lordbyroncomics

I think that harkens back to accessibility. Captain Underpants etc. are really available and accessible and affordable compared to comics. Again, I'm kind of breaking away from the main topic but I believe that comic book professionals have long had a kind of inferiority complex and chip on their shoulder about comics being accepted by non-fans- which, if you think about it, is kind of bewildering- and this, as much as anything, have moved comics from being widely accessible. It's all trying to compete with film and television (calling a comic series "Season 1" and "Season 2", in my opinion, is kind of laughable) and trying to be "adult" and such... perhaps that's just me. And the comics that ARE a joy for all ages just, again, are not that easy to find.

Great minds think alike my friend! As to your other point about kids not collecting much of anything anymore... well, this is a different conversation perhaps but one that trickles into what we're currently discussing. It has many layers to the foundation of why that is but surely accessibility is a big part of it. Secondly, let's note that action figures and such have completely converted to being geared towards grown men and the adult collector. I'm not making a judgment or saying that's good or bad but I do think it plays a significant part in toy lines not pitching new lines for children that might potentially become successful. It's geared to a very niche market and the accessibility isn't there anymore. It's not cheap, it's not geared or advertised to children... and, much like with the comics industry, you'd get this very lazy "well, kids are into video games" remark which is maddening to me. So, try harder. There's so many poor kids who don't live on video games. Somehow get comics and toys and such to them in any capacity. I grew up in utter poverty and my Mother and I were sometimes without electric and such, a few times we stayed in shelters. This is not a woe is me story at all; it just means I didn't get a Nintendo. What I could always get for the most part was comics at 7-11. People collect something because there's some sort of intrinsic connection- and *that* is what is missing from media today. Young people can't make a connection because it's largely fleeting and fast-moving video games where you always need to upgrade to the next version and so forth. Again, not a judgment but an observation- when you are immersed in a video game it's still escapism but you aren't using your imagination as much as kids used to with their toys and things of that nature. I'm rambling a bit (and I apologize) but all of these factors work against cultivating a collector. They don't have the vast awareness of the possibilities of it and they don't have the attention span to get these things. Their world is their phone. If companies spearheaded new toy lines and publishers found actual ways to really pitch towards readers that weren't just making simplified lines of existing storylines for kids- there might be a small portion of young people bound to be into collecting. Might.

Well, thank you for the kind words. Sixth post but years and years of living vicariously through everyone else's posts! (re: lurking) It's something I think about quite often. I really do believe the money we're left over with after tending to our obligations is a means to an end to pursue the things in life we're passionate about. For me, my logic is that I can always earn more money but holding in my hands a Fawcett in FN condition and knowing it existed in 1944 or whatever- that's a really magical feeling. I'm not ageist and I believe we can keep having great feelings until the end of our life but I'm talking about that very specific MAGIC feeling. It's not chasing nostalgia or trying to regenerate some outlook we had as kids- it's the magic that only people like us can get when we have these things. I believe in it strongly and this is why I again reiterate that no matter what happens to your collection when you move on or pass on- those moments were never wasted. If you pursued a comic book collection you clearly weren't casually interested or involved; you had a passion, a genuine appreciation. That passion might wane but the moments you pursued and collected and then had those issues were not meaningless. I'm with my learned friend there, I also can't believe prices will continue on their current trajectories. But like everything else, we can always be proven wrong! And I hope I'm there when it happens. It's been a bleak and draining year filled with legit tragedy. But where there's life, there's potential. The best could be yet to come. I'm also always hoping some kids get an inkling of how cool past eras in comics have been. It's all about accessibility; surely there are young people heavily interested in older music, Silent Film and so forth. We'll see.

Yeah, I completely relate to not knowing what to make of it anymore- it's increasingly impossible to kind of anticipate where prices are heading. I also feel for all of the people that are getting older and/or realizing that their heirs have no interest in taking on a collection. All I can say to that is this- we have one life on this Earth as far as I know and it's important that we spend some of it pursuing those things that bring us escapism and happiness. Your collection wasn't wasted because you have to sell it. All of those moments of holding a specific issue or being wistful over a great cover, whatever- those things all counted. In the long view, nothing we did hobby wise was "important"- it's all subjective. You spent time pursuing and building and having the knowledge that you owned something you'd long wanted- those moments are NEVER wasted. Things change and nothing lasts forever, but in the time that you had those issues, it was magic. Never forget.

So many great responses on this thread, some heartfelt, some hilarious, all relatable. I often wonder about the potential of any younger generation per se getting into serious collecting and cultivating of older books... I'm 41 and always felt like an anomaly at times based on my interest in the history of the medium and the magic appeal of older books. When I was 10 or so, I found Jeff Rovin's "The Encyclopedia of Super-Heroes" and all the Golden Age entries mesmerized me, this entire history that existed before I knew about it, over the ages... that was a sort of romance. I also remember an Uncle getting me an issue of 'Marvel Saga' as a child simply because it was a Marvel book, and having my first exposure to Kirby art (with that thick Ayers ink work) and also being captivated. I know one guy who is in his early twenties who is very into Golden Age history, buys Alter Ego, collects the Library of American Comics hardcovers and I remarked to him that he never bought comics, whether Bronze Age or anything else and wondered if it was financial. He said it wasn't but just that he isn't much of an online shopper and he "can't count" on comic shops to carry Golden-Silver-Bronze anymore as most of them (or, at least a majority of them), have had to understandably transition to "pop culture" stores. I then wondered if people were going to keep collecting old comics and this kid said to me, "at one time, Doc Savage was a big deal, at one time Jack Armstrong the All-American Boy was a big deal. And those people that sought out those characters didn't create a new generation that cared about them which is why they're largely historical figures mentioned in passing now and not viable and can't support any new product featuring them." And I thought "holy mess" because he was right. Younger people bred on film and a constant stream of pop culture are never going to take the time and inclination and investment to build a collection. I'd like to be pleasantly surprised and proven wrong though.

Absolutely. Twice now I've sold an extensive and viable collection to help pay for veterinarian bills so there was no hesitation but I admit there was a little bit of trepidation at first starting to buy Bronze and Silver Age again at first. But now I'm back at it and it's just as enjoyable, just as benignly frustrating as it ever was and ever will be. I don't think collectors will ever be satisfied, I think there's always a new run to begin or a new cool cover or a weird reprint mag they dig and can't resist. So yeah, I think you can reset and start over unless you are independently wealthy and don't need to sometimes sell off your stuff. Nothing wrong with being in either position.

There is literally something to be said about how staggering it is that someone could say to you "for the next one, have The Scorpion kidnap Betty Brant" and then, you go and plot and develop the story and draw it, and then that person who made the suggestion adds dialogue to what you provided for them, but they are considered the "writer". Dialogue would be a better credit. And I say this being a huge fan of Stan Lee. Believe me. His conversational dialogue was a big difference from DC's exposition heavy dialogue and I give him so much credit for making Marvel what it is in the public consciousness. There's always these two extreme sides in this argument but it's really easy to figure out. Comic Historians have mistakenly compared Stan and Jack (for example) to Lennon and McCartney. No, a more apt comparison would be Mike Love and Brian Wilson. Stan's voice and irreverence is what got Marvel famous. But it's no different from say, Tony Wilson and Factory Records. Tony Wilson was a personality. He was witty, able to give you a quote, well suited for television and radio interviews and very self-deprecating. But Joy Division wrote the music that sold the records. Steve Ditko does not need fans who weren't there to be embarrassed for him, with all due respect. He is entitled to feel this way since he did indeed contribute the iconic Spider-Man costume design (as well as countless other things) that provide literally millions in merchandise for Marvel and still be designated as "the artist who drew the idea that I created" in public by Stan. Yeah, Ditko was outspoken. It was a popular narrative that he was reclusive. He wasn't- he was just selective. But comics fandom doesn't like that. If he had published his essays in Wizard instead of through Robin Synder, perhaps it'd be different. But people should have went out of their way to go to Ditko, not vice versa.

I dig everything TwoMorrows is doing with the recent Kirby books and support them wholeheartedly. The only slightly related issue I had was that they released an updated 'Stuf' Said!' shortly after Stan's death but didn't provide the updated content for free to people who had bought the first edition, which had come out not that long before that event. Otherwise they're doing so many cool things and these replica editions are fascinating.

Long-time lurker who has learned a lot from these boards the past two years, finally moved to register and join. I want to thank Flying Donut and every other seller who chimed in on this thread. I've got a decent Silver/Bronze Age collection that I may have to unload extremely cheaply in the next few months to help pay a vet bill and this was all really informative so wanted you to know it was appreciated!