Ever get stuck looking for the perfect gift? You know the person doesn’t need another “thing” and a gift-card seems too impersonal. How about giving a stock certificate? OneShare.com enables you to give the gift of a stock certificate for that special someone. What’s cooler than buying someone a piece of a company they love?
OneShare.com is a privately-owned company that sells stocks one at a time. Lance Lee, a stock broker, came up with the idea in 1996 after years of being asked by parents how to go about buying stocks as presents for their children. Based in San Francisco, OneShare has sold hundreds of thousands of stocks to satisfied customers all over the world.
Unique Stocks
Buying stock shares is a great gift option – from newborn to grade school-er to graduate. With a little thought on your part, you can personalize the stock to fit any friend or family member. OneShare.com specializes in offering unique stocks that can be a fun and welcoming gift. For a new baby, one might consider purchasing stock in Johnson and Johnson (NYSE:JNJ). Parents-to-be might enjoy (and need) stock in Starbucks (NASDAQ:SBUX)! Any child would love to own part of a company like Hershey (NYSE:HSY) or Build-A-Bear (NYSE:BBW). Middle schoolers would enjoy owning stock in GameStop (NYSE:GME), Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), or Target (NYSE:TGT). A high school student would be thrilled to be a shareholder in Abercrombie & Fitch (NYSE:ANF) or Dick’s Sporting Goods (NYSE:DKS). And what child, of any age, wouldn’t love to own stock in Disney (NYSE:DIS)?! These are all options offered through OneShare.com.
Using the Site
When you visit OneShare.com, you will be pleased by what the company has to offer and at how user-friendly the site really is. Not only do they clearly explain how to go about purchasing stock and what it means to be an owner of stock, they offer many choices to their clients including stocks in more than 150 companies and personalization options.
The site is also very helpful if you are feeling overwhelmed or if you have never bought stock before. You can browse all companies alphabetically or by price, industry, and popularity. You can also search by occasion (for example; graduation, thank you, Mother’s Day). They even give suggestions for babies, children, teens, him, her, etc. And there are always specials being offered.
Making a Purchase
If you are interested in the idea of real stock as a gift, you might be wondering how to go about getting started! OneShare.com’s fun and helpful website will guide you through the entire process. There are just three steps to follow to make this idea a reality:
- Choose your gift of stock from more than 150 brands. Consider favorite companies, meaning for the recipient, and cost. With a price range of $30 — $1,000 per stock, there is something for everyone!
- Personalize your gift. You can choose from many types of frames – paper, wood, pewter, metal, etc. There are also multiple engraving options.
- Purchase your gift with a credit card. Each stock has a one time $39 certificate fee. This covers the cost of acquiring stock. Because you are not going through a brokerage company, there are no account fees or necessary minimum deposits. Keep in mind, there are extras like special engraving and frames that can increase the cost.
In less than three minutes, the process will be complete and you will have purchased a special gift for that special someone!
Educating Children
Better than a savings bond or more toys, giving a gift of stock can create a potential life-long tradition. Children will be excited to see the name of “their” company online and in the newspaper. OneShare.com includes a complimentary start-up kit with all new purchases. This kit includes a personalized gift card, a helpful quick reference guide, and a full color owner’s manual. A free consultation with a Parent Investment Specialist is also included with each purchase of stock. You can also sign up for a monthly newsletter, yet another educational tool offered by OneShare.com.
And what an educational opportunity! Parents will be able to use the tools provided by OneShare.com to teach their kids how to manage money in in a new and meaningful way. With parents helping them to monitor their stock and potentially participate in share holder voting, they can become financially savvy individuals.
Yes, you can buy stock for someone stock in a brokerage account and let them know it’s there. But there’s something visceral; real in having the actual stock certificate on a wall and knowing that means you own a small piece of the company.
If you are staring at that invitation and wracking your brain for the perfect gift… think stocks!
This is a cool idea. Someday, I would like to collect various shares of stock for historical or artistic value with a frame and all. I think that would be a fun hobby. Right now, I don’t have a lot extra to spend on it, but thanks for the heads up on this site.
Hmm, that’s an interesting way you could use the service. That could be pretty cool to have a collection of great companies on your wall (assuming they are doing well).
Don’t buy from oneshare.com! I did this back in December 2013 as a gift… they said it was delayed and then never sent it at all. No response from them – no refund. I’ve filed a complaint with the BBB.