Our story

History

The history of physical assets stretches all the way back to the dawn of civilization. Well before the creation of the stock market, and even before the advent of currencies, physical assets were used to store wealth. 

The oldest of physical assets were in fact livestock, a tradition that has carried on in many parts of the world to this day. Like many of the most popular alternative assets such as timepieces and whisky, livestock can appreciate in value over time as the animal grows. They can be easily traded and are universally recognised among human societies for their value. 

As time went on, and society became more complex, other goods began to be traded. At the centre of any ancient town would have been the market place, where merchants would barter and exchange assets. It was at this point that commodities like livestock would be traded for other more luxury goods. Thus items such as jewellery, beautiful shells, precious metals, spices and textiles began to be how people stored their wealth.

In time currencies were formed, at their heart they were simply tokens that represented the idea of wealth, rather than the physical item itself. The Latin word for money, “pecunia” is derived from the word “pecus” meaning cattle. However, changing dynasties, societal collapses and natural disasters could easily devalue a currency. This would mean that the majority would still store a large amount of their wealth as physical assets. A coin’s value depended on which monarch’s face sat upon it, while an amphora of wine is almost universal. 

Even now during the most recent period of human history, where unprecedented technological growth has allowed for the trading of intangible assets such as stocks and bonds. In many ways this growth has created even greater instability, since the turn of the century there has been a recession almost once a decade. For physical assets, nothing has changed, they represent a port in the storm. They are luxuries that maintain their value because of their innate physicality, not due to shared cultural perceptions. 

Our Story

Being a portmanteau of the areas where our founders grew up, Hackstons is a blend of experts from a wide variety of disciplines who endeavour to acquire the very best luxury tangible assets for our clients. 

Our founders always relished in the fast pace of London, cutting their teeth in traditional finance as well as debt and equity products. However, something always felt hollow, a kind of primal desire for something else. 

Personal Ownership 

Every client they spoke to began to talk more and more about physical assets, about their desire to hold their investments, their desire to see them, their desire to enjoy them. 

As they began to immerse themselves within the world of tangible assets, they began to understand. The trio ended up building portfolios made up of: Gold, Timepieces, Wine, Art, Whisky, Land.

In 2008, when words like recession and manipulation were being touted, and the subprime fiasco led to the collapse of financial markets around the world, the founders were comparing their tangible assets to their intangible assets. 

What they discovered surprised them.

The things you can own had increased EXPONENTIALLY over the last decade...

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ART

Art

Art portfolios had increased in value by 71%.

Coins

Coins

Rare coin brokers had found that limited coin collections value had increased by 72%.

Timepieces

Timepieces

The price of luxury watches has increased by 89%.

Hermes Birkin Bag
Luxury bags

Luxury Bags

Designer luxury handbags increased in price by 108% for investors.

Cars

Cars

Increased in price by 198% for the most popular classic cars for investment.

Whisky

The true power of physical assets revealed themselves, as a hedge against instability. 

After investing for decades in tangible assets, our founders knew with the economic instability of the present that physical assets were needed, so that investors could inflation-proof their portfolios. 

We moved into the iconic Gherkin, in the beating heart of London and on-boarded our first clients. Our founders turned their vast experience to growing wealth and building portfolios consisting of culturally significant tangible assets. Now, Hackstons stands at the forefront of acquisition. We have built an expert team of Account Managers and analysts whose combined experience have helped to fortify the financial future of hundreds. If you wish to understand more about the physical asset ecosystem, get in touch with us.

“Every object holds a story.”

Alexander Posey, Poet and Humorist

What our clients say

  1. You must be 18 years or older to purchase alcohol-based products from Hackstons.
  2. All information about asset purchases on our website and social media sites is for information purposes only. No information provided should be taken as financial advice on asset investment. If you wish to obtain financial advice on asset investments, you should seek the assistance of a qualified financial advisor before carrying out your purchase through Hackstons.
  3. Hackstons employees are not tax advisors and cannot advise on the tax benefits of asset investment. If you require tax advice on asset investment, you should seek the advice of a qualified tax advisor.
  4. Information provided by Hackstons is of a purely general nature, and it does not always relate to trades, sales or returns carried out or achieved by Hackstons.
  5. As with all investments, an asset's value can go up and down. Please note that any numerical figures or investment performance results mentioned on our websites and content are based on historical data and are provided for informational purposes only. Past performance is not indicative of future results, and there are no guarantees of any specific investment returns. All investments involve risks, and individuals should carefully consider their own financial circumstances and seek professional advice before making any investment decisions.
  6. If you are purchasing a whisky cask, you must consider the cost of maintaining your cask. You will be liable for storage and insurance. The price will be dependent on how comprehensive the policy is and premiums may increase on an annual basis. It is advisable to perform regular health checks on your cask every three years. Cask services are chargeable to the client, including regauging, samples, and photographs.
  7. All casks are stored within HMRC-bonded warehouses and are subject to strict rules and regulations set by HMRC. Hackstons may occasionally require certain information from you to comply with HMRC requirements.
  8. Where Hackstons mentions 'press' or 'featured in' publications, it should be noted that these articles are sponsored advertorial content and not editorial pieces.
  9. Hackstons is not authorised or regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), and we do not offer any specific financial advice on the use of assets as investments.