Sneakers, Hello Kitty, comic books - the alternative investments that could make you money
Sneaker fan Mohammed Zakariah "camped" outside the Adidas store for three days and two nights in June last year for the Yeezy Boost 350 Turtle Dove.
It cost $329 but a check on eBay indicates that a pair can now command more than $1,000.
The 34-year-old paid $4,000 for a pair of Nike Air Yeezy 2 Red October in 2014. After wearing the sneakers for a year, he sold them at $3,900.
A brand new pair is now worth over $5,000 on eBay.
Massive queues formed and ballots had to be conducted at Adidas stores last year - all for the Adidas Yeezy Boost shoes.
Among the more than 30 pairs of sneakers that Mr Zakariah (above) owns are three pairs of Adidas Yeezy Boost by Kanye West.
The train captain balloted and queued for the Yeezy Boost 750 Triple Black, which sold at $549 here but is now worth around $2,500 on eBay.
He says: "I buy certain brands because I want them in my collection. But for some shoes, like the Adidas Yeezy Boost, they start to increase in price over time and become good investments.
"I bought the Adidas Yeezy Boost shoes because they are really comfortable to wear and I can sell them at a high price afterwards."
READ: Special Lego set goes from $899 to $8,000
'A Hello Kitty collector wouldn't mind the price'
Remember the snaking queues for Hello Kitty at McDonald's in 2000?
With every Extra Value Meal, you could buy a pair of the plush toys - Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel figures dressed in wedding costumes of different cultures - for $4.50.
Now, each unopened pair can cost up to $300 and the complete set of six pairs is going for $1,900 on mobile marketplace application Carousell.
McDonald's began the 40-day Wedding Design Hello Kitty toy promotion on Jan 1, 2000.
The promotion sparked queuing frenzies, fights and even a shattered glass door at the Boon Keng Road outlet, injuring seven people.
Technical supervisor Shaibani Osman, 48, recalls: "The longest I queued for was about 12 to 14 hours. Sometimes I'd start at 8pm and queued till the next day to get the toys.
"I didn't expect the $4.50 value to increase so much over the years."
The non-Hello Kitty fan says he joined the queue for his then eight-year-old daughter and his wife, who are fans of the mouthless cat from Japan.
He has placed the Hello Kitty wedding set for sale at $1,900 on Carousell after looking at what the other sellers were offering.
APPROPRIATE
Mr Shaibani feels that the price he has set is appropriate because of all the hard work he has put in to preserve the sets.
He had wrapped them in plastic and stored them in his wardrobe with silica gel packets to absorb the moisture, preventing the Hello Kitty toys from "ageing".
"A Hello Kitty collector wouldn't mind the price because of the time and effort I've put in to maintain the condition of the toys," he says.
Other alternative investments...
COMIC BOOKS
In 2011, actor Nicolas Cage sold the most expensive comic book ever, one of the 50 copies of the 1938 "Action Comics" No. 1, Superman's debut.
The price: $2.16 million, for a copy was once sold for only 10 cents.
In May 2014, the first Wolverine comic art, "The Incredible Hulk" No. 180 sold for $657,250 at an auction.
In 2012, an original Spider-Man piece "Amazing Spider-Man" No. 328 by artist Todd McFarlane sold for $657,250.
WINE
The wines of Ch. Lynch Bages are a very popular choice for both drinkers and investors at Berry Bros. & Rudd and around the world.
It is certainly among the world's most recognisable wine brands, very well established globally with a strong secondary market.
Initially released at £450 per 12 bottle case, trade has been a little volatile at times but overall on a positive trajectory towards its current value of £1700.
The quality of the vintage should ensure continued demand over the coming years.
FINE ART
In March last year, an oil painting by French Post-Impressionist artist Paul Gauguin titled When Will You Marry? sold for almost $300m (£197m), the highest price ever paid for a work of art.
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