The Importance of a Diversified Portfolio

So, here it is, 2008. The New Year. A time to look back on the past and look forward at what is to come. One thing you might be looking back on is your portfolio and how it performed last year, and maybe considering some changes. To help you with that, I’m going to introduce you to some of the favorite selections from our portfolio and show you why I (and the Greyhounds) believe so strongly in diversification throughout all of the major sectors.

First, from the cetacean sector, is Flipper.

Part bean bag, part stuffie, but ALL fun, Flipper has a squeaker in its dorsal fin. The weightiness of its bean-bag tail makes it fun to throw, and it makes a nice rustling sound, too. It also makes an adequate pillow and is good to snuggle with.

If you’re looking to get into the frayed-knot sector, it’s hard to go wrong with the tried-and-true, ever-popular Rope Bone.

While it doesn’t make a very good pillow, the Rope Bone is fantastic as the prize in a game of tug-of-war. Its weight also makes it fun to throw. And, as an added bonus, you can chew on it and floss your teeth at the same time! I dare you to try to take it from me. Come on! I double dare you!

No well-diversified portfolio is complete without something from the reptile sector. For that, we suggest the Long Green Snake.

The Snake has the benefits of a squeaker in its head, a rattle in its tail, and a whole lot of length to chew on in between. You just have to be certain to position it carefully when you’re moving around with it, otherwise you might trip.

One sector some people are hesitant to get involved in is giant insects, but we’ve found the Huge Green Spider to be a nice addition to our portfolio.

As you can see, the Huge Green Spider is one of Jack’s favorites. This is most likely because that fat, furry green body hides a grunter, and while Jack isn’t much for playing with toys, grunters drive him crazy. (Note the Multi-colored Rope Bone with Tennis Ball in the foreground - another of our selections from the frayed-knot sector.)

Besides the grunter, the Huge Green Spider also has squeakers in some of its “feet” and a rattle in its head, and its fantastic for a game of tug-of-war.

It can also do a pretty good imitation of a Cereus cactus:

From the multi-purpose sector, our favorite is the Rawhide Bone.

Not only can you chew on a rawhide bone as a between-meal snack and a good teeth-cleaner, but once it gets small enough, you can throw it around and chase it like a ball!

As I’m sure you’re aware, diversity within a sector is just as important as diversity between sectors. To illustrate this, here are some of our selections from our favorite sector, the vocal simians - available exclusively through Northcoast Greyhounds.

Pale green Georgie Screaming Monkey is one of our picks. Besides making it scream with a well-placed chomp, it’s fun to roll around with and toss about, and it goes quite nicely with the Long Green Snake, the Huge Green Spider, and my favorite toy.

Next is the Kissing Monkey. This stringy vocal simian is black with pink hearts, and it makes kissing noises when you chomp its noisemaker. It’s also good for shaking and for playing tug-of-war.

The camouflaged Screaming Rambo Monkey is perfect for rough-and-tumble games inside or out…assuming you can find it.

Fruit Loops, the ultra-colorful Screaming Monkey, is not only good for breakfast, but also likes to be taken on your morning run…

…and jump…

…and run…

…and jump.

A couple more of our vocal simian selections are the Baby Blue Screaming Gorilla and the natural-colored Peanut Butter and Jelly Screaming Monkey.

The Screaming Gorilla’s plump body is fantastic to carry around and chomp on, and it’s easier to find than a lot of the smaller, less brightly colored monkeys.

One sector you might want to stay away from is the candy wrapper sector.

I sampled a selection from this sector a short while ago, but Mom warned me that despite the wonderful sound it made when I chewed on it, it wasn’t safe.

So, there you have it, a sampling of some of the selections from our portfolio and why we think they’re worth owning. I hope you found this helpful in building or adding to your own portfolio. Now I think it’s time for a nap.

May all of your investments be as fun as ours!

–Sergei