My Intentionally Dumb 3-D Printer Trade

I own both of the 3-D printer stocks in my personal account in small enough amounts that they can’t hurt me but large enough amounts that, if I’m right, their rise will be meaningful.

My completely unscientific plan has been to ignore valuation and avoid any news about them, only looking at them bi-weekly to see where they’re trading. So far I’m up quite a bit. It could all be wiped away in a week or I could double my money again…either way, I’m staying hands-off with my Triple D ($DDD) and my Stratasys ($SSYS) positions and willfully remaining ignorant about the short-term. I’m doing this on purpose.

Because I believe the big opportunity is too great for me to allow inconsequential tidbits of news and data to shake me out. Screw the news, forget the fundamentals…if this thing turns out to really be a thing, all I know is I’m going to want to own the two pure-plays down the road. If these guys start printing auto parts or human body parts on a full-scale, commercially viable basis and I’m not long, the Josh of 2019 will never forgive the Josh of 2012 for being “too smart for my own good.”  I don’t even want to tell you how many times I “smartly” bought and then sold Apple for 10% profits from 2002 – 2006.

So for this one, I have the blinders and the earmuffs on. Don’t show or tell me anything.

It’s for my own good, I think.

How’s that for an investing strategy they don’t teach in business school?

Cartoon Source: Dilbert