So I've been thinking about this next topic for a while: businesses that I want nothing to do with. Mostly I don't want any investment in them because they are going away completely or mostly. For your consideration I present: Businesses that Suck to be in.
1) Pay phone manufacturers. I'm not even sure who does this, but you KNOW someone still does and it's a crappy business that will go away. Heck, I wouldn't even want to be in the handset business. Those are going away as well. Everyone has a cell phone.
2) Watches. I'm sorry you watch wearers, but you are a dying breed. Women may wear them for a bit for the jewelry aspect, but even those are going to be fewer and fewer. There's just no need. Again, cell phones.
3) PC's. Specifically desktop PC's. Their sales are already down this year and the need continues to slow as, again, cell phones do more and more. Then through in a tablet here and there and you really don't need a PC at home much anymore. Maybe for a while still, but your definitely investing on the down slope if you buy into these companies.
4) Newspapers and magazines. Yeah, couldn't be more obvious right? At least with the newspaper part of it. But what about magazines? Newsweek just stopped printing their magazine and went solely digital. That's going to happen more and more. Newspapers are already consolidating and going under and the trend is going to continue.
5) Cigarettes. I have no problem investing in these companies and collecting the dividends, or at least I did about 10 years ago. Now though, with the anti-smoking campaigns, sin taxes even foreign countries starting to ban cigarettes in public places, this is an industry in trouble going forward.
Those are a few, but I feel like I'm forgetting some. Thoughts?
4 comments:
So...I can't play video games while wearing a watch and using the newspaper to line the bird cage all while not smoking??? What is the point of life...
My 2 cents: I agree about payphones (gross anyway)and newsprint...when all the electricity goes out though, you'll be sorry you don't have a watch(the kind you wind). I'd love to see cigs go away...not in our lifetime pal...
Oh I'm not saying cigs will go away completely, even domestically. But I don't want to be part of that business as it stumbles to the finish line with declining usage due to higher and higher taxes.
hrm... I can see watches become a niche product. I think they already have.
I haven't worn a watch in years. We just discontinued our newspaper delivery. (The service sucked and we only wanted the Sunday paper for the grocery coupons which they give away in the store anyway.) We still have a land-line, though we rarely answer it when it rings. I have a People magazine subscription that I can also read on my Nook. I still prefer the paper version.
Oh... and we just got rid of our answering machine a couple of months ago.
Post a Comment