Let’s face it: This isn’t the most sensible time to be spending discretionary funds on an expanding collection of toys.

Or is it?

Just about any market tracker will show that, as a rule, cars that has appreciated considerably within the last two to five years has plummeted to only modest gains. Case in point: Ferrari F40, Cobras, Corvettes; not to mention nearly every muscle car that’s rolled across the blocks or webpages of an auction house. Now pundits may say that it’s a reflection of our tough economy and that these types of frivolities are being sold at well below their value to cope—and often survive—these conditions. Bull. It’s more of a reality check against those cars which have exceeded what the market could bear. In other words, prices were inflated well beyond what those cars should have been worth and current economic conditions are forcing a correction, much like stocks.

That being said, the old rule of strong cars bring strong money does and always will apply. The most recent Bonham’s Gstaad Christmas Sale is case in point. This might appear to create a chasm between cars that are falling back to earth and cars that are sailing out of reach. True enough, but that doesn’t mean investment opportunities have fallen into that void. Far from it. There are some excellent cars that continue to appreciate and have enormous growth potential. Better yet, they do so without jeopardizing your nest egg. At under $25,000, they are safe buys that can be liquidated if necessary with no loss or even some gain. Here then are ten hot collector cars for a cool economy:

1974-1980 Ferrari Dino 308 GT4
I’m ready to admit it now: The day has finally come for the 308 GT4. This was a car whose early promise was slighted due largely in part to the success of its sibling that came shortly after, the Pininfarina-designed 308 GTB/GTS. Nevertheless, it always had the makings of an excellent collector car:
1.) It remains the only Ferrari penned by Bertone (some would say there’s a reason it’s the only one); 2.) It represents some groundbreaking for Ferrari (albeit safely under the Dino brand for its first two years): It’s the first mid-engine V8 that would in ensuing years become Ferrari’s bread and butter; 3.) It shares the underpinnings with the GTB but adds two (sorta) seats; and 4.) It is, ultimately, a Ferrari and with it, the owner becomes part of the subculture. Sure, there are still a handful of Ferrari purists who will turn their noses at any Ferrari with four seats and no V12 to boot. But therein lies part of the GT4’s appeal: They are much more approachable and so too are most of their owners. They are meant to be driven. Forza Magazine called the GT4 the best driving of the 308 series. Many, in fact, were driven into the ground and without question—more than any other Ferrari—weathered, neglected and decayed 308 GT4s are routinely on the market in the low teens or even under $10K. These are classic cases of the most expensive Ferrari is a cheap Ferrari and should be avoided. Restoration and repair costs can well exceed their value. There are however well cared for examples that have seen relatively low miles (under 50K) with proper maintainance for $20-25K that require only minor detail work, if any. Prices have bottomed out and current asking price indeces track the 308 GT4 at about 5% growth. That number will surely rise through the natural course of time combined with stablized economic conditions.