By
Gary Scott

Lesson #3

You can buy a house in Quito right now for $2,500. See why interest in Colonial property is rising now.

Our friend who is researching Quito property for us found a downtown house on one acre, with a view for $2,500. Here is what he wrote: "Found a place today that is about an acre. Has a 1 room house and a view of the Old City to kill for, and they want $2500. You have to walk up 122 steps to get to it, but that is cheap."

This is the third lesson International Investments That Sell and this lesson shows why things old will grow in popularity. Colonial property, nostalgia and old time values have extra appeal in this day and age. This knowledge can help you improve your international business and international investments.

Lesson one and two showed how economic eras and Maslow's hierarchy of needs lead humanity to look at the past through rose colored glasses. As the global economy grows we can see nostalgia working in the market place all over the world.

England, for example, was going through a tough economic time and this spawned an entire industry called " School Disco " that swept the UK. Singers from the 80s suddenly back in demand. Why? Graduates from the 80s saw their job market and times turn tough so they started looking back to the good old times!

International Investments Nostalgia

Nostalgia is creeping into the U.S. market as well. For example one catalogue company is mailing huge amounts of the Soviet Collection, a glossy 56 page, four color collection of stuff made in Russia (you can buy a genuine Soviet spacesuit for $17,500). Why the attention to this era? Apparently times are viewed as so bad that even the cold war era seems like a good old time.

A Russian wool coat sold by the Soviet Collection for $149!

Gary Scott conducts courses on international business and international investments.

One reader wrote to me:

"Gary, I have thousands of styles in my business and am well known by wholesalers for having many old and nostalgic styles of jewelry. Sales to wholesalers and stores are good but sales at our own in-store displays, shows and stores are poor. What seems to be happening is that the customers are spending fewer total dollars and are buying things which are cheaper and which remind them of better times. We sell more ring styles which were popular in the 1960's and 1970's to the late teens and early twenties group than to their parents or anyone in between."

So one way to profit in international business from this fact is to have international investments that own or sell or make things (business-investments-real estate-etc.) related to nostalgia.

Lesson four of International Investments that Sell looks at another interesting aspect of human nature and how it attracts buyers to colonial property, nostalgia and other old time values.

Until then may all your nostalgia be good.

Let's look at an interesting aspect of human nature: people want what they no longer have. Your international business and international investments will improve if you understand this fact.

This is the fourth lesson of International Investments that Sell a seven lesson mini course that shows why colonial property, nostalgia and old time values have extra appeal today

Think about what people want that they no longer have. The Western world no longer needs to sit around a fire. Yet when central heating became perfect, everyone suddenly wanted a fireplace. They missed the coziness!

We no longer need to go into the woods. Once the road systems in America became perfected so you can drive anywhere on perfectly smooth paved roads, the four wheel drive off-road SUV became the most purchased car in the country. Even with high gas prices drivers chose huge four wheel drive cars,

In the western world, families aren't together so much any more. As families become less united, more moms work, more children become latch key kids and more parents have to travel and be away from home on business. The family room has become one of the most important rooms for selling new houses. Parents need this to show their love of family since they cannot do so in the traditional way.

Look how I use this fact in marketing handcrafted wooden wagons

My reckoning is that people hate to see children lose their innocence to the modern, fast paced world and they will want their children (that is my grandson in the picture) and grand kids to have things that reflect what they no longer have, old fashioned values in their toys.

The marketing story selling these wagons reflects this thought:

“More than a toy-a lifetime childhood treasure."

“Grandpa flipped the switch and headed up the attic stairs. The boy followed, wide eyed in 40 watts of warm yellow that stained memories of the times past. Bundled in Aunt Lizzie's old brown, tweed coat was Grandpa's wooden wagon, still alive though one handrail was bruised from a fall off the porch 50 years ago."

“The boy spun a wheel and heard it turn, still perfect and smooth. This Grandpa's wagon will stay in our family...but you can have your own. Place Grandpa's wagon in the shopping cart and a Blue Ridge craftsman will ship you this hand made wagon of rubbed wormy maple so your adventures and memories can begin right away!"

“Two weeks of a master's skill creates just one of these handcrafted, traditional Blue Ridge designs, 22 inches long, 10 inches wide, pure wormy maple. Tough, rugged enough to last a lifetime or more."

“These are all one of a kind, nostalgic hand crafted children's toys.”

International Investments that Sell lesson five looks at art and how nostalgia and old time values can sell in this field.

Gary Scott