I believe my first purchase was when I was 27 in Skycity and the Warehouse in 2003 and GPG. The Warehouse went down, GPG went up and I had at least one share split in Skycity, which went up. I sold my first house to buy those...... Just before the big property spike.... I did get my entire OE paid for by my shares back then. I got back and got back on the property ladder at a 35%+ premium in one year.