IF YOU'RE looking to invest for the long term, consider helium:

In 1996, Congress passed the Helium Privatization Act, which directed the Secretary of the Interior to sell off the entire Helium Reserve by 2015. Of course, this was at a time when there were more uses for Helium than ever. But here's the problem: the price that the helium is being sold at in order to deplete the reserves by 2015 is incredibly below market. It's practically a liquidation sale. But the low prices are necessary in order to meet the Congressional directive to eliminate the helium reserve.

What's more, not only is helium being sold below market, but getting rid of the helium reserves is creating a temporary glut in supply. As a consequence, helium is too cheap. Far, far, too cheap. So there's no incentive to recycle it (possible in industrial applications). Right now, once it's used, it's gone.

As a result, it's estimated that the world could actually run out of helium in as little as 30 years. It's because of this that the National Research Council recommended that helium reserve prices be set to market, rather than an arbitrary price, and that some reserves are kept in place. If they're not, the NRC estimates that the United States could become a net importer of helium, a dwindling resource, within a decade.

Let me remind everyone again: once the helium is gone, the cheapest way to get more is to get it from the Moon.

Sadly, the helium never seems to stay in the balloons for very long. Otherwise, I'd have a basement full.