mid-grade spider-mans??

[Spider]

since i dont have the kind of bucks to buy the higher grade spideys would mid-grade or lower be a good investment???will i see a return on these or any other silver-age in a few years?

[Aman619]

they would be great comics to buy and enjoy, but not an "investment". The lower the grade, the more common the book. And, with demand probably decreasing going forward, you would be hard pressed to find buyers for your run.

 

But on the plus side, you could do it (wallet aside) in a weekend!

 

but buy them to enjoy, with no expectation of profit. Except maybe issues 1-10 (or 15)

[piper]

By the same token, I don't think you'd have much problem liquidating SA ASMs back into cash.

[ft88]

Everything depends on how much you but them for. If you go to a big dealer and buy them off a website, I doubt if you'd ever recoup your money unless prices skyrocket. If you buy of ebay and don't get scammed you will probably get some good deals at below guide which might eventually go up.

 

Ed

[Spider]

thanks guys..i wanted to start collecting in the mid-range(cgc)..any other marvel that would be great to start collecting

[DKB]

with demand probably decreasing going forward...

 

It's probably true, but man I hate reading that.

[bronzilla]

Just curiouse, why do you think demand might decrease on mid grade spideys moving forward

[the blob]

"The lower the grade, the more common the book. And, with demand probably decreasing going forward, you would be hard pressed to find buyers for your run."

 

I'm not sure I buy that re: Spideys. Perhaps for some other titles. But we have a generation of kids (and others) who have seen 3 Spidey movies, wear Spidey shirts, buy Spidey toys, I guess there's a Spidey cartoon, etc. And this has international play. Once they're 30 somethings with disposable cash, who knows (seriously, the Transformers comics have supposedly been doing well.... I honestly don't think it's because 30 year olds want those comics AGAIN, those 30 year olds liked the cartoons and toys 20 years ago. Who was reading the comics? Certainly not my younger brother (30) and his friends.) And you can talk about baby boomers dropping out of the hobby, but seriously, how many of them are buying a VG+ copy of ASM 56 anyway?

 

Honestly, I have had no trouble selling mid-grade SA Spideys. In fact, I have sold almost every one I put up. As investments, it all depends on what you paid for them. There is plenty of demand IF THE PRICE IS RIGHT. Perhaps not at full OPG prices, but start discounting to around 40-60% of OPG, give or take, and they sell pretty well, with "keys" doing better. $10-$30 seem to be the magic range. While this may not sound great, it's a heck of a lot better than most other titles. (And it may preclude your notion of buying them in CGC slabs (probably not that many slabbed mid-grade copies of books that guide for $20-$50 anyway)

 

Honestly, paying an insane price for some slabbed 9.4 is no better an "investment" than buying a raw mid-grade copy. As always, "it all depends" and you can go wrong whatever you do.

 

 

 

 

[bronzilla]

Great response. There will more than likely allways be a market for collectors who buy mid grade stuff. Many people just cant afford the high grade items, and just want to own these slices of history. Especially Spiderman He is known world wide, and with Chinas market opening up a whole new crop of people could begin collecting. I am notthe biggest Spidey fan. But I have seen these books allways be consistent sellers in any grade.

[Aman619]

I can argue both sides of the "future of comics" discussion - - and have probably done so in my time here. While Im bullish for comics and their increasing place in Americana and the collectibles business, Im also dubious that many of the kids and adults who see the movies and buy the games and wear the logos and images will ever start (out of the blue) collecting the comics. Especially the mid grade copies. They MIGHT be tempted to buy key books in grade or now as investment collectibles.

 

There are plenty of reprints around now in all price points if they want to catch up on the stories.

 

So the key word in the question was "investment." I agree with the rest of you that if you dont pay yoo much you will get your money back out over time. and if you are very careful and do research and work at it, you may snag excellent deals and even MAKE money as a result. But thats true of real estate and nearly everything aint it? So, IMO, buying them at retail now in 2007 is not a great "investment." You could do a lot worse with other titles though.

[bronzilla]

And Argue them well you do. This makes me think of the conversation in the copper section of the boards dealing with Digest comics. If D.C and Marvel would produce Digest of reprinted material like Archies put them in the grocerie store check-outs maybe all those little Spidey fans would realize there actually is a history behind all the Merchandizing going on.Maybe they might even talk Mom into buying them. Kids nowadays have no clue where all those games shirts backpacks etc.etc. etc. had there beginnings.

[the blob]

"buying them at retail now in 2007 is not a great "investment." You could do a lot worse with other titles though."

 

sure, it's not a great investment because retail means jacking the price up to 50-100% more than FMV, no? anytime you buy anything for more than you can likely sell it at you have an uphill battle. same is true when paying 50-100% more than the last highest price paid, last week, for some high grade slabbed item.

 

[Aman619]

yes they have no clue... but, they dont read either! for fun anyway.

 

I think it has been proven in the marketplace that neither pricepoints or format (digest, pamphlet, annual etc) entices kids or their moms to buy comics anymore. They have tried.

 

I dont have a better solution either. I see DC and Marvel's current gameplan as "as good as it gets": milk the comics community (that would be us) as long as they can. We love them and continue to buy them so long as the price increases are spaced out so as not to notice; and the stories and mega stories are interesting to follow. And have the comics pick up some continuity from the movies etc to snag a small few civilian converts in their twenties,

 

Rinse and repeat as long as possible! And hope for the best.

[Aman619]

"buying them at retail now in 2007 is not a great "investment." You could do a lot worse with other titles though."

 

sure, it's not a great investment because retail means jacking the price up to 50-100% more than FMV, no? anytime you buy anything for more than you can likely sell it at you have an uphill battle. same is true when paying 50-100% more than the last highest price paid, last week, for some high grade slabbed item.

 

I said retail but was speaking of FMV as though they are interchangeable. But, I dont think you are arguing with me anyway. I just mean buying them for what they sell for (retail? FMV?) today w/o getting ridiculously cheap deals below FMV etc would not really work out great as an investment.

[CAP Freak]

Garage/Estate Sales They are the way to go. NOT MILE HIGH COMICS!

[CAP Freak]

BTW: Welcome to the Boards!

[Mac Man]

I think investing in any low-to-mid grade comic from the SA is tricky business... unless you're dealing with titles like Amazing Spider-Man or X-Men. These always seem to have a steady customer base. I'm curious to see where these random 9.8 slabbed non-key moderns price out at 30+ years from now. I doubt you'll see ASM or UXM SA experience a similar decrease in price.

 

If you buy at OSPG though, you'll have a tough time getting your money back-- but that goes for nearly all comics. $10-$30 does tend to be the magic number for most issues in SA ASM though you can often talk dealers down if you buy in bulk.

 

Welcome to the board, and more importantly, welcome to SA ASM collecting!

[the blob]

Some of those Spideys in like 6.0 - 7.0 are tricky though, particularly in the 20s - 50s. Even at 50% off OPG they can be too expensive for a bargain hunter/bottom feeder because they go over the magic threshhold of $25-$30. But higher grade collectors want something snazzier. You need someone in either camp to break down and say "F-it" by either paying more for a comic than they normally do or saying "jeez, an 8.5 is $250 and a 7.0 is $65......I think I'll go with the 7.0"

[Mac Man]

Blob-- if you think us bottom feeders would even consider buying a 6.0 - 7.0 then you clearly must be a high grade collector

[Aces]

with demand probably decreasing going forward...

 

It's probably true, but man I hate reading that.

Not with all those darn foreigners buying all the SA books they can find.