Alternative to Bright Dip Anodizing Trim

Sharkhide and other wipe-on or liquid products are more or less glorified wax. It's a polymer resin sealant and will be temporary like a wax, but slightly more durable. Wax will do the job as well and probably easier to get ahold of. Paint should last longer, but getting it to bond without fish-eye on a super smooth surface could be tough. Bare and clean aluminum typically polishes up quick with mothers or other compounds versus paint that requires more work to strip and redo.

If it were me, I'd just hand polish with mothers and keep it well waxed in between. I'm sure some of the more modern ceramic waxes and such would hold up longer and likely not impact the appearance as much.

If you did ever decide to puruse an anodized finish, companies like Caswells do offer anodizing kits for the DIYer and they work pretty well. Certainly not super-cheap, but for someone restoring a car or who has other hobbies which include anodized aluminum it mike make financial sense. For small parts, the power needed isn't too terrible but the power supply is definitely the most expensive bit of kit.