Amazing Spider-Man Values Rose 44% from 2002 to 2007

[*Bronze age fan*]

14 issues left 'til a Full HG Run!

(with AF 15–ASM 52 CGC'ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What 14 issues are you down too?

[Pirate]

I blame the hawaiians.

 

 

 

[LordRahl]

Great work. Would be curious to see what the percentages are for 9.4 and above.

[delekkerste]

7.6% per year is similar to moderate grade corporate bonds. Treasury bonds only get you about 4% right now, yet a lot of people put their money in them. As Jim pointed out, it's much better than a CD. However, the liquidity and risk of comics is inferior to bonds. The stock market has done better, but the stock market has been more volatile.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend that anyone invest in comic books if their sole purpose was to buy them just to make money.

 

I wrote this article on the blog if you're interested. Should I Invest in Comic Books

 

Rhonda

 

You had me up until this point:

 

While investing in comics may be worse than investing in stocks, mutual funds or real estate, it is arguably a better investment than gold, the lottery, day-trading, cars or any number of other places you could put your money. Just because it's not the best investment for your money, it is far from the worst. If you get personal satisfaction from owning the books, the investment returns are a bonus.

 

ASM returns 2002-2007 - 44%

Gold returns 2002-2007 - 199%

 

Up with gold, down with Golden Age!!

 

Actually, I think of gold as real money and a disaster insurance policy more than a traditional investment, so the comparison to other investments is a little specious...still, if things really hit the fan, I'd rather be holding gold than a bunch of funny books - the former will always have value all around the world...the latter, who knows.

[THE_BEYONDER]

7.6% per year is similar to moderate grade corporate bonds. Treasury bonds only get you about 4% right now, yet a lot of people put their money in them. As Jim pointed out, it's much better than a CD. However, the liquidity and risk of comics is inferior to bonds. The stock market has done better, but the stock market has been more volatile.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend that anyone invest in comic books if their sole purpose was to buy them just to make money.

 

I wrote this article on the blog if you're interested. Should I Invest in Comic Books

 

Rhonda

 

You had me up until this point:

 

While investing in comics may be worse than investing in stocks, mutual funds or real estate, it is arguably a better investment than gold, the lottery, day-trading, cars or any number of other places you could put your money. Just because it's not the best investment for your money, it is far from the worst. If you get personal satisfaction from owning the books, the investment returns are a bonus.

 

ASM returns 2002-2007 - 44%

Gold returns 2002-2007 - 199%

 

Up with gold, down with Golden Age!!

 

Actually, I think of gold as real money and a disaster insurance policy more than a traditional investment, so the comparison to other investments is a little specious...still, if things really hit the fan, I'd rather be holding gold than a bunch of funny books - the former will always have value all around the world...the latter, who knows.

 

If the mess really hit the fan.....what good is a brick of gold?

[Fan4Fan]

If the mess really hit the fan.....what good is a brick of gold?

 

Throwing through a grocery store window?

 

Knocking out a security guard?

 

[THE_BEYONDER]

If the mess really hit the fan.....what good is a brick of gold?

 

Throwing through a grocery store window?

 

Knocking out a security guard?

 

 

Fair enough

[CycleGirl]

7.6% per year is similar to moderate grade corporate bonds. Treasury bonds only get you about 4% right now, yet a lot of people put their money in them. As Jim pointed out, it's much better than a CD. However, the liquidity and risk of comics is inferior to bonds. The stock market has done better, but the stock market has been more volatile.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend that anyone invest in comic books if their sole purpose was to buy them just to make money.

 

I wrote this article on the blog if you're interested. Should I Invest in Comic Books

 

Rhonda

 

You had me up until this point:

 

While investing in comics may be worse than investing in stocks, mutual funds or real estate, it is arguably a better investment than gold, the lottery, day-trading, cars or any number of other places you could put your money. Just because it's not the best investment for your money, it is far from the worst. If you get personal satisfaction from owning the books, the investment returns are a bonus.

 

ASM returns 2002-2007 - 44%

Gold returns 2002-2007 - 199%

 

Up with gold, down with Golden Age!!

 

Actually, I think of gold as real money and a disaster insurance policy more than a traditional investment, so the comparison to other investments is a little specious...still, if things really hit the fan, I'd rather be holding gold than a bunch of funny books - the former will always have value all around the world...the latter, who knows.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Yes, people seem to flock to gold in really bad times. A really serious recession or depression would probably be disaster for funny books.

 

With regard to gold, we are in a pretty incredible bull market. However, we have had gold bubbles in the past. When adjusted for inflation, gold was more expensive in 1980 than it is now.

 

The annualized return on gold has been 5.4% from 1950 to present, not adjusted for inflation. From 1990 to present, gold is has returned 3.9% per year. I don't think that the current rate of growth in gold is sustainable. Over the long term, I think that it will go back to it's normal rate of increase.

 

 

Of course, if you were smart enough to buy gold in 2000, you are a lot smarter than me!

 

Anyway, I appreciate the thoughtful feedback!

 

 

[Wally's Comics]

14 issues left 'til a Full HG Run!

(with AF 15–ASM 52 CGC'ed)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What 14 issues are you down too?

 

1, 3, 4, 5, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 24, 40, 41...

 

I currently am half way saved up for ASM 1 that I hope to snag in '08.

 

I like collecting, but I hate debt - I only buy what I have to spend

(that has been my rule of thumb since the start, no cense in breaking it now)

 

 

 

 

[Stronguy]

Of course, if you were smart enough to buy gold in 2000...

 

... and still own it. Sold all of mine long ago...

[delekkerste]

If the mess really hit the fan.....what good is a brick of gold?

 

Why don't you ask those who fled Nazi persecution who were able to get at least some of their wealth out of Europe in the form of gold and jewelry so they would have something to start a new life? Or perhaps the millions of people throughout history who have lost everything due to government currency mismanagement?

 

As CycleGirl's historical data bears out, gold hasn't returned a lot over time (as I said, it's more like a currency and disaster/inflation hedge and should be viewed more for capital preservation in times of crisis and not necessarily real returns beyond the rate of inflation). What it has done over time (forget returns from the last 30 years, look at it over the last 3,000), is serve as a store of value - it protects against government confiscation through currency devaluation and inflation. Currency devaluations go on all the time (remember Mexico in 1994, the Asian currencies in 1997, the Russian currency in 1998, Argentina in 2001, etc.) - at the time of those massive devaluations, do you think the people living in those countries would have preferred a little gold or Golden Age in their portfolios?

[The Question?]

7.6% per year is similar to moderate grade corporate bonds. Treasury bonds only get you about 4% right now, yet a lot of people put their money in them. As Jim pointed out, it's much better than a CD. However, the liquidity and risk of comics is inferior to bonds. The stock market has done better, but the stock market has been more volatile.

 

Honestly, I wouldn't recommend that anyone invest in comic books if their sole purpose was to buy them just to make money.

 

I wrote this article on the blog if you're interested. Should I Invest in Comic Books

 

Rhonda

 

You had me up until this point:

 

While investing in comics may be worse than investing in stocks, mutual funds or real estate, it is arguably a better investment than gold, the lottery, day-trading, cars or any number of other places you could put your money. Just because it's not the best investment for your money, it is far from the worst. If you get personal satisfaction from owning the books, the investment returns are a bonus.

 

ASM returns 2002-2007 - 44%

Gold returns 2002-2007 - 199%

 

Up with gold, down with Golden Age!!

 

Actually, I think of gold as real money and a disaster insurance policy more than a traditional investment, so the comparison to other investments is a little specious...still, if things really hit the fan, I'd rather be holding gold than a bunch of funny books - the former will always have value all around the world...the latter, who knows.

 

If the mess really hit the fan.....what good is a brick of gold?

 

 

 

You can then throw that brick of gold at the S@#T filled fan essentially causing an anomaly= s@#t hits fan, brick hits S@#T filled fan, there by knocking said S@#T out of fan...end result, S@#T no longer in fan, problems solved

[CycleGirl]

 

<...>

 

As CycleGirl's historical data bears out, gold hasn't returned a lot over time (as I said, it's more like a currency and disaster/inflation hedge and should be viewed more for capital preservation in times of crisis and not necessarily real returns beyond the rate of inflation). What it has done over time (forget returns from the last 30 years, look at it over the last 3,000), is serve as a store of value - it protects against government confiscation through currency devaluation and inflation. Currency devaluations go on all the time (remember Mexico in 1994, the Asian currencies in 1997, the Russian currency in 1998, Argentina in 2001, etc.) - at the time of those massive devaluations, do you think the people living in those countries would have preferred a little gold or Golden Age in their portfolios?

 

(thumbs u Great post!

[ft88]

Gold = Tangible item + universal value = Inflation hedge

Comic Books = Tangible item + specific persons value = Diversification segment + Inflation hedge

US $ = Intangible item + universal value = Subject to the whim of US government.

 

Most of us here are guaranteed to be overly invested in comics but so be it.

 

BTW at the high end Spidey books.

 

AF 15 really doesn't have enough data points for 8.0 and above.

ASM 1 from 8.0 to 9.6 is a little better and appreciation has been flat from 2002 to 2005 and up about 50% from 2005 to 2008.

 

 

 

 

 

[TFL-migration]

I bought a AF 15 when my nephew was working for a comic book shop. This is back in the very late 80's.. I paid a bit over $1,200 for it back then. It is still in my possession. Condition wise it is a 7.0 with the bump it might get a 8.0 ! I think I made out like a bandit!!

[Stronguy]

If the mess really hit the fan.....what good is a brick of gold?

 

Why don't you ask those who fled Nazi persecution who were able to get at least some of their wealth out of Europe in the form of gold and jewelry so they would have something to start a new life? Or perhaps the millions of people throughout history who have lost everything due to government currency mismanagement?

 

So Gene, how much gold do you have on-hand? Unless you've got it on you or hidden away in a bunker (or hole in the ground) it will do you little to no good. What are you going to do if the mess hits the fan, call your broker and have him bring over a bag of gold?

 

Unless you've got your hand on it it is just as useless as paper currenct in a crisis.

[ft88]

Depends on the level of crisis. 1980's Mexico level inflation? Any form of gold, futures, ETF's, or eGold should hold you in good stead. Zimbabwe level hyperinflation? You'll need gold on hand since any rule of law is no doubt long gone. But then again with hyperinflation you are already in a dictator police state At that point you could expect gold on hand to be stolen the minute you try to buy anything with it.

 

Or some dictator would simply make it illegal to own gold. But that could never happen in America....

 

The nice part about gold is that it is (relatively) easy to transport when leaving a country on the verge of collapse. Its a good thing America has no limits on the amount of gold you can carry when you travel abroad....

[Stronguy]

Depends on the level of crisis. 1980's Mexico level inflation? Any form of gold, futures, ETF's, or eGold should hold you in good stead. Zimbabwe level hyperinflation? You'll need gold on hand since any rule of law is no doubt long gone. But then again with hyperinflation you are already in a dictator police state At that point you could expect gold on hand to be stolen the minute you try to buy anything with it.

 

Or some dictator would simply make it illegal to own gold. But that could never happen in America....

 

The nice part about gold is that it is (relatively) easy to transport when leaving a country on the verge of collapse. Its a good thing America has no limits on the amount of gold you can carry when you travel abroad....

 

Gene said "Nazi persecution" so I'm talking about packing up in the middle of the night and hitting the road.

[delekkerste]

Gene said "Nazi persecution" so I'm talking about packing up in the middle of the night and hitting the road.

 

Well, let's hope that it doesn't ever come to that here. In any case, it's not like the rise of the Nazis or the collapse of a country's currency happens overnight; you don't necessarily have to have everything accessible instantaneously.

 

 

 

[kahml]

Of course, if you were smart enough to buy gold in 2000, you are a lot smarter than me!

 

Amazingly enough, I was working on a Y2K project (remember that debacle?) in the late 1990s and people thought I was crazy buying US gold coins at around $270 per.

 

At around the same time, Captain Tripps (who lived just down the hall), was going out of his way for pristine copies of X-Men, ASM, Hulk, FF, Thor, and just about every other Marvel Silver Age title.

 

I've got lots of shiny solid things; he's got encapsulated paper.

 

To this day, I'm not sure which has more liquidity or value...

 

Larry