VintageComics

The general consensus from most of the usual buyers that I spoke to who fly in to this show is that it has been a tougher buying show than previous years and I would generally agree. Each year it becomes more difficult to buy at shows for various reasons. One would be that it's a serller's market and prices are more aggressive. Another would be that the market has matured a lot in the last decade+ since the advent of both CGC and pricing websites like GPA,Go Collect and Price Guide.com has tightened margins a lot. As you know, there is always plenty of material at shows but shrinking margins and aggressive pricing means it takes much more effort than it used to. I agree that having a nice score can make a show for anyone but it happens far less than it used to in my experience. .

For what it's worth, I wasn't saying it was a bad show. I think it depends on the dealer. If you're savvy, have solid inventory and know how to sell you'll have a great show. It's how you get to become an international dealer with a wide customer base. But there are definitely less and less small time sellers at shows than there used to be, and the reasoning I hear is that booth prices are pricing them out of the shows.

The market has been crazy and sellers are often pricing books into where they think the book will be next year. Nobody wants to leave any meat on the bone any more because they think that next year they be able to get double what they are getting this year for a 'hot' book. This has definitely caused buyers to leave disappointed from shows and probably disappointed dealers because some aren't selling as many books. Rising booth costs and shrinking margins are eventually going to squeeze out the little guys (as it is happening across the country) making shows only profitable for international dealers who can afford to bring top shelf material to every show.

Sorry to hear about your troubles. If you are in Chicago, there are plenty of stores in the area so that you can field offers. The newer stuff (from the 1980's onward) is rarely worth anything except for a few desirable issues. If you post pictures here, people might be able to give you a better idea. If you have time to sell them, selling them separately on your own will net you more. If you don't have time to sell them, then you'll just have to decide whose offer is the best and take it. Good luck.

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Brilliant! I wonder what poor soul she ended up with to torment.

Yes. Been that way for a few weeks. I use Mozilla. I'm on a PC and it doesn't work all the time. Sometimes it's annoying.

To paraphrase greggy: "Junk."

Hulk #1 CBCS 8.5 went for $140+ last year if I'm not mistaken. Obviously stronger looking books go for more money but are you saying that FF #1 should go for more than Hulk #1, grade for grade? Personally, I think Ff #1 should always have stayed more valuable than AF #15.

Thank you! I've updated the list to show which raw books are still available at 20% off (some books are still available at 15% off but they won't be discounted further as I am going to have them graded. The remaining books are still available at 20% off. Certified books are not discounted) Action Comics #266 VF 8.0 (exceptionally nice paper - might be White) - Asking $200 Amazing Spider-man #72 9.2 - Asking $250 Going Steady #10 Good 2.0 (VGish copy with a detached cover) - Asking $750 Hero For Hire #1 VG+ 4.5 - Asking $125 Incredible Hulk Annual #1 VF+ 8.5 (NM looking book with 3/4" spine split top spine) - Asking $250 Marvel Mystery #87 CGC 6.5 OW (deslabbed - old 1st generation CGC label which comes with the book) - Asking $700 Popular Comics VF/NM 9.0 - Asking $175 Uncanny Tales #31 VF- 7.5 River City Pedigree (VF+ copy with 1" spine split bottom of spine) - Asking $450 X-men #76 9.2 (Extremely tough book in NM range) - Asking $400 ----------------------------------------------- Take 5% off CGC graded books Archie Comics #5 3.0 G/VG OWW - Asking $1000 (shipping included on CGC books) Detective Comics #359 CGC 7.0 COW - Asking $1200 Flash #132 CGC 9.8 OWW - Asking $8250 Journey Into Mystery #95 CGC 8.5 OW - Asking $850 Marvel Mystery Comics #76 CGC 9.2 OWW - another stunning book. - Asking $4500 Ms. Marvel #1 CGC 9.8 OWW - Asking $1875 New Gods #1 CGC 9.6 OWW - Asking $700 Showcase #5 CGC 6.5 COW (trimmed) - Asking $350 Teen Titans #23 CGC 9.4 White - Asking $350

You're right. I was simply focusing on the collapse of the world economy in 2007. After the depression of 2008-2009 (roughly), there was a boom but just as in all other markets, the asset bubble became very narrow in focus. The markets became heavily focused on blue chip picks (keys) and those assets skyrocketed (like real estate, precious metals and certain stocks)

Wrong, I find it exciting because to me just like most of mainstream these comic book movies are pretty good, and in fact usually better than the comic books they came from. The Bale/Nolan Batman Trilogy is the best version of Batman I ever encountered. Same can be said for the Superman Christopher Reeve. It goes on. To me the best versions of the Black Panther and Guardians of the Galaxy are the movie versions and not the comics. The best version of Tony Stark is played by Robert Downey Jr. Heck, even the two best Deadpool stories I have come across are the DEADPOOL and DEADPOOL 2 movies. They were better than any Deadpool comic book I ever read. These movie versions have a lot to do with these characters big time popularity way more than their comics now. These movies are keeping these comic heroes in the public eye and relevant in a positive way. I would agree with reader interest being increased but I am talking about the speculator's market, which really has nothing to do with reading.

You still haven't finished that run?

I have a thread with various offerings including some cool GA books. GA books left include Archie #5 CGC 3.0 Going Steady #10 2.0 (classic Baker cover) Marvel Mystery Comics #87 CGC 6.5 (old CGC label, deslabbed but label comes with book) Marvel Mystery Comics #76 CGC 9.2 (stunning copy) Popular Comics VF/NM 9.0 Uncanny Tales #31 VF- 7.5 River City Pedigree

That's it for now. I will have another batch next week. Feel free to message me with any questions or concerns.

New Gods #1 CGC 9.6 OWW Asking $700 SOLD!

Ms. Marvel #1 CGC 9.8 OWW Asking $1875 SOLD!

Marvel Mystery Comics #76 CGC 9.2 OWW - another stunning book. Asking $4500

Journey Into Mystery #95 CGC 8.5 OW Funny story about this book. I believe I offered it on the boards about 2 years ago as a VF 8.0 with no takers. I then auctioned it on eBay as a VF 8.0 and the buyer returned the book thinking it was overgraded. Now it's a CGC 8.5. As a former Silver Age JIM collector, I always found this book difficult to find in higher grades. Gorgeous copy for the discerning JIM collector. Asking $850 SOLD!

Flash #132 CGC 9.8 OWW (hard to believe that this book is from 1962 - it's just stunningly fresh and from an OO collection that was put away years ago) Asking $8250

Detective Comics #359 CGC 7.0 COW Asking $1200 SOLD! (that faint line down the right side of the book is scanner artifact and not on the book)

Nice slabbed books coming up...

I've written this numerous times, and I agree that the financial markets had a lot to do with it. A few big names needed to cash out (Keller was already mentioned) due to financial distress. One large collector started selling his high grade undercopies (not out of financial distress but simply to unload books that were no longer needed) which alone was responsible for flooding the market with tons of high grade books. There were also SEVERAL Pedigree finds within the same time period. I think there were 3. It was also the public exposure to pressing that changed the markets. Decrease in confidence reducing bidder interest. 2008-2009 was really a perfect storm for depressed prices and something similar hasn't happened since or before to my knowledge.

And again, what killed the Marvel #1 market for a long time was the same books (including the Pay copy) coming back to market every few months like a hot potato.

Parrino got out in a fire sale to raise money for something else. Had he held onto the books longer he may not have lost much if anything. When you talk about the Flash Church run, are you talking about the Gary Keller collection that Heritage auctioned off 10 years ago when the housing market crashed? Gary also sold out of necessity and he sold a massive collection relatively shortly after purchasing much of it. Most of his collection was gobbled up by dealers with very deep pockets (Verzyl brought TONS of old Gary Keller books to San Diego the following year) and they have since resold for huge profits. The lesson here really, is not to get in or out too quickly.