Understanding how asset prices are set helps investors feel confident and informed. At Splint Invest, pricing is never arbitrary: every asset is valued using a combination of marketplace data, expert review, and respected market indices.
What Drives Asset Pricing?
- Comparable Sales (Comps): We look for recent sales of similar items, so-called “comparables” or “comps.” Auctions, online markets, and dealer transactions all help show what collectors are actually paying right now. This is the core benchmark for everything we sell.
- Rarity & Demand: Scarcity alone doesn’t make something valuable; there must be demand. We check how many items like it exist and whether collectors are currently seeking them. If it’s rare and people want it, that’s when value increases.
- Condition & Authenticity: Every item is checked for condition (wear, completeness, packaging) and authenticity (is it genuine?). Certificates, grading, or expert authentication help guarantee buyers are getting the real thing.
- Provenance (History): Provenance means an item’s history, who owned it, did it feature in any famous event, was it connected to a celebrity? For example, a sports jersey worn by a champion in a key game, or a watch once belonging to a renowned collector, has greater value because of this unique story.
- Historical & Cultural Significance: If an asset is linked to a famous person, event, or cultural moment, its collector appeal, and market value, increase.
- Reference Prices and Market Indices: For many asset classes, we use respected financial indices and market databases to benchmark values, including:
- Wine: Liv-ex Fine Wine Index, the global standard for fine wine prices.
- Whisky: RareWhisky101 Apex 1000 and Icon100 for rare whisky bottles.
- Classic Cars: HAGI Index (Historic Automobile Group International) to monitor vintage and collectible car prices.
- Diamonds: Freiherr Diamonds Index for high-quality stones.
Why Do Prices Sometimes Seem High?
- Exceptional Provenance or Story: An item tied to a crucial moment or famous owner/signer, like a Lewis Hamilton race suit from the championship, or a Warhol print from a key series, gets a premium.
- Celebrity Connection: Direct links to stars (signed memorabilia, confirmed celebrity-owned items) drive collector competition and push up prices.
- Unique Features: Limited editions, match-worn items, artist-signed goods, or true “one-of-a-kind” products are simply worth more.
- Anticipated Future Demand: If collector trends or expert opinions point to rising demand, the price includes this potential, especially for fast-growing niches.
- Illiquidity and Storage Costs: Many collectibles are hard to sell quickly (“illiquid”). They also require secure storage, insurance, or even special environmental controls. These costs are built into valuations.
Working With External Experts and Transparent Monthly Performance
Splint Invest goes a step further to ensure accuracy and fairness. We partner with trusted external experts every month to revalue each asset in the collection. All performance updates and changes in estimated value are clearly displayed in your portfolio in the app, so you always know how your investments are performing. This ongoing process guarantees that valuations reflect the latest market information.
Example: Whisky Bottle Valuation
Suppose a rare whisky bottle is originally bought for €10,000. Splint Invest averages recent resale prices and checks key whisky indices:
If RareWhisky101 Apex 1000 rises by 10% and Icon100 drops by 5%, these changes are factored into the benchmark. The new asset value is adjusted using both auction results and these index shifts, so you get a transparent, data-driven updated price (for example, €12,050 if the model calculates a 20.5% net increase).
Ongoing Price Validation and Transparency
- Routine Reviews: All asset values are refreshed monthly using the latest comps, sales, and index data.
- Full Documentation: Each listing provides links, figures, and index references for transparent verification.
- Independent Appraisal: Major or unique items may receive third-party valuations for extra assurance.
Where and How Can Investors See Proof?
- Listings feature links to auction results, grading certificates, and indices wherever available.
- Investors can always ask Splint Invest support for more detail about any asset’s current and past valuations.
- Monthly performance history for each asset is visible in your personalized dashboard in the app.
A Quick Dive Into Categories
- Wine: Priced using Liv-ex, vintage, condition, and latest secondary market trades.
- Whisky Casks: Based on linear growth models, half-yearly expert review, and market sales data.
- Whisky Bottles: Assessed with RareWhisky101 Apex 1000, Icon100, and recent auction results.
- Watches: Uses market transaction prices, physical condition, and completeness with original box/papers.
- Art – Developed Artists: Fair value established by auction/gallery sales and weighted by artist reputation.
- Art – Emerging Artists: Relies on rising gallery prices and auction results when available.
- Sports Memorabilia: Based on comparable sales, signer's fame, rarity, and authenticity.
- Sneakers & Handbags: Driven by resale market data, rarity, demand, and condition.
- Luxury Cars: Uses HAGI Index, model, mileage, and collector market trends.
- Diamonds: Valued according to the Four Cs plus the Freiherr Diamonds Index.
- LEGO: Condition, rarity, and lowest current sales prices determine value.
We’re Here to Help
Splint Invest aims to make valuations as transparent as possible. More details (and more examples) are available on request, just ask!
Watch the blog for ongoing asset stories, index updates, and market insights, so you always know how and why asset values are set.
