ... it's about 30 years old now, so I suspect it's something of a collectible.