If a Chanel handbag, vintage Ferrari roadster or rare Stradivarius violin are on your Christmas wish list, then the latest figures from Credit Suisse on the real returns of collectables may add some credibility to the cause.

In a new research paper, the investment bank’s number-crunchers conclude that collectables such as fine art, antiques, classic cars, wine, jewellery and even musical instruments are an “integral part of wealth” in a world of increasingly scarce returns.

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