Can back issue collecting survive withourt current issue sales?

[brasseye]

Is it possible for back issue comic collecting to survive without new issue sales present in some form?

 

And to what degree do new issue sales affect the prices, and vogue of back issue collection, if any?

[VintageComics]

My new issue buying has dropped but only because of time and money, not interest.

 

[Shark]

I collect 5 new titles (Amazing Spider-Man, Ultimate Spider-Man, Ultimate Fantastic Four, Ultimate X-Men, Uncanny X-Men) but my main focus is on back issue collecting.

 

Shark

[brasseye]

For myself, I collect mainly SA Marvel, but buy and read Dark Horse and DC. But thats obviously just down to writer/story prompted choice, rather than any other factor.

 

And only 2 books I currently buy relate to my BA collectiing, Hex, and Conan.

 

My art buying is derived from my current reading purchases 50/50. With Mignola, and Guy Davis featuring heavily in my possible art purchases. But then also price sensitivity is a big factor...e.g I'b buy more choicer SA Marvel art...if I could afford it

 

[Scrooge]

I buy moderns and collect back issues from the '50's but also purchase tons of reprints / comic book history mags and books / pulp reprints / comic strip reprints / occasional statue ... you should see my monthly bill but I am happy with all purchases. I don't recall any other time before now when so much older material is made available and when there are so many good modern series. It's a great time to be a fan! (thumbs u

[the blob]

well, at some point it won't survive.

 

but i don't think new issues are going to stop.

 

if the big boys move into quarterly TPBs or whatever, there are going to be little guys pumping out the floppies, at least so long as diamond, et al. are willing to assist in that regard in terms of publishing/printing (check out their procedure in that regard, it's actually not a bad deal).

 

and even if they do move into quarterly TPBs, I guess there's still going to be the collecting of those. perhaps not for resale purposes, but heck, people hunting down moderns nowadays unless they're paying 5 cents each aren't really doing that anyway, not when only maybe 1 in 200 new releases winds up being worth more than cover price as a back issue (putting aside 9.8 slabification) and even then it's usually just for a little while.

 

 

[Mr.Diggler]

I collect, and buy new issues.

[MMurdock]

No new issues; only back issues. That said, the continued success (through movies and comic book sales) of characters will fuel the price of old books. I don't think their value would vanish, but it would diminish if new books stopped doing well or stopped altogether.

[fantastic_four]

I buy back issues and have Ultimate Spider-Man, Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, Punisher, Fantastic Four, and ultimate Fantastic Four in my subscription box at a local comic shop. However, I'd rather not keep buying those individual issues...EVERYTHING Marvel does is a 6-to-10-issue arc now so they can eventually put it out in a trade paperback. I'd much rather just buy the trade paperback.

 

When do they put the stories into trades now -- right when the story arc ends, or like once a year?

[Lego]

I only buy trades these days and I couldn't be happier.

 

FF, in response to your question, most titles will finish an arc and release the trade 4-6 weeks later. However, I'm speaking solely of the books I buy, which are none of the books you listed. I'm a Vertigo man for the most part any more.

[FlyingDonut]

I buy a couple of books, just things I like. The Boys, Captain America, Fell (whenever it comes out), Thor, Ultimate Spider-Man (only in trades). I really liked the the Ennis Punisher run, but that's over now.

 

I was sad yesterday - after 33 years I dropped Fantastic Four. It is just too stupid now.

[Raphael]

It definately seems like there are ALOT of trade waiters these days and less and less people buying back issues of recent books.

[showcase4]

Is it possible for back issue comic collecting to survive without new issue sales present in some form?

 

Absolutely...........with quite a few of the high demand Golden Age issues for example, there are no new comics being produced for the chraracter or title, no new movies on the horizon, and it has seemingly zero negative impact on demand. Even if all new comics were to stop being printed, Vintage Comics would or should still be a viable and desirable collectible.

 

Van Gogh is too dead to ever paint again, and it hasn't seemed to hurt his back issue sales

[innocuous]

I buy moderns and treat 'em like the newspaper. I give it to whoever will take it or it piles up and I toss them to some kids.

 

I love collecting golden age right now.

[brasseye]

Is it possible for back issue comic collecting to survive without new issue sales present in some form?

 

Absolutely...........with quite a few of the high demand Golden Age issues for example, there are no new comics being produced for the chraracter or title, no new movies on the horizon, and it has seemingly zero negative impact on demand. Even if all new comics were to stop being printed, Vintage Comics would or should still be a viable and desirable collectible.

 

Van Gogh is too dead to ever paint again, and it hasn't seemed to hurt his back issue sales

 

 

Buuttttt....you started out as new issue reader, yes?

 

New issue reader's are generally the guys that turn into back issue collectors, what ever their preference.

 

Do we need the new issue collector for the long term survival of the hobby???

[fantastic_four]

Van Gogh is too dead to ever paint again, and it hasn't seemed to hurt his back issue sales

 

Comics didn't end when Jack Kirby or Bob Kane died. Van Gogh painted on canvas; the medium of art itself is still around. And because the medium is still around, when people are looking for the best art, they look backwards and discover Van Gogh.

 

If people stopped painting entirely, then Van Gogh's works could eventually become forgotten.

[the blob]

I collect, and buy new issues.

************

And I do too, buying and keeping is "collecting", but I have no delusions about selling these for any sort of profit if I ever do feel inclined to sell. Moderns are being bought with the ultimate goal of reading, for me at least.

[General Zod]

I do buy moderns, but due to the prices, I try to be very choosy about what I want to read. I can't read all my favorite characters/teams anymore as a result. I only get the trades if I hear good things about the story. I forsee dropping my list down to 5 regular titles and 0-1 trade a month. Especially if the cover prices hikes happen anytime soon. Reading 9+ titles with the odd trade here and there already cuts into my back issue collecting. So my life requires balance.

[CAP Freak]

I mostly collect back issues from GA-SA and bbuy the occasional TPB or issue.

[showcase4]

Is it possible for back issue comic collecting to survive without new issue sales present in some form?

 

Absolutely...........with quite a few of the high demand Golden Age issues for example, there are no new comics being produced for the chraracter or title, no new movies on the horizon, and it has seemingly zero negative impact on demand. Even if all new comics were to stop being printed, Vintage Comics would or should still be a viable and desirable collectible.

 

Van Gogh is too dead to ever paint again, and it hasn't seemed to hurt his back issue sales

 

 

Buuttttt....you started out as new issue reader, yes?

 

New issue reader's are generally the guys that turn into back issue collectors, what ever their preference.

 

Do we need the new issue collector for the long term survival of the hobby???

 

No, I did not start out as new issue reader. I was a baseball card collector until 1992, when I went into a hobby shop that carried cards and comics, and they grew on me as a collectible....as a kid, I never owned or read a single comic book.

 

As to your 2nd point, I do not think new, up and coming collectors "to be" need to be cultivated from the existence of new comic sales.....sure it helps, but if 100% of new comics would stop being printed today, I still believe in 5, 10, 15+ years from now, new blood will still enter our hobby, as it offers the following:

 

1. The comics may be gone, but the characters would still live on in other mediums

2. Our present structured pricing ( like OPG ) / auction sales tracking systems should make this hobby appealing to the investment minded types.

3. Comics would still be cool ....... just like old Coca-Cola bottles and ads, even if new ones are no longer produced.

4. no new comic books does not mean no new books.......the antiquarian book market is HUGE, and comic books kinda fall under that umbrella. A book is a book

 

your thoughts??