When Hostess stopped making their “Holiday Fruitcakes”, some wise investors jumped at the chance to buy up the remaining stock as a hedge against inflation. They obviously knew something the rest of us didn’t, because it one short year, the little cakes that sold for less than $2 are now worth $10, and more.

A quick search on Amazon reveals nine of the one-pounders for sale, in prices ranging from $10 to $40. If you’re thinking of adding fruitcake to your portfolio, Amazon isn’t your only source. You’ll find a bunch of these on eBay, too. One seller has 10 for sale, with a small bidding war waging – the price is up to $43, and there’s still a day left to bid.10 fruitcakes

Fruitcake has a history of favorable returns on investment. For example, this one, baked in 1941, was sold at auction last year for $525.00.

Be sure to check with your financial advisor before making any purchases. As an investment strategy, we have no idea whether the price is going to continue to rise, or if a market shift after the holidays will cause the bottom to fall out, resulting in a huge crater when all those fruitcakes hit the ground.

The Great Fruitcake Recycling Project wholeheartedly supports the purchase of vintage fruitcakes. This practice will help slow the production of new fruitcakes to take their place. So, we beg of you, if you’re thinking of buying a fruitcake, buy a vintage one. Don’t bake a fruitcake, and if you receive one as a gift, regift, reuse, recycle, or hang onto that fruitcake. It may be a great addition to your retirement plan.