...aka... Buying Comic Books as investments...

...or Selling OutI must make a confession, one I am not too proud of. I am not a saavy investor. I don't have a stock portfolio. I don't own equity. Nor do I have a Wealth Manager on speed dial. All I own are my comics... and I don't know their economic worth... just the intrinsic value they hold for me. But that's not my confession. I'll get to that in a minute. Comics are collectables and there's a market for it... obviously. They, like other forms of collectables, are considered alternative assets... non-traditional assets that do not have liquidity like currency, stocks, bonds, and precious metals, but nonetheless have economic value. Do they make for great investments? Well, that all depends who you ask. My opinion is... yes... however, don't trust me... after all, I'm an admitted non-savvy investor.But I do collect comics for my genuine love and appreciation for them. I usually buy comics based on a particular (sometimes peculiar) interest: in a character, its mythology, its place in comics history, for the work of an artist or writer, because of some kind of nostalgic quality, or in rare instances... for a base and morbid curiosity... anyway... these are the reasons I'm compelled me to pull out my wallet and part with my hard-earned cash. So here's my confession... my latest acquisition: Warlock Volume 1, No. 10, CGC graded 9.8, was an impulse purchase based on speculation stemming from movie rumors. I bought it believing it to be a value investment for these two reasons: Firstly... it features the Origin of Thanos: Marvel's answer to DC's Darkseid, created by Jim Starlin. Thanos, who made his first appearance in Iron Man Vol. 1, No. 55, is slated to be the main villain in the Avengers sequel, which is sending price valuations of early Thanos' appearances through the roof. Secondly... the comic features Adam Warlock, Marvel's Christ-like messiah, who may or may not make an appearance in the rumored Guardians of the Galaxy movie... he was, after all, a one-time member of GOTG. Now don't get me wrong. I love this comic no matter what. Jim Starlin is one of my favorite artists and writers. And, I am also a big fan of Adam Warlock... in fact, not too long ago I bought his first appearance in Fantastic Four, Volume 1, No. 67 (known then as Him), and added it to my permanent collection (my precious). And there's also that aesthete side of me that loves the sheer beauty and look of this book: the cover alone is a masterpiece that has that classic 70's Marvel stamp all over it, with balls-to-the-walls action, and vaguely reminds me of a Frank Frazetta's painting where Conan the Barbarian is in the thick of battle standing on top a pile of bodies. But again, I must confess, I bought it simply as a value investment with the hopes of seeing it rise in the speculator market and to sell it at the height of its "inflated" value as we draw closer and closer to the Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers 2 release dates.Am I sellout? Absolutely (Isn't it funny how the word absolutely has remnants of absolution embedded in it). I'm flawed, I'll admit... I confess... but who isn't? Has anyone out there also bought comics simply to make a buck? Of course! I'm not the only one. So, to all you sellouts... and you know who you are... Are you riddled with guilt? Are you having sleepless nights... haunted by the faint whispers and murmurs of "sellout"? Are you seeking absolution? Please share your story... with me... with everybody... with the world... confession is good for the soul... plus, I need to mine for my next investment (muh ha ha ha!) Share, share, share!Happy Collecting and Investing!To see old comments for this Journal entry, click here. New comments can be added below.