“Enjoy the party, but dance near the door” (or, “enjoy the party, but dance close to the door”) means that one should enjoy rising markets (“the party”), but always be prepared to get out(“the door”) when the party ends.
 
“Well, I think some advice I’ve gleaned as a financial consultant is in order—enjoy the party, but dance near the door!” was cited by Stephen J. Walko in Newsweek magazine in January 1997. The expression has enjoyed its greatest popularity since about 2010.
 
   
Google Books
20 January 1997, Newsweek, “A Penny Saved,” pg. 82:
Well, I think some advice I’ve gleaned as a financial consultant is in order—enjoy the party, but dance near the door!
STEPHEN J. WALKO
CHESTERFIELD, MO.
 
10 March 2002, Daily Herald (Chicago, IL), “Your investments and the economy” by Mike Comerford, Business, pg. 1:
“As the man said, ‘Enjoy the dance but dance close to the door.’”
   
ContraHour
October 10, 2005
Volatility Squeezed Higher
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Or to put it more prosaically, enjoy the party but dance near the door.
     
SciForums.com
Billy T
10-24-10, 07:00 AM
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Some good advice I heard last week: “Enjoy the music while it lasts, but dance near the door.”
 
Stockopedia
Quantitative Easing: Be afraid
Saturday, Nov 13 2010 by Tim Price
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The advice for equity market investors must remain: enjoy the party, but dance near the door.
 
Business Insider
The Great Repression In Europe And The US
Simon Black, Sovereign Man | Feb. 22, 2012, 5:29 AM
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We would normally advise to enjoy the party but dance near the door.
 
Millcroft Financial Group Ltd.
Wednesday, 7 March 2012
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Gerry Coleman perhaps stated it best. In speaking of those who have relied on bonds and bond funds to provide a reliable rate of return he noted: “Enjoy the party, but dance close to the door.”
 
Trustnet
Equities are the only option for investors, says Liontrust’s Luthman
The FE Alpha Manager does not think quantitative easing (QE) is a sustainable cure for the global economy, but sees no other asset class apart from equities worth holding at the moment.
By Alex Paget, Reporter, FE Trustnet
Monday April 15, 2013
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“It is starting to stoke inflation and that is worrying investors, but it links to the old adage – you should enjoy the party but dance near the door.”
(FE Alpha Manager Jan Luthman—ed.)