will CA ever trump GA?

[KingOfRulers]

As far as popularity goes, I'd say Copper Age has already topped Golden Age. Outside of the more hardcore, experienced and well versed collectors on the boards I'd say that there are more CA collectors out there. Your average comic collector probably buys Copper Age because it is cheaper, and far more available in local comic shops. As well, there are draws to bring people into the Copper Age market. If new collectors are being brought into the Golden Age market, they probably started with Copper or Bronze Age. I'd say it would be a rarity to just have some random comic fan jump into Golden Age without having first been drawn into Copper Age.

 

Now, will Copper Age books ever out price Golden Age books? I don't think so. Copper Age books are just too common, and too common in high grade most of the time. Not many Copper Age books are even high dollar unless in high grade, and even with a 9.6 or 9.8 they don't touch the prices on most Golden Age books. The only Copper Age books that brings in dollars that compete with Golden Age books is TMNT #1, and even that doesn't get more than 15k or so.

 

Personally, I like Golden Age books and Copper books. It really depends on what I am looking for in a book at the time. You can find great books from both time periods.

[Subliminal]

[gilbertotorres]

i was more excited to see a pep 22 over an action 1. pep is much harder too come by.

 

 

You read too much of Archie

 

nope.i just don't like superman.

 

detective 27 is a different story, i choose tec 27 over pep.

 

i would have to go with pep 22 over bats 1 though.

[bergdoll]

PEP #22 is the grail. Insane book to find - and a major, major key.

 

One possible indicator of GA's future are the pre-GA books. Some command very good prices and are in demand. Secondary and "lost" characters do drop in value.

 

Some GA books that feature characters unseen in decades will likely drop in price, but majors like Batman, Superman, Archie, etc will likely only rise in value. (See thread on Golden-Age investing).

 

Fortunately, creators today are always digging back and bringing back old characters.

[TheShadowKnows]

is it possible that someday Copper books will be worth more then GA or SA books?

 

if what some people say happens, that eventually comic collecting will have a major crash because essentially there won’t be anyone left that grew up collecting comic.

 

then is it fair to say that one day all the GA collector will be long gone while the kids that grew up during the CA will be at the fore front of the hobby?

I wasnt born during the GA.But I have a lot of GA books.To me I collect what I like.And LB Cole,Steve Ditko.Frank Frazetta never drew a CA book.

Dennis

[Monstro]

for the record i also collect what was on that stands before i was born or at least well before i could read.

 

but like i said i have read a bunch of posts about the end of comics and how there won't be anyone left to feel the nostalgia for them.

 

so it just got me thinking if that we're true then at some point GA or SA books could could begin to lose some of there value.

 

plus i just picked up the sweet CA collection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

just kidding

[joe_collector]

Not only that but somebody who finds a copy of Batman # 350.....and who is a number guy.....is gonna think....."wow....there are 349 issues of this book that came before this one.....and I've never read em.

 

That's the way it used to be in the 80's and early-90's, but once all the reprints started up, and the digital copies emerged, the back-issue hobby lost a lot of its "reader base" and prices on mid-grade and lower have plummeted.

 

I can remember when Marvel first started reprinting long runs of back issues - I was shocked when I snagged the 1st Ed. of The Uncanny X-Men (Dark Phoenix) and could read the entire run for $7. I can also remember reading OS advisers bemoaning the fact that since Classic X-Men started up, early-BA issues of X-Men were dead in the water.

[joe_collector]

so it just got me thinking if that we're true then at some point GA or SA books could could begin to lose some of there value.

 

A lot of them already have. If you remove the small portion of books that have a super-hero link to today, or the popular horror/crime covers, and concentrate on the rest, you'll see some alarming trends.

 

Overall, the remainder (funny animals, etc.) is dying a slow death, and for a quick confirmation, check out the GA Western section in OS - all of the top books have DECLINED in value.

 

It must be pretty bad in non-superhero/some horror-crime GA, since when is the last time OS was brave enough to show that type of significant trend?

[brasseye]

ha! copper in 9.6..... super rare

 

but the number of collectors in CA aren't....

[joe_collector]

ha! copper in 9.6..... super rare

 

but the number of collectors in CA aren't....

 

And they're only growing. That's why you continually see all the GA fogey's trying to convince younger collectors to "go with Gold" using some bizarre method of nerd peer pressure.

 

They're worried that if these new collectors actually buy what they like, that there will be no one to buy their moldy books once they retire or die.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Not only that but somebody who finds a copy of Batman # 350.....and who is a number guy.....is gonna think....."wow....there are 349 issues of this book that came before this one.....and I've never read em.

 

That's the way it used to be in the 80's and early-90's, but once all the reprints started up, and the digital copies emerged, the back-issue hobby lost a lot of its "reader base" and prices on mid-grade and lower have plummeted.

 

I can remember when Marvel first started reprinting long runs of back issues - I was shocked when I snagged the 1st Ed. of The Uncanny X-Men (Dark Phoenix) and could read the entire run for $7. I can also remember reading OS advisers bemoaning the fact that since Classic X-Men started up, early-BA issues of X-Men were dead in the water.

 

JC that is an excellent point. The way comics have progressed has been a double edged sword. The TPB/Omnibus/Collected Addition has indeed hurt the back issue market. It has become way to easy to pick up the story that you are looking for in collected books, instead of single issues. One thing that does help is that many people still enjoy simply colecting the single issues.

 

Things like the millenium, and fantasy masterpieces however help expose the books from ages lost to new readers. The first time you read Batman 1, Action 1, All-Star 3 etc.. This could make the change to researching these GA heroes, and possibly collecting. Another fact though about the collected additions, is alot of people dont like the B&W reprints, and would rather find original color copies. But there is no doubt the reprints both hurt and help.

 

 

And to the original post. I dont think it will be more expensive for copper books. But they are gaining popularity, and more people are clearing out those 80-90's books at quick rates the past year. I think that these are the collectors who are re-connecting. After they have had the fill of dolar boxes, they will start with something else. GA is not for everybody, it is like SA or CA or BA in people will find there niche and dig in.

[AussieRuss]

ha! copper in 9.6..... super rare

 

but the number of collectors in CA aren't....

 

And they're only growing. That's why you continually see all the GA fogey's trying to convince younger collectors to "go with Gold" using some bizarre method of nerd peer pressure.

 

They're worried that if these new collectors actually buy what they like, that there will be no one to buy their moldy books once they retire or die.

 

Something gives me the feeling that you may be a CA fan JC.

 

Am I correct?

 

Russ...

[whomerjay]

ha! copper in 9.6..... super rare

 

but the number of collectors in CA aren't....

 

And they're only growing. That's why you continually see all the GA fogey's trying to convince younger collectors to "go with Gold" using some bizarre method of nerd peer pressure.

 

They're worried that if these new collectors actually buy what they like, that there will be no one to buy their moldy books once they retire or die.

 

Yeah, I'm really concerned about the growing number of CA collectors and the need to convert them to GA using a bizarre method of nerd peer pressure. Pretty soon I'm going to be the only GA collector left and have no one to talk to.

 

 

Give me an effin break.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Didnt we have a poll and most GA collectors were in the 25-35 year old range ? Here on the boards at least

[VintageComics]

I wonder how anyone can even begin to think Gold can trump Copper. Will a tin can ever be worth as much as a Crystal bottle? Come on guys...the root of the cause is always more desirable to understand than just the symptom, history will always trump contemporary, rarity will always trump over supply. It's that simple.

 

R.

 

 

[seanfingh]

Will a tin can ever be worth as much as a Crystal bottle? Yes, if enough people want the tin can more than the Crystal bottle.

 

Rarity will always trump over supply. It's that simple. No it is not. You are forgetting about demand. Broad brush paintings are very messy.

 

 

Personally, I feel there will always be a market for some GA. Historic books, books with ties to more modern stories, classics. Whether the demand will be there for the Green Lama or even the Shadow remains to be seen. Demand plays a serious part in this calculus. Personally, I think TMNT will be more collectible in 50 years than a lot of GA.

[joe_collector]

Yeah, I'm really concerned about the growing number of CA collectors and the need to convert them to GA using a bizarre method of nerd peer pressure.

 

I'm not saying YOU do it personally, but are you actually saying it doesn't happen?

 

I see it whenever I browse the GA forums, GA fogeys desperately trying to convert the young'uns that their BA and CA is worthless and common, and that they should really be buying GA.

[VintageComics]

Will a tin can ever be worth as much as a Crystal bottle? Yes, if enough people want the tin can more than the Crystal bottle.

 

Rarity will always trump over supply. It's that simple. No it is not. You are forgetting about demand. Broad brush paintings are very messy.

 

 

Personally, I feel there will always be a market for some GA. Historic books, books with ties to more modern stories, classics. Whether the demand will be their for the Green Lama or even the Shadow remains to be seen. Demand plays a serious part in this calculus. Personally, I think TMNT will be more collectible in 50 years than a lot of GA.

 

Shawn in sheer volume, CA will be more popular for several reasons...more population, better preservation techniques, more contemporary to the immediate audience.

 

I guess I should have qualified my post.

 

As far as $$ value (and this is how I took the initial post without reading the thread at all) I say no.

 

Keys will always be the exception to the rule but in general terms as far as runs go, no.

 

If it's popularity over all then yes but that was how I read it.

 

R.

 

 

[VintageComics]

Yeah, I'm really concerned about the growing number of CA collectors and the need to convert them to GA using a bizarre method of nerd peer pressure.

 

I'm not saying YOU do it personally, but are you actually saying it doesn't happen?

 

I see it whenever I browse the GA forums, GA fogeys desperately trying to convert the young'uns that their BA and CA is worthless and common, and that they should really be buying GA.

 

JC I am a converted GA collector (and they are converting much faster to GA than out of it) but it had nothing to do with peer pressure.

 

The following things are true of GA verses any other age...

 

The books are much tougher to find.

The books are much more expensive.

They books are much more *original* in the sense that they were a new art form at the time.

The books were much more *innocent* in their appeal...a very important factor for me.

 

 

That's just off the top of my head.

 

All things that draw collectors...

 

R.

 

 

[joe_collector]

Didnt we have a poll and most GA collectors were in the 25-35 year old range ? Here on the boards at least

 

35-40 was the largest segment, but like dog food ingredients, you have to look closer and understand that about half were 40 or older, and that segment makes up the vast majority of GA collections and $$$.

 

Compare and contrast the GA holdings of CapFreak with conditionfreak.