Paper Stock Certificates - Going or Gone!crying girl

Mergers, bankruptcies and an industry-wide effort to go paperless have made stock certificates quite rare, especially for the companies below. This is great news for those lucky enough to already have a physical stock certificate because their collectible value goes up.  For those that missed the boat, it's kind of sad!

The industry-wide effort to eliminate paper stock certificates and move toward electronic ownership is picking up steam so the days of physical certificates for any company are numbered.  For those who appreciate the artistry and historical value of paper stock certificates, there is no better time than now to get one!  See our entire stock list or unique stock certificates list.  If you missed the boat or want to see other cool collectible stock certificates, go to www.scripophily.com .

The stock certificates for the companies below are either extinct or soon to be extinct!  See what their stock certificates look like.

Latest Casualties

  • GONE! facebook logo FacebookDecision at time of IPO (May 2012) to not issue paper certificates. Buy a share of Facebook here and get true ownership and a replica certificate to show off.
  • GONE human genome logo Human Genome SciencesAcquired by Glaxo in 2012 .
  • GONE! microsoft logo Microsoft Inc.Effective 4/2012, microsoft will no longer issue paper certificates
  • GONE! playboy logo Playboy EnterprisesAs of 3/4/2011 Playboy is no longer publicly traded - Hef took it private.
  • GONE!   Evergreen SolarAs of 1/1/11, the company had a 1 for 6 reverse split and no loger issues paper certificates.
  • GONE!   General Motor New IPOThis new issue is 100% electronic registration so no paper certificates..
  • GONE!   Motorola Inc.As of January 4, 2011, Motorola Inc. stock is gone.  The company split into two companies - Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions.  Both companies do not issue paper certificates.
  • GONE!   Apple Inc.As of Nov. 2010, Apple no longer issues paper stock certificates. Congratulations to all our past customers who got one of these collectibles.
  • GONE!   Burger KingAcquired by 3G Capital - stock certificates going away soon.
  • GONE! Palm Inc.Merged with HP in July 2010.
  • GOING AWAY? Buy now dreamworks logo DreamWorks AnimationThere have been occasional rumors that Disney and others may be interested in this last independent film-maker nothing confirmed yet.
  • GONE! world poker logo World Poker TourAsset sale to British on-line gaming giant PartyGaming - 11/09
  • GONE! marvel logo MarvelMerged with Disney 12/2009.
  • GONE! wyeth logo WyethMerged with Pfizer 10/09
  • GONE! gm logo General MotorsBankrupt - no longer public. Authentic collectibles available here.
  • GONE! visa logo Visa Intl Inc.Entirely electronic as of 8/09
  • GONE! wrigley logo Wm Wrigley CompanyAcquired by Mars Inc. a private company.
  • GONE! Buy authentic collectible now merrill lynch logo Merrill LynchAcquired by Bank of America in 2008.   Authentic collectible available here.
  • GONE! budwieser Anheuser-Busch Inc.Acquired by InBev of Belgium in 2008.  Now we offer Anheuser-Busch/InBev stock.
  • GONE! imclone systems logo ImClone SystemsAcquired by Eli Lilly in 2008.
  • GONE! pixar logo PIXAR AnimationAcquired by Disney in 2007. There was a huge rush to get their certificates.
  • GONE! intel logo IntelOne of the first to go all electronic

  • You may be asking,  How do I get a paper stock certificate?  The answer is that you are in the right place - see our stock list.
   
collectible stock 4upThe Story Behind the  Effort to Eliminate Paper Stock Certificates.

Like everything else in this world, the securities industry is going digital in order to increase efficiency and save money. They call it "dematerialization" - we call it sad.

Some companies have already stopped issuing paper and many others plan to do the same soon. Still others will start charging fees to issue a paper certificate in order to discourage it.   Industry observers think that paper certificates will largely be eliminated in a year or two. What does this all mean? It means that if you want a paper stock certificate, you better hurry!

The industry-wide effort to eliminate physical stock certificates started over 30 years ago but momentum is building.  Below is a chronology of the major events:
  • 1960's - Financial district messengers carried satchels of stock certificates from one broker to another. During peak periods, the stock market would be closed one day a week to allow brokerage firms to catch up on paperwork.
  • 2006 - Delaware, the state where many companies are incorporated, changed it's state law removing the requirement for physical stock certificates. This got the ball rolling.
  • 1970's - Brokerage firms took the first step to streamline paperwork by establishing a central depository, the Depository Trust Company (DTC) where all stock certificates could be maintained.
  • 2007 - As of 1/1/2007, any new issue on NASDAQ or NYSE had to be eligible for electronic registration on the Direct Registration System (DRS). They could still use paper but would also be set up to allow electronic registration.
  • 2008 - 1/1/2008 was the target date established for all companies on the NASDAQ and NYSE to be set up on the DRS.  Although the target gets moved out, most companies comply..
  • 2009 - As of 1/1/2009 the stock brokers cannot send physical stock certificates for  most companies.  The reason is that the DTC stops providing this service to brokers.  We can still get them because we work directly with transfer agents.
  • 2010 - Stock brokers start charging huge fees ($100-$500) for providing paper stock certificates, in order to discourage customers
  • 2012 - Some stock brokers like Scottrade stop delivering paper stock certificates, while others like Scwab and eTrade pass on the $500 DTCC fee.

 

   

 

 

Cool CNBC story about Facebook and other valuable stock certificates