Stamp collecting may be a leisurely hobby for septuagenarians in some countries, but in China, it's serious business.
According to a recent Wall Street Journal story, one-third of the world's stamp collectors come from China, and for good reason: collectible postal antiques can command up to seven figures if they're rare enough. The video above provides a short rundown of why exactly they are so much more valuable in China than elsewhere, stating that hard assets are seen by China's wealthy as a much more stable investment than its shaky stock market. We've already seen this trend feature prominently in Asian art auction sales that have skyrocketed far above estimates, and will be likely to see it in the future with regards to anything expected by Chinese collectors to go up in value in the coming years.
In the video above, journalist Jason Chow sums it up best when he says, "In China, stamp collectors aren't the joke, they're laughing—all the way to the bank."