Anyway, as people who know me will no doubt vouch, I can be a bit obsessive about things, especially hobbies. For the past decade or so, I have been a very keen cyclist. My interest has now started to wane a little, replaced with my new passion for guitars. I can’t claim to be any good at playing them – yet – but I like looking at them and, when the Oliver family liquidity allows, I like buying them.
Last week, I asked she-who-must-be-obeyed if I could get a new one for
our
... my collection. My wife quite rightly pointed out that I didn’t really need it and that our finances, like most banks, were not in the most robust of health. Many know my wife as Annie Dotal, as her evidence is invariably correct. This time was no exception.
Still, as I had set my heart on a nice Epiphone Les Paul, I came up with a solution. How about, I asked Annie, if I sell some of my unwanted assets to fund its purchase? Specifically, I was thinking about one of my bikes, as well as a classic Tag Heuer spot dollar/mark dealer’s watch from 1990 and an ounce of gold that I have kept in my safe for 20 years.