9 Crazy Ways to Own Gold
The shiny metal's price has soared, but owning it on paper or storing it in bars isn't a lot of fun. From bathroom fixtures to a gold iPad, here are 9 unusual ways to buy gold.
Going for the gold
Gold has been a superstar of the investment world in the last few years. As the economy turned sour, investors rushed to the precious metal as a safe alternative to the rocky stock market.
Gold bugs piled on, the price of the metal soared and pretty soon everyone wanted a piece of the action.
The price briefly topped $1,800 an ounce, though it has pulled back recently.
The problem, though, is how exactly you should own gold. Gold stocks and funds like SPDR Gold Shares, GLD aren't all that much fun. Gold bars can be a hassle, too, since you have to pay to store and insure them.
Are there other ways to jump into the gold frenzy? Oh, yes. From a solid gold toilet to a pencil-sized pistol, there are dozens of "investments" made of gold that are a lot more intriguing than a boring pile of bricks.
Following are nine of the oddest ways to own gold:
Gold is hugely popular in China, and busloads of tourists come to see this solid gold toilet in one of the country's major cities.
Bling details. The 24-carat lavatory was created to attract shoppers to a jeweler's "Hall of Gold," which also features a golden palace and statues, Agence France-Presse reports.
What's it worth?
Trivia: Did you know the U.S. government owns one of the world's most expensive toilets? Find out who bought it and the mind-boggling purchase price.
A gold-plated pistol that looks like a pencil? Sounds like something James Bond would carry in his pocket.
Bling details. The pencil-pistol was made in 1948 by the late Maharaja of Jodhpur as a present for the last Viceroy of India, Technabob reports. The pencil's tip comes off, revealing a 2 3/4-inch barrel.
What's it worth?
Trivia: Remember the most expensive pistol ever sold?
If a gold toilet isn't enough, how about a golden bathtub? Luxury company Inax is selling a bathtub covered in white gold.
Bling details. The bathtub, which debuted in Tokyo last year, is covered with 10-millimeter tiles of 24-carat white gold. Inax also makes a gold-plated toilet with a unique feature.
The marriage that will not go away -- no matter how much you want it to -- has received its own commemorative coin.
Bling details. The company GoldCoin.net created a 24-karat gold coin to celebrate the over-the-top wedding of reality-TV star Kim Kardashian and basketball star Kris Humphries. The best part? The coin has the following inscription: "Together forever . . . Only time will tell."
What's it worth?
Trivia: By comparison, what was the price for the royal wedding coin for Prince William and Kate Middleton.
China brings us yet another golden head-scratcher. A jewelry store in Nanjing displayed a gold-plated Infiniti sports car earlier this year.
Bling details. It took five people more than four months to plate the G37 coupe with gold, the Xinhua News Agency reported. While the crowds loved the sparkly vehicle, it was reportedly blocking traffic and was parked on the street with no license plates, so police had it towed.
What's it worth? There wasn't a price tag on the gold-plated Infiniti, but check out the cost of this gold-plated luxury vehicle.
Trivia: Check out the massive record price paid for a vintage Bugatti coupe.
Leave it to British designer Stuart Hughes to come up with a solid gold iPad.
Bling details. Hughes used 53 diamonds to create the Apple logo, and made the casing and screen frame from a single piece of 22-carat gold. Hughes made only 10 versions of this iPad.
Want to impress your co-workers? Haul in the gold-plated Canon copier from designer Yogi Proctor. Find out if it can make copies.
Bling details. It's about the size of a real copier and has parts made of aluminum, glass and plastic.
What's it worth? We don't know the designer's price, but we can say it is
Move over, Victoria's Secret. In April, a Chinese jewelry store displayed two solid-gold bras that took five designers and four workers nearly six months to make, according to Jing Daily.
Bling details. Engraved with phoenixes and dragons, each bra weighed about 2 pounds.
What's it worth?
Trivia: The world's most expensive panty-and-bra set is a Victoria's Secret product encrusted with precious jewels and worth millions. How much? See photos of supermodel Gisele modeling the set.
A gold beer mug
Beer enthusiasts swear that the mug makes all the difference. So could a solid gold mug make Bud Light taste like nectar of the gods? You probably wouldn't be drinking Bud Light from this luxurious mug anyway.
Bling details: Japanese gold company Ginza Tanaka unveiled the 850-gram mug as part of its "summer cool" collection. Ginza Tanaka also offers golden sake and wine glasses at $30 a gram, in case you want to avoid that golden beer belly.
What's it worth?
Trivia: Need a pricey beer to fill that extravagant mug? The world's most expensive beer will set you back a lot more than Bud Light.
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