Suppose that for your fifth birthday in 1998, instead of a shiny new bike, your parents bought you 50 shares of Apple Computer Inc. stock for $164 (each share of Apple stock was worth $3.28, adjusted for two stock splits, on January 1, 1998). Today, those 50 shares would be worth over $25,000. Would you rather have that bike or a brand new car today?
Kristoffer Tripplaar/Alamy