Pandemic Prescience: Precious Products

       "If only I had seen this coming, I would have..."

     Anyone who has been a long term financial investor has endured the fluctuations of the market, reflected in their bottom lines of monthly or quarterly statements. Most financial advisers counsel us not to get too anxious about the lows or too giddy about the highs, assuming you are in it for the long haul. If you are a 'day trader', on the other hand, you have either constructed or bought into highly complicated algorithms to predict and respond to the minute to minute signs of financial market trends.

       I found myself reflecting on the foregoing economic and psychological dynamics as different products became more valuable early in the pandemic. Early on, we saw toilet paper, bottled water (as if we were going to run out of water), and all things  related to PPE jumping off the store shelves. Recently, of course, supply has caught up with demand (you have probably read humorous stories of people who now don't know what to do after overbuying TP). We also observed a temporary shortage of meat and a few other food items, which turned out to be more related to supply chain (i.e., people, not product) issues. But what about other products that are not so instrumental to our existence but have come into higher demand? If only I'd seen ahead of time, I would have invested in:

       Yellow tape -- you know, the kind the officials used to wrap around playground equipment, tennis courts, and other venues they wanted temporarily closed off to us, ostensibly for our own 'safety'.

         Bubble wrap -- both the type Amazon uses (given the increase in demand for delivered products) and the type used to put people in 'bubbles' (while facetious here, I'll bet someone will now patent this and not credit me).

        Kayaks, pools, trampolines, PELETONS (I can't believe how many have shelled out big bucks for these!), bicycles, gym equipment--all in attempt to stay active in and outside, as other venues have been restricted.

     Campers, RV's! -- Coming back from northern Michigan, I encountered more of these on the highway than on any other trip in recent memory, apparently reflecting an increase in preference for these over hotel rooms, etc.

         Curbs -- for curbside pickup (another intellectual property I am giving away here). 

       Hammocks -- all of a sudden, people are literally 'hanging out' in parks and other public places, using hammocks as their personal 'bubbles'.

       Magnets for magnet fishing -- I can't believe I just discovered this type of recreation, after enjoying a day with my grandson. It's now a craze. If only I had known ahead of time...

       Well, what else have I missed and what's next? And what's going  to happen with all this 'stuff' when no longer in demand? Hmmm, maybe I should invest in storage units (you're already ahead of me, aren't you?!).