RE: My First Investment (and please share yours!)

my first investment was a pair of mice. they cost 50p each (about 65 cents) and I asked for a male & female. They soon started breeding and I converted some old fish tanks for their homes. Before long I had many mice in all different colours. It was a great time for me. I did love them, baby mice are incredibly cute but I couldn't keep them all.

I would have a litter of about 8-10 ready to depart about once per month and I had a deal with the pet shop where I originally bought them. They would buy them at 25p and sell them at 50p. so for my ten mice I would receive £2.50. mouse food mix was 16p per pound and sunflower seeds (which they loved) were 22p per pound. I would buy one of each and 1 bag of sawdust and one of straw at about 50p / 30p. My profit was about £1.50 per month. (which was about an average weeks pocket money at the time) 1982-3.. It would buy a decent amount of sweets or a small airfix model kit, which I was really into at the time.

Later I realised I could sell retail at £1. I had to raise them a bit longer but I took orders in school from every boy I knew and would bring them in a special cardboard mouse box which I bought for pennies from the pet shop. I think I sold about 40-50 mice over a period and became known as the mouse man. It was all very hush hush in school although I think some of the teachers knew ;) I was often seen with a mouse peering out of my top pocket.

I learned alot about business during that period. I was 12. eventually I let them all go near the railway enmbankment. I'm not sure if any survived for very long and I was sad to see them go, but I was beginning to get more interested in playing cards and girls.