New Breed of Dealers and Collectors?

[the blob]

The new breed of collector is actually a 40 something year old collector that probably left the hobby in the 90s because of the old game. Sell the book at NM buy the book at VF.

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

 

Well, in the 90's, nobody was forcing anyone to buy the overgraded book and back then you were actually holding it in your hand.

[nik]

Don't pick on Bob. He's much nicer in person than he is here on the boards.

 

I've heard just the opposite about you.

 

Well, I'm a on the boards and I'm a in person. So, I'm pretty much the same all the way around.

 

I concur

[DrWatson]

Don't pick on Bob. He's much nicer in person than he is here on the boards.

 

I've heard just the opposite about you.

 

Well, I'm a on the boards and I'm a in person. So, I'm pretty much the same all the way around.

 

I concur

I knew you'd have my back.

[nik]

Don't pick on Bob. He's much nicer in person than he is here on the boards.

 

I've heard just the opposite about you.

 

Well, I'm a on the boards and I'm a in person. So, I'm pretty much the same all the way around.

 

I concur

I knew you'd have my back.

 

Always

[the blob]

oh sure, this has created a whole new way to extract extra money out of high grade books and high grade collectors, BUT...

 

hasn't it also served to devalue the bulk of dealers' inventories, which do not consist of high (NM or better) books, at least when we're talking about BA and earlier?

 

admittedly, a lot of that stuff was getting devalued before CGC.

 

then again, i guess you can afford to have a lot of books devalued if you can turn enough dollar box books into $50-100+ CGC 9.8s.

[joe_collector]

I must say I prefer the 1980s grading of good, fine and mint (with some slight variations in between) that lacked the continual cutthroat and greedy attitudes that are more prevalent today.

 

I think the mid-80's were the best time to collect - I could never find any real comic stores or shows in the 70's, but by the 80's the hobby was really starting to explode and comic shops were opening all over the place, even in small cities. I can remember hitting places like Kingston, Brockville and Peterborough and seeing funny book shops right on the main strip.

 

I picked up some great books during that era, and there were tons of shows as well, driven by the sportscard boom, but featuring a lot of comics too. Back issue prices may have been lower in the 60's and 70's, but without an organized fanbase and a wide range of stores and shows, it was difficult for most collectors to even find back issues.

 

If you just liked collecting comics, the 80's had to be the primo decade.

[Flaming_Telepath]

I must say I prefer the 1980s grading of good, fine and mint (with some slight variations in between) that lacked the continual cutthroat and greedy attitudes that are more prevalent today.

 

I think the mid-80's were the best time to collect - I could never find any real comic stores or shows in the 70's, but by the 80's the hobby was really starting to explode and comic shops were opening all over the place, even in small cities. I can remember hitting places like Kingston, Brockville and Peterborough and seeing funny book shops right on the main strip.

 

I picked up some great books during that era, and there were tons of shows as well, driven by the sportscard boom, but featuring a lot of comics too. Back issue prices may have been lower in the 60's and 70's, but without an organized fanbase and a wide range of stores and shows, it was difficult for most collectors to even find back issues.

 

If you just liked collecting comics, the 80's had to be the primo decade.

 

 

(thumbs u

 

Yup. I think you're probably spot-on there, Vince.

 

Rightly or wrongly, there also seemed to be an innocence to it back then.

[DrWatson]

As far as I'm concerned, the late 70s and early 80s were nice. I mean they hold my childhood memories and I do look at that time through rose coloured glasses ( to you know who), but I think now is an excellent time to be collecting comics.

 

The Internet has made it possible to track down books that I never even knew existed. It has given one access to chat boards like these were folks can get together and relate to one another, build friendships with people in other countries no less and attend some very nice conventions.

 

Sure things are more expensive, but what isn't. I wouldn't trade today for back when for anything.

[Ogami]

agree with Vince and Doc.

 

The 80's mystique was in seeing Mile High and Eastcoast ads in comic books and realising that there WAS a market for back issues. It was the kid version of the stock market. Buy the right book, hold it long enough, and you can be a contender.

 

I still remember trading a X-Men 213 and a small bit of coin for a FF 48 and feeling like I had just bought Microsoft at opening prices.

 

Going into comic stores in the 80's- it was all there from runs of GA and SA to the latest B&W explosion books. It was heady stuff.

 

And of course, i wouldn't go back for love or money. Before the internet, unless you were into mail order (and I wasn't), you were forced to travel and/or build relationships with store owners, but you still paid a premium, because it was all about perceived supply and demand, or scarcity and demand. Before Ebay, I would have never had 1/10 of the older books I have now, due to availability and price.

 

And now that we're entering the post ebay period, with auction sites, peer to peer sites and great dealer sites, it's only getting better.

[MrBedrock]

Reading recent comments by both dealers and collectors have made me realize that the advent of CGC has created a new breed of collecting in this hobby...

 

Collectors who before were completely content with a "NM" comic in their collection, let's say one that would be graded today by CGC as a 9.4, now aren't since there are some out there "officially" graded higher (a phenomenom that didn't exist before). Instead of moving on to other holes in their collection, they now include upgrades of issues they already have and were previously fine with. Pretty much a collecting circlejerk unless they have the cash to continually buy 9.8 or higher copies. Page quality certifications also drive this upgrade need...

 

Dealers on the otherhand now have a system they can play with. Instead of having straight NM comics stock for sale (let's say three of any issue) , they can now look for upgrade opportunities be it by pressing comics or just a straight graded comic resubmittal they feel was undergraded the first time. And now the CGC number has given them a validation to separate those three issues and provided a basis to work with in determining how they make their money, factors in what they buy, and how they operate their business by using CGC as an umbrella for countering differences of opinion. Not to mention feeding off that same collector circlejerk upgrade mentality...a mentality that wasn't nearly as honed as it is now and provides dealers an opportunity to sell multiple NM comics of the same issue to the same collectors...

 

Jim

As a dealer I can honestly say I don't know what the heck you are talking about.

But I have never participated in a circle jerk.

[joe_collector]

I don't find the online environment in 2008 as fun or as interesting, but my early days of EBay, circa 1998-2002 or so were extremely fun and I can remember searching several times a day for deals and having the BIN window open all day long.

 

I had bookmark folders for all my favorite sellers (99% are long gone), built up many longterm buy/sell/trade relationships, and it was like the Wild West, everything was there if you wanted to put in the time and effort.

 

Now, EBay is just a pale shadow of its former self, and I barely go there anymore.

[DrWatson]

When I say Internet, I don't necessarily mean eBay, but eBay is good for modern slabs if nothing else.

[Ogami]

I don't find the online environment in 2008 as fun or as interesting, but my early days of EBay, circa 1998-2002 or so were extremely fun and I can remember searching several times a day for deals and having the BIN window open all day long.

 

I had bookmark folders for all my favorite sellers (99% are long gone), built up many longterm buy/sell/trade relationships, and it was like the Wild West, everything was there if you wanted to put in the time and effort.

 

Now, EBay is just a pale shadow of its former self, and I barely go there anymore.

 

yup- agree. Not near as fun, although still useful to me personally.

 

I bought two stacks of GA Duck books recently. One lot, with shipping was 200 bucks and contained over 1k worth of books.

[MrBedrock]

I think the mid-80's were the best time to collect

The only problem with the mid-80's and earlier was that it was much harder to find the rarer books. Other than the occasional item in the CBG or finding something at a convention you really had to be diligent to turn up something cool, particularly with golden age.

But the books I bought in the seventies and eighties have more meaning to me in some ways because they were tougher to come by.

[EastEnd]

I must say I prefer the 1980s grading of good, fine and mint (with some slight variations in between) that lacked the continual cutthroat and greedy attitudes that are more prevalent today.

 

I think the mid-80's were the best time to collect - I could never find any real comic stores or shows in the 70's, but by the 80's the hobby was really starting to explode and comic shops were opening all over the place, even in small cities. I can remember hitting places like Kingston, Brockville and Peterborough and seeing funny book shops right on the main strip.

 

I picked up some great books during that era, and there were tons of shows as well, driven by the sportscard boom, but featuring a lot of comics too. Back issue prices may have been lower in the 60's and 70's, but without an organized fanbase and a wide range of stores and shows, it was difficult for most collectors to even find back issues.

 

If you just liked collecting comics, the 80's had to be the primo decade.

 

One thing I wasn't crazy about in the eighties was the departure of back issue inventories from most comic shops... at least that was the case in NY. When I started going to comic shops in the 1970s, most of the floor space was devoted to back issues. By the end of the 1980s, finding a decent back issue inventory in NY comic shops was rare. Lately though, I have seen back issues make something of a comeback, but still nothing compared to the late seventies/early eighties.

[Ogami]

I must say I prefer the 1980s grading of good, fine and mint (with some slight variations in between) that lacked the continual cutthroat and greedy attitudes that are more prevalent today.

 

I think the mid-80's were the best time to collect - I could never find any real comic stores or shows in the 70's, but by the 80's the hobby was really starting to explode and comic shops were opening all over the place, even in small cities. I can remember hitting places like Kingston, Brockville and Peterborough and seeing funny book shops right on the main strip.

 

I picked up some great books during that era, and there were tons of shows as well, driven by the sportscard boom, but featuring a lot of comics too. Back issue prices may have been lower in the 60's and 70's, but without an organized fanbase and a wide range of stores and shows, it was difficult for most collectors to even find back issues.

 

If you just liked collecting comics, the 80's had to be the primo decade.

 

One thing I wasn't crazy about in the eighties was the departure of back issue inventories from most comic shops... at least that was the case in NY. When I started going to comic shops in the 1970s, most of the floor space was devoted to back issues. By the end of the 1980s, finding a decent back issue inventory in NY comic shops was rare. Lately though, I have seen back issues make something of a comeback, but still nothing compared to the late seventies/early eighties.

 

you can blame rents for that.

 

Down in the south, it's the opposite. There is a huge glut of back issues. The market for anything 78-06 is in the tank, and dollar books, fifty cent books, and quarter books are standard.

 

Of course, there are exceptions, I'm just talking about by and large.

[the blob]

By the end of the 1980s, finding a decent back issue inventory in NY comic shops was rare. Lately though, I have seen back issues make something of a comeback, but still nothing compared to the late seventies/early eighties.

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

 

huh. midtown comics and time machine, to name two, have tons of floor space devoted to back issues. yes, forbidden planet basically banished their's to their warehouse and you can order them and get them later or something along those lines. also a space issue.

 

honestly, i don't know how midtown can pay the rent on all that back issue floor space. they actually have a lot of people buying them, but still. they moved in there when rents were depressed in time square, but i can't imagine they're still on that lease.

 

yes, some of the tiny hole in the wall places simply don't have the space for many of them.

 

mind you, i'm mainly talking about quantity. midtown doesn't have a lot of stuff you actually likely want, but if you want some mid-80's x-men for full wizard price, there it is! time machine has a pretty decent selection at least of issues, maybe not all in top grade.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Pat-

When you state "You rarely see raw books get pressed to be displayed raw." you are correct & incorrect at the same time.

 

You do not see the raw books that are pressed, because you cannot tell that they were pressed. That is why you "think" you do not see them.

 

There are some people playing right into the hands of the anti-pressing crowd, by pressing books, saying they don't, and selling raw. I know this as a fact.

 

There are also the sellers who "pre-screen" pressed books at CGC. The pressed rejects come back and they sell them raw.

 

Many ebay people sell raw and press.

 

Sorry, the reality of the situation is not what you think.

 

I dont believe that all presed books get slabbed. I did however forget about the "pile of misfit pre-screens. And there are also many books that could benefit dealers to press from even a 8.5-9.0. In key books it would add eye appeal,and monetary. I should have brought this up.

 

There isnt much that would surprise me in this hobby anymore.

[kc120us]

I must say I prefer the 1980s grading of good, fine and mint (with some slight variations in between) that lacked the continual cutthroat and greedy attitudes that are more prevalent today.

 

I think the mid-80's were the best time to collect - I could never find any real comic stores or shows in the 70's, but by the 80's the hobby was really starting to explode and comic shops were opening all over the place, even in small cities. I can remember hitting places like Kingston, Brockville and Peterborough and seeing funny book shops right on the main strip.

 

I picked up some great books during that era, and there were tons of shows as well, driven by the sportscard boom, but featuring a lot of comics too. Back issue prices may have been lower in the 60's and 70's, but without an organized fanbase and a wide range of stores and shows, it was difficult for most collectors to even find back issues.

 

If you just liked collecting comics, the 80's had to be the primo decade.

 

Unfortunately, in hindsight I don't have such fond recollections of the 80's. Don't get me wrong. That is when I started to seriously collect and had tons of fun doing it. I just didn't realize who I was buying from. You might have heard him, a guy who owned a certain comic shop in Hartsdale, NY called Fantazia. He sold me a lot of x-men and ff. Of course, I didn't care about the grade back then and was blissfully unaware of restoration.

 

Oh, yeah. The 80's were a great time for Danny Dupcak. I'm so glad that i didn't have to worry about buying a pressed book back then.

 

 

[EastEnd]

By the end of the 1980s, finding a decent back issue inventory in NY comic shops was rare. Lately though, I have seen back issues make something of a comeback, but still nothing compared to the late seventies/early eighties.

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

 

huh. midtown comics and time machine, to name two, have tons of floor space devoted to back issues. yes, forbidden planet basically banished their's to their warehouse and you can order them and get them later or something along those lines. also a space issue.

 

honestly, i don't know how midtown can pay the rent on all that back issue floor space. they actually have a lot of people buying them, but still. they moved in there when rents were depressed in time square, but i can't imagine they're still on that lease.

 

yes, some of the tiny hole in the wall places simply don't have the space for many of them.

 

 

mind you, i'm mainly talking about quantity. midtown doesn't have a lot of stuff you actually likely want, but if you want some mid-80's x-men for full wizard price, there it is! time machine has a pretty decent selection at least of issues, maybe not all in top grade.

 

The comic shops I frequented in the late 1970s... Mike's Comic Hut, Richie's Comic Den, etc... had 80%+ of their floor space devoted to back issues -- and the depth of the back issue inventory was far better than Midtown Comics which probably devotes maybe 40% of floor space to back issues - if you can even call them back issues (appears to me that most of their back issues are from the mid-1980s forward). New issues were usually off in some back corner of the store somewhere and often on a couple of spindles or an old piece of furniture with shelving.

 

I agree with you on Time Machine which is very much a throwback to the comic shops in the seventies -- mostly back issues, a lot of depth, and surprisingly very little space devoted to new issues. But Time Machine is an exception... I didn't say no back issue inventories existed; I said it was rare to find large, deep back issue inventories as was common among 1970s NY comic shops. Can't say the same for Forbidden Planet, Jim Hanley's, and most others. From the mid-1980s on, finding decent back issue inventories in NY comic shops has been difficult.

 

[There is another comic shop on 23rd I think (across from Madison Square Park) that had a pretty good back issue inventory when I worked in the neighborhood a couple of years ago... Gotham Comics maybe?]