Question From An Eager Noob: Where to Spend $20,000?

[paperheart]

where's the crack option?

[blazingbob]

I would spend it all on my site

 

Shameless plug of my great website

www.highgradecomics.com

[showcase4]

Thanks, showcase4. Is eBay the way to go for something like this? Thanks!

 

the books will be hard to find, but well worth the effort. You would need to look at a multitude of venues, such as eBay, ComicLink, Heritage, and with larger dealers like Metropolis.

Glad I could be of help (thumbs u

Steve

 

Why on earth would you send someone who is investing to Metropolis or Heritage? Nothing against Vinnie and Steve, but their prices are at the very top end, and they are almost completely unwilling to discount. And why waste the 19% hammer fee which could be better invested in books.

 

You can go to most other dealers, such as myself, or Bob, or Harley, or Ritter, or Ricky and get good books and get a solid discount (especially if you are going to drop 10 - 20K).

 

 

 

....and to justify my advice Dale, ( said respectfully, but to prove a point ), how many mid grade unrestored pre-Robin Tecs do you have in stock now, and what type of discount are you offering on them? :popcorn:

[Dale Roberts]

You will never go wrong with a Amazing Fantasy Fantasy 15. I just don't see this book ever taking a serious nose dive price wise. But buy what you really like. But remember for investment purposes. Buy the book's that others like as well. I would get two{2} or more mid grade keys. Or go with the nice upper mid range AF 15. Book's like FF #1, X-Men #1,

DareDevil #1, ASM #1, Hulk #1. There a part of Americana at it's best.

 

My personal opinion would to be to get the best AF 15 you can get for $10 - $12K. Then find a decent ASM #1 for $4k - $6k. Then go find yourself a nice mid to higher grade key. A book like X-Men # 94 or a GSXM #1. I would say without much doubt that these book's will get the best ROI you can find in comic book's.

 

As a side note. Stay away from books that have a Cream or worse PQ assignment. Collectors/investors really seem to frown on these PQ assignments.

OW, OW/White, White Pages are what most collectors/investors like to see on there books.

 

Restored book's are also book's that I would not invest in. While I can understand why most restoration is done. I personally don't believe they will appreciate in value as much as a un restored book in most instances. IMHO of course.

 

CGC graded book's will always get you that assurance as a buyer and seller as well. That will lead to a better buy and sell situation. CGC graded book's seem to sell for that premium sellers are looking to get as well. PGX graded books... Well, not so much, to put it mildly. Good Luck with your investment's.

 

This is very solid advice, almost across the board.

 

Amazing Fantasy #15 is the safest investment you can pick up. Others include Amazing Spider-man #1, Hulk #1, Journey Into Mystery #83, Avengers #1 & 4, Fantastic Four #1, Tales of Suspense #39, and to a lesser extent, X-Men #1 and Daredevil #1.

 

Hulk #181 in 9.4 or higher. Giant Size X-Men #1 in 9.6 or higher. X-Men #94 in 9.4 or higher. Amazing Spider-man #121, 122, 129 in 9.4 or higher. Silver Surfer #1 in 9.4, Iron man #1 in 9.4 or higher.

 

If you would rather do DCs, you have to ve more selective. Green Lantern #1 in 8.0 or better. Showcase #22 in 8.0 or better. Batman keys always do well. JLA #21 & #22 in 9.2 or better. Flash #123, Superman #146 in 9.0 or better, #199 in 9.4. You really can't go wrong with Neal Adams books either.

 

If you like golden age, there are so many ways you can go. I would personally focus on Superman #1 - 10, early Actions, Batmans especially with Joker covers and early Detectives, Timelys, and classic covers and important issues. I believe that as more and more books get slabbed, cover art will become more and more important, so really nice covers such as Crime Suspense #20 & 22, Shock Suspense #6,7, Phanton Lady #17, Suspense #3 etc will continue to be highly sought after.

 

 

[dekeuk]

invest in 90's moderns, they are already pushing 20 years old. Great value there

 

I completely disagree with this.

 

Any book from Marvel or DC from the 90's will NEVER be rare, not even in 9.8

 

And as soon as prices start to rise, more books get slabbed, and prices fall again. There will be constant price suppresion.

 

Take a look at some of the comic lots being sold by NEATSTUFF on ebay. They sell comics by the TRACTOR TRAILER load from the 1990's

 

How many potential 9.8's do you think are in an 18-wheeler?

 

That's why prices are never going to the moon on Marvel & DC 1990's stuff.

 

 

 

[Dale Roberts]

Thanks, showcase4. Is eBay the way to go for something like this? Thanks!

 

the books will be hard to find, but well worth the effort. You would need to look at a multitude of venues, such as eBay, ComicLink, Heritage, and with larger dealers like Metropolis.

Glad I could be of help (thumbs u

Steve

 

Why on earth would you send someone who is investing to Metropolis or Heritage? Nothing against Vinnie and Steve, but their prices are at the very top end, and they are almost completely unwilling to discount. And why waste the 19% hammer fee which could be better invested in books.

 

You can go to most other dealers, such as myself, or Bob, or Harley, or Ritter, or Ricky and get good books and get a solid discount (especially if you are going to drop 10 - 20K).

 

 

 

....and to justify my advice Dale, ( said respectfully, but to prove a point ), how many mid grade unrestored pre-Robin Tecs do you have in stock now, and what type of discount are you offering on them? :popcorn:

 

I don't have any right now, but you send me a want list, tell me you have money to spend, and I will have them. I personally don't look at those books as the best long term investments.

 

He did not specify what he wanted to invest in. To limit yourself to such a narrow scope would be foolish for what he is trying to do. You buy the best books you can buy, at the best prices you can buy them at.

 

If you can only buy those books at one place, what are the odds you are going to get a decent price on them? Not much in my opinion.

 

I fully believe that I could take 20K, spend it at a convention on 20 - 50 books, and turn that 20K into at least 25K in a years time. Easily. Maybe considerably more, of course that is assuming nothing else catastrophic in the economy.

 

Do you think you could do that with pre-Robin Detectives? I don't. Especially not shopping with those sources.

[dekeuk]

 

To make the highest percentage return, you have to buy comics like you were buying stocks.

 

You have to buy quality, but the best way to make a large return is to buy comics "when they are on sale".

 

Take a look at your $20,000:

 

If you pay 100% of GPA on all your purchases, you have $20,000 worth of comics, and you make 10% for 10 years, your comics will be worth $52,000

 

But if you only pay 70% of GPA on all your purchases, you end up with $29,000 worth of comics. If you now make the same 10% for 10 years, you end up with $74,000 worth of comics. That is the equivalent of getting a 14% annual return on your $20,000 investment.

 

So you end up with an extra $22,000 profit by only buying books "when they are on sale".

 

You are never going to buy the big key books at 30% less than GPA, but there are tons of quality books out there you can get at 30% less than GPA. The best places are auctions on ebay and Comiclink. Sometimes there are bargains out there. The key is to not overpay.

 

The better deal you get on the purchase price, the higher your ultimate rate of return, all things being equal.

 

 

 

 

[Count]

invest in 90's moderns, they are already pushing 20 years old. Great value there

 

I completely disagree with this.

 

Any book from Marvel or DC from the 90's will NEVER be rare, not even in 9.8

 

And as soon as prices start to rise, more books get slabbed, and prices fall again. There will be constant price suppresion.

 

Take a look at some of the comic lots being sold by NEATSTUFF on ebay. They sell comics by the TRACTOR TRAILER load from the 1990's

 

How many potential 9.8's do you think are in an 18-wheeler?

 

That's why prices are never going to the moon on Marvel & DC 1990's stuff.

 

 

 

it's called sarcasm

[comicdonna]

And why waste the 19% hammer fee which could be better invested in books.

 

 

There is no way in ^$(# I would give Heritage a 19% buyers premium!! That is just crazy IMHO. It is money much better spent on private sales, different dealers, Ebay,

 

Sigh.

 

The buyer's premium shafts the SELLER, not the buyer.

This is true as long as you figure in the BP when you bid. If you are willing to pay $20,000 book, only bid about $16.800

[Lego]

This thread is horrifying on a number of levels.

[Dale Roberts]

To make the highest percentage return, you have to buy comics like you were buying stocks.

 

You have to buy quality, but the best way to make a large return is to buy comics "when they are on sale".

 

Take a look at your $20,000:

 

If you pay 100% of GPA on all your purchases, you have $20,000 worth of comics, and you make 10% for 10 years, your comics will be worth $52,000

 

But if you only pay 70% of GPA on all your purchases, you end up with $29,000 worth of comics. If you now make the same 10% for 10 years, you end up with $74,000 worth of comics. That is the equivalent of getting a 14% annual return on your $20,000 investment.

 

So you end up with an extra $22,000 profit by only buying books "when they are on sale".

 

You are never going to buy the big key books at 30% less than GPA, but there are tons of quality books out there you can get at 30% less than GPA. The best places are auctions on ebay and Comiclink. Sometimes there are bargains out there. The key is to not overpay.

 

The better deal you get on the purchase price, the higher your ultimate rate of return, all things being equal.

 

 

 

 

exactly, with the following point being understood, you need to stick with books which are highly liquid and desirable

[tth2]

And why waste the 19% hammer fee which could be better invested in books.

We truly, really, seriously need a sticky at the top of the boards to clarify a very elementary concept for the members of the boards who are apparently severely mathematically challenged.

[tth2]

And why waste the 19% hammer fee which could be better invested in books.

 

 

There is no way in ^$(# I would give Heritage a 19% buyers premium!! That is just crazy IMHO. It is money much better spent on private sales, different dealers, Ebay,

 

Sigh.

 

The buyer's premium shafts the SELLER, not the buyer.

 

What is it that makes this concept so hard to understand for people?

[Pirate]

invest in 90's moderns, they are already pushing 20 years old. Great value there

 

I completely disagree with this.

 

Any book from Marvel or DC from the 90's will NEVER be rare, not even in 9.8

 

And as soon as prices start to rise, more books get slabbed, and prices fall again. There will be constant price suppresion.

 

Take a look at some of the comic lots being sold by NEATSTUFF on ebay. They sell comics by the TRACTOR TRAILER load from the 1990's

 

How many potential 9.8's do you think are in an 18-wheeler?

 

That's why prices are never going to the moon on Marvel & DC 1990's stuff.

 

 

 

it was a joke as I think the guy is a shill.

[FlyingDonut]

If you are serious and not a shill this is what I would do with your $20K.

 

First, and absolutely first, this is money you can afford to lose. You absolutely should not be looking at this as anything but a completely speculative investment.

 

Get your $20K in hundreds.

 

Go to a big show. Not a little one, but a BIG show. Chicago, San Diego, maybe NYCC, something like that.

 

Day One: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. You're looking for a guy with a lot of books who, for some reason, doesn't have many sales.

 

Day Two: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. Same thing. It will start to become apparent to you which dealer is having a terrible show. Lighting, placement, whatever - there's always somebody.

 

Day Three: Walk around the show. Keep looking. If the show ends at 5 PM, wait until 3, and then pounce. Walk up to that dealer.

 

Very slowly pull your wad of cash out. Say you will take $80K in sticker for your $20K, and you get to pick the books. You may get laughed at, but there's a very good chance he'll bite - and if he doesn't, you can most likely get $60K in sticker. Grade doesn't really matter at this point - but you don't want anything published after 1975.

 

Twenty grand says "hello" a lot.

[TupennyConan]

If you are serious and not a shill this is what I would do with your $20K.

 

First, and absolutely first, this is money you can afford to lose. You absolutely should not be looking at this as anything but a completely speculative investment.

 

Get your $20K in hundreds.

 

Go to a big show. Not a little one, but a BIG show. Chicago, San Diego, maybe NYCC, something like that.

 

Day One: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. You're looking for a guy with a lot of books who, for some reason, doesn't have many sales.

 

Day Two: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. Same thing. It will start to become apparent to you which dealer is having a terrible show. Lighting, placement, whatever - there's always somebody.

 

Day Three: Walk around the show. Keep looking. If the show ends at 5 PM, wait until 3, and then pounce. Walk up to that dealer.

 

Very slowly pull your wad of cash out. Say you will take $80K in sticker for your $20K, and you get to pick the books. You may get laughed at, but there's a very good chance he'll bite - and if he doesn't, you can most likely get $60K in sticker. Grade doesn't really matter at this point - but you don't want anything published after 1975.

 

Twenty grand says "hello" a lot.

 

Predatory & pretty smart.

[Dale Roberts]

If you are serious and not a shill this is what I would do with your $20K.

 

First, and absolutely first, this is money you can afford to lose. You absolutely should not be looking at this as anything but a completely speculative investment.

 

Get your $20K in hundreds.

 

Go to a big show. Not a little one, but a BIG show. Chicago, San Diego, maybe NYCC, something like that.

 

Day One: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. You're looking for a guy with a lot of books who, for some reason, doesn't have many sales.

 

Day Two: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. Same thing. It will start to become apparent to you which dealer is having a terrible show. Lighting, placement, whatever - there's always somebody.

 

Day Three: Walk around the show. Keep looking. If the show ends at 5 PM, wait until 3, and then pounce. Walk up to that dealer.

 

Very slowly pull your wad of cash out. Say you will take $80K in sticker for your $20K, and you get to pick the books. You may get laughed at, but there's a very good chance he'll bite - and if he doesn't, you can most likely get $60K in sticker. Grade doesn't really matter at this point - but you don't want anything published after 1975.

 

Twenty grand says "hello" a lot.

 

Unfortunately, the kind of guy that would "fall" for a move like this, isn't very likely to have 80K worth of books that you want. The point is, if you are at a big show, and you have the type of stuff that we are talking about, then you are not going to be having a bad show.

 

If this would work, you would see all of the big dealer's constantly buying out the smaller guys, and it simply doesn't happen that much. I can guarantee you that if you know anyone who has the type of material that we are talking about and he is willing to do this at any show, you can tell me(or Harley, or Bob, or Ricky or 10 -20 other guys) and he won't have that type of material very long.

 

You might could take the 20K and buy 30K worth of books, but that is a different story.

[FlyingDonut]

If you are serious and not a shill this is what I would do with your $20K.

 

First, and absolutely first, this is money you can afford to lose. You absolutely should not be looking at this as anything but a completely speculative investment.

 

Get your $20K in hundreds.

 

Go to a big show. Not a little one, but a BIG show. Chicago, San Diego, maybe NYCC, something like that.

 

Day One: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. You're looking for a guy with a lot of books who, for some reason, doesn't have many sales.

 

Day Two: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. Same thing. It will start to become apparent to you which dealer is having a terrible show. Lighting, placement, whatever - there's always somebody.

 

Day Three: Walk around the show. Keep looking. If the show ends at 5 PM, wait until 3, and then pounce. Walk up to that dealer.

 

Very slowly pull your wad of cash out. Say you will take $80K in sticker for your $20K, and you get to pick the books. You may get laughed at, but there's a very good chance he'll bite - and if he doesn't, you can most likely get $60K in sticker. Grade doesn't really matter at this point - but you don't want anything published after 1975.

 

Twenty grand says "hello" a lot.

 

Unfortunately, the kind of guy that would "fall" for a move like this, isn't very likely to have 80K worth of books that you want. The point is, if you are at a big show, and you have the type of stuff that we are talking about, then you are not going to be having a bad show.

 

If this would work, you would see all of the big dealer's constantly buying out the smaller guys, and it simply doesn't happen that much. I can guarantee you that if you know anyone who has the type of material that we are talking about and he is willing to do this at any show, you can tell me(or Harley, or Bob, or Ricky or 10 -20 other guys) and he won't have that type of material very long.

 

You might could take the 20K and buy 30K worth of books, but that is a different story.

 

I think it happens more than you think - maybe it would work at a secondary show better. Megacon, FallCon, something like that.

[Weird Paper]

If you are serious and not a shill this is what I would do with your $20K.

 

First, and absolutely first, this is money you can afford to lose. You absolutely should not be looking at this as anything but a completely speculative investment.

 

Get your $20K in hundreds.

 

Go to a big show. Not a little one, but a BIG show. Chicago, San Diego, maybe NYCC, something like that.

 

Day One: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. You're looking for a guy with a lot of books who, for some reason, doesn't have many sales.

 

Day Two: Walk around the show. Don't buy anything. Observe all the dealers tables. Same thing. It will start to become apparent to you which dealer is having a terrible show. Lighting, placement, whatever - there's always somebody.

 

Day Three: Walk around the show. Keep looking. If the show ends at 5 PM, wait until 3, and then pounce. Walk up to that dealer.

 

Very slowly pull your wad of cash out. Say you will take $80K in sticker for your $20K, and you get to pick the books. You may get laughed at, but there's a very good chance he'll bite - and if he doesn't, you can most likely get $60K in sticker. Grade doesn't really matter at this point - but you don't want anything published after 1975.

 

Twenty grand says "hello" a lot.

 

Hey Donut, I wanna go to a convention with you!...

 

provided you're not really Ron Jeremy.

[trmoore54]

Nice copies, well-aligned/centered ASM Silver Age, especially 1-52, 58, 63, 72 in CGC 9.0 and better...especially 9.4+ and you can't go wrong...I've posted these in the last year and have had many sell literally within about 20 minutes on the boards...easy 10% or so annual inflation on these the last few years...

And all Marvel Keys in HG!

 

I like DD as well but DD, like Fred in Pulp Fiction, id Dead!

 

GOOD LUCK and WTTB!