BarryAllen

No, I am correct, the print run of a comic has absolutely nothing to do with its valuation. Absolutely nothing. Now, if demand spikes and the available HG copies are lower than expected (due to many factors, attrition, print defects, print run, recycling drives, etc.) then it can affect price. But by itself, it is absolutely positively 100% worthless as an indicator of value. We will have to agree to disagree. Obviously it is not the last link in the chain of causation but it does have an effect on the total number of copies available on the secondary market. That is as there will never be more than the original print run available, hence it is a determinant of the final supply, and hence price. Agree with the post. There is no such thing as marketplace pricing without applying the laws of both Supply and Demand. Regardless of personal evaluation and single instances of purchase behavior, supply and demand determine market pricing equilibrium. Additionally, you cannot discuss the importance of one without the other, they are intrinsically linked. Arguing otherwise is ridiculous, tenement to denying the existence of algebra or chemistry. People can love the comic all they want and hope the popularity trend continues, but ignoring or attempting to ignore proven principles of economics and mathematics is not a persuasive argument. It is silly and ruins any credibility your position might have had. Maybe some (definitely not all) people in here should put down a comic once in awhile and pickup a textbook...

:shrug: Extremely helpful.

Not sure why, but again, I’ll post because it’s Sunday and the Steelers aren't playing. I’ll start with as much support as I can give. As I stated, I love TWD and think it’s coming down, but I also think it’s certifiable if you think it’s just some book that’s a fad and we’ll never think of it again 10 years from now. A: One of the most feverent and wide fan bases of any current franchise or entertainment entity around. So. How do you quantify feverence? NO IDEA. But a good place I’d start is sales… Best Sellers - The New York Times: January 2014: http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/paperback-graphic-books/list.html?category=paperback-graphic-books&pagewanted=print Hollywood reporter: 'The Walking Dead' Graphic Novels Dominate The New York Times Bestseller List: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/walking-dead-robert-kirkman-graphic-novel-bestseller-275974 Comic Book Resources: "THE WALKING DEAD" DOMINATES DIAMOND COMICS' 2012 TOP 500 LISTS: http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=43051 Bleeding Cool : Walking Dead #115 Sells 350,000 – The Best Selling Comic Of The 2013 So Far: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/10/10/walking-dead-115-sells-350000-the-best-selling-comic-of-the-2013-so-far/ Then the franchises (video games, experiential, comic, TV, etc), which to me illustrate that it isn’t just a bunch of fanboys and nerds in comic book shops pushing those numbers. Mass appeal can’t be measured in comics, so I think the next two are even bigger indicators: Philadelphia Mag: To Do: The Walking Dead Escape at the Wells Fargo Center: http://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2013/03/26/do-walking-dead-escape-april-21st/ Spike VGA 2012 winners: Walking Dead takes Game of the Year: http://www.phillymag.com/be-well-philly/2013/03/26/do-walking-dead-escape-april-21st/ Finally, the TV show. You get it, so I’m not going to list it, but dude—the show throughout this year was bigger at times ratings-wise than the NFL. That is serious. You could argue that if TWD was on network TV, its ad revenues could demand some of the highest on TV, which in terms of real world feverence, trumps any of the I just bored you with above *Also, if TWD was on network TV, it would probably suck. Finally, anecdotally: and I’m sure you won’t like this because I can’t measure this, but whatever… I’ve been to the past seven San Diego and New York Comic Cons for work—I work in the entertainment industry (not comics). I’ve also personally been to cons all over the country and abroad. It is absolutely amazing to me how absolutely ape sh*t people go for TWD. It’s certainly been propped up because of the show, but put it this way, the amount of zombies and Rick Grimes I see stands right there with the amount of caped super heroes. B: It's arguably the most important and influential comic of the last 20 years, and if you think that's hyperbole, I don't think you're giving it the credit it deserves. Not trying to pass this off as gospel (key word arguably), but do you legitimately think there’s another comic book franchise that has seen the amount of success and domestic/global appeal in the last 20+ years? Marvel & DC have long been established. When we look at this era, what are collectors going to point out first? Like seriously, chime in? I get that it’s opinion, but throw out some names of comics you think matter more. If we were running a comic fantasy football league, and you had the No. 1 pick, what are you choosing? Preacher? Bone? Spawn? Does Spawn/Preacher book out baseball stadiums and hockey arenas where thousands of fans dress like characters from the book and chase you around? If so, sign me up. Is it opinion? Yes. That said, you’re kidding yourself if you don’t think that TWD is popular enough, and has the momentum to be the defining book of this era, whatever we call it. C: It's been around for 10 years, and regardless of where it is now, I think most would consider 1-48 to be a damn good story. Again, opinion, but two parts: How many other indie comics have hit more than 100 issues? Ten years to me is a sign of longevity, when most comics can’t even stay on a monthly schedule, let alone maintain popularity for that long. Hellboy’s been around forever and has what, like 50 issues? Not trying to pass it off as fact, but without those first few arcs and the prison finale, the show, the video games and everything else we’re debating don’t even exist, and Robert Kirkman is still trying to push Battle Pope onto us. How many people have you ever heard say “You don’t read TWD?? DUDE, you should totally skip the prison arc and start around issue 50.” D: It has one of the most notable and respected writers/creators in comics, and Kirkman pretty much churns out properties for various mediums on an annual basis. You’re just messing with me at this point. Kirkman is at a point in his career where even the stuff he haphazardly attaches his name to gets greenlit for a scripting. He’s penning two comics a month that are above 100 issues. His resume is deep. If you want to debate it, fine, but he's in a different echelon of comic creators now: Thief of Thieves: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/walking-dead-robert-kirkman-thief-of-thieves-amc-development-310260 Outcast: http://www.bleedingcool.com/2013/11/11/robert-kirkmans-outcast-to-be-a-new-tv-show-from-cinemax/ The Walking Dead: duh E: The comic was popular before the show. This will be my only smart answer. It was clearly popular enough to be greenlit (duh doy). But seriously, the book was a good seller in TBP and one of Image’s top sellers pre-2010. I get buying shows for the rights to box out competitors, but come on, man. Do you think a studio would move forward with a show unless it felt it was comfortable enough to sustain viewers? F: The buzz has created actual demand and high prices for it’s original art, which for a modern book seems to be tricky (i.e., there’s enough of a demand that forces fans at times to pay stupid prices for it [::raises hand::]. What I'm trying to say is that even beyond the TV show, it's got more going for it than the floppies/trades. Go ask Mark at Splashpage how much he was selling pages for pre 2010 compared to now. Mediocre splashes now sell for higher than covers did, even three years ago. It’s borderline delusional. There are times when I see what I can buy from other comics that I like, and I have to step away from the ledge because the market for TWD art is stupid crazy, and very volatile, but I trust it more than the floppies. I could buy a decent Neal Adams, Byrne or Jim Lee page for what some of Adlard's top stuff goes for (and that's with more than 100 pages worth of supply!). My Tony moore sketch commissions (let alone the page from N0. 1) are probably worth more than most modern artists published pages, even with the personalization. MTV even offered up Walking Dead OA as a gift during the holidays: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1718351/walking-dead-holiday-gift-guide.jhtml ANYWAY. This is stupid and I'm upset at myself for writing all of this, but I sort of had to. I feel like such a freaking loser for writing this much-- and I even think TWD ship has some leaks. That said, it's not the Titanic. Kudos on the very detailed post. I appreciate the effort to provide references and data. No arguing it's popular, hard to quantify to what extent (especially versus other series). I have been to several Cons and it is a popular attraction at all of them. Long term, I don't think it has the staying power of a superhero or childhood fictional character. I might argue that it is more like the Lusitania and agree its definitely not the Titanic.

This is ridiculous; top points A-D, E & F are your opinion and have no factual basis of support. You are making things up and passing them off as fact. no he's not. A. key word here is "One of..." and he's correct. B. key word is "arguably" and again he's correct. C. It HAS been around 10 years. and he says "I think most would consider 1-48 to be a pretty good story." key word "I think." and the majority of people that I've seen read those issues, did enjoy the story. D. Kirkman IS one of the most notable writers/creators in comics. This isn't even arguable. E. This is arguable, depending on what you consider popularity. I would say it was popular before the show, but if you think popularity means selling a 100,000 copies, then it wasn't to you. F. The buzz HAS created more demand and higher prices for OA. I've been buying OA since way before the show, and it was cheap then. The show brought way higher prices. Nope, opinion. No data to support the position, no information to substantiate points. Except point C, time frame isn't really arguable. Point F, is an observation but an opinion about the cause.

Not the same thing. Making random references of dissimilar scenarios in an effort to make a point is not a valid argument. Otherwise I could say the same thing about Furbees, or Beanie Babies or any other random thing that was popular, people spent a ton of money on it, only for it to fade into obscurity a short time later. All things are not the same.

This is silly. We are talking about zombies. There have been dozens of "extremely popular" zombie and zombie related shows, movies and titles that have been in pop culture for decades. Each one comes in (Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead, Resident Evil, Evil Dead) becomes popular and then slowly fades away. Why, because we are talking about zombies. Blood, gore, death and horror will always be at best a polarizing form of entertainment. There are far more people who think it is gross, unnecessary or inappropriate (at a minimum for children) than there will be fans of the series. If you truly believe that WD will be extremely popular and WD 1 will garner more than a few hundred bucks (because of its relative rarity) in 10 years, you must also believe that zombies are real.

This is ridiculous; top points A-D, E & F are your opinion and have no factual basis of support. You are making things up and passing them off as fact.

........I feel the same way about super heros So they are both bad bets…? To be fair: you have stated in previous posts that the WD market has shifted from collectors to "flippers," that you are a true fan willing "to go down with the ship" and that you only collect what you like, not for investment purposes. If you feel this way, why argue one way or the other?

Seriously though, if you ask a comic/series fan if a comic book/key collectible will continue to be valuable forever, it is not like you will get an objective response. "YES, of course my beloved "thing" will continue to be unfalteringly awesome forever. My investment is sound and I am the greatest and smartest person on the planet!" Says every boardie ever.. This is the WORST place for an objective conversation. About anything really...

Walking Dead #1 is a great comic book to use as a barometer against other key comic books. It has a print run a little over 7,000, but still that is considered a lot of copies to some. So if 7,000 copies is considered a lot, then what does that say for most 1970s,1980s and 1990s keys that have print runs over 200,000? Makes you think not only about investing in Walking Dead, but also makes you think about investing in post 1970 comics as well. No offense, I typically enjoy your perspective, but the logic in this post is a little loose. Yeah I was all over the place with that one. I was trying to say certain generations will never get that the Walking Dead #1 is this generation`s mega key. Walking Dead #1 could have a print run of 999,and people of a certain generation would still say it`s a fad. I agree that "generationally," there are different collecting priorities. For instance, I would bet that many GA books will be in danger when the BabyBoomers all move into fixed income situations. Not all titles, but many of the ones whose characters are no longer relevant and whose artwork is no longer appreciated (this is a tragedy by the way). In terms of the Walking Dead, I am sure there are plenty of people that want this book because they appreciate the series. However, I would contend that the price is lifted heavily by people trying to make a buck, versus collecting out of series loyalty. This has just been my experience with people that actually own the book (versus this who aspire to own it or fans of the series). FYI - this site is not a good barometer of this, as this is a forum of comic collectors and fans at heart. Specifically, I disagree that Walking Dead is any "generation's" mega key. As popular as it is, it is still no where near the popularity of superheroes (Batman, Spiderman, Superman and maybe Ironman) or TMNT for more recent generations. Truth be told, I am sure there will always be people that want a copy of Walking Dead (at least for another 50 years or so). But I find it hard to believe that many (meaning enough to garner multiple thousand dollar price points on WD#1) will be nostalgic for zombies and zombie collectables 20 years from now. Nostalgia is everything for long-term greatness and a must-have for long-term value.

Walking Dead #1 is a great comic book to use as a barometer against other key comic books. It has a print run a little over 7,000, but still that is considered a lot of copies to some. So if 7,000 copies is considered a lot, then what does that say for most 1970s,1980s and 1990s keys that have print runs over 200,000? Makes you think not only about investing in Walking Dead, but also makes you think about investing in post 1970 comics as well. No offense, I typically enjoy your perspective, but the logic in this post is a little loose.

I don't think it is so much haters as people trying to put a realistic perspective on the folks touting the book is only going up in price and throwing out big numbers for where it is going. If you take an unbiased view of the show and the comic both are okay, not great, not innovative, but okay. Yep. Too many people buying the book only for the purposes of making money. In those situations there will be an inevitable correction in the market when the show is no longer popular (1 year, 5 years, who cares years). Pop. I don't know about "Pop", but I don't see how the title resists some downward pricing pressure. A lot of copies out there, more and more NM+ copies coming out in CGC holders every week. 1778 graded copies so far and 1703 are 9.0 or better. Over 1500 are 9.4 or better and almost 550 9.8's. That is a lot of books, it takes a lot of demand to sustain these prices. There is already a little bit of a downward trend. Not a lot, but a little - and this while the show is extremely popular. More viewers than ever. You also see some serious "flattening" of the curve or price spread, with very little difference in price between 9.0-9.6. Which suggests a market in some state of flux. Again, I don't know about a pop - but some air coming out of this balloon seems inevitable. Slow pop...? Is a deflated balloon any better than a popped one?

NO! I like my hobbies boring and predictable, no change!

I don't think it is so much haters as people trying to put a realistic perspective on the folks touting the book is only going up in price and throwing out big numbers for where it is going. If you take an unbiased view of the show and the comic both are okay, not great, not innovative, but okay. Yep. Too many people buying the book only for the purposes of making money. In those situations there will be an inevitable correction in the market when the show is no longer popular (1 year, 5 years, who cares years). Pop.

pop

That is a bummer. Grew up on him on Fresh Prince and really enjoyed his work in many other areas as well. RIP Mr. Avery

I think it is the lighting in the picture. The red on Raph is pretty dark and Mikey is still orange (albeit a reddish one in this photo).

Don't know about the second set, but that first set of Sideshow pieces are very highly sought after and expensive, and you'll most likely have to get them separately. It shouldn't be too difficult if you're willing to spend some coin and check ebay often enough. Michelangelo is up right now for $700. Thanks for the response. eBay prices are, well you know.

Anybody have these? Looking to buy all together, or Leo by himself:

Quick response, great communicator, fast shipment and very safe packing! Definitely recommend to and boardie!

you can buy Earthbound on the WiiU online store now epic game

newb dance

You, me and about 3,001 other people want one my friend. Actually, I want many. (thumbs u FYI - there is a 9.0 on eBay. eBay TMNT 1 CGC 9.0 That same book is here as well, only cheaper. Nice, gotta love the double site sales post…