Another Collectible Bites the Dust- Parallels to Comics- Quesada: Pay Attention

[Ogami]

It's not a perfect parallel by any means, but still, the similarities are there.

 

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/01/26/kitsch-and-capitalism-the-rise-and-fall-of-hummel-figurines/?icid=main|main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2F26%2Fkitsch-and-capitalism-the-rise-and-fall-of-hummel-figurines%2F

[drbanner]

Manufactured Collectibles like Hummels and Department 56 villages?

 

True antique collectibles like vintage comic books?

[ComicConnoisseur]

It's not a perfect parallel by any means, but still, the similarities are there.

 

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/01/26/kitsch-and-capitalism-the-rise-and-fall-of-hummel-figurines/?icid=main|main|dl2|link3|http%3A%2F%2Fwww.walletpop.com%2Fblog%2F2010%2F01%2F26%2Fkitsch-and-capitalism-the-rise-and-fall-of-hummel-figurines%2F

Sounds more like the baseball card market then comics, the only time I would worry about this hobby is when or if Spider-man,Superman and Batman aren`t relevent anymore, those big three control the majority of the comic book market, if those three ever lose popularity then you will see a big loss of interest, especially in the gold and silver age markets.

[3319comics]

Hulk collectibles will never die....

[joe_collector]

This comment is absolutely true:

 

But as financial writer Felix Salmon once noted about the secondary market for Thomas Kinkade prints, "As a general rule, no retailer has ever consistently been able to make money by selling the proposition that his goods are going to increase in value after they're bought."

 

And it's been the death knell of virtually all recent collectibles, as you can only sell the "sizzle" so long before people start looking for the "steak".

 

That's why when dealers use the term "Investment Collectible' in a hobby it's time to run, as that's exactly how they're being marketed and sold, regardless of whether it's new or vintage material. People are buying with the full expectation of it increasing in value.

[3319comics]

Sports cards in my opinion got killed due to the hype of limited stuff, by the time you knew it everything was collectible/limited and you were payin $9 or more a pack and throwing out the thing cause you didnt get the limited one one. I remeber opening a pack of cards and getting a rookie or 2 that was worth something and making a set of all the cards.

 

I think the same is or is starting to happen with comics. So many variant covers $/$5 a piece. People hardly make full runs or sets of the newer stuff. People buy the graphic novels to read the whole thing instead of individual issues usually.

 

I think the old timers and old comics and other stuff got it right. The book was done and drawn and stood on its on two feet for what it was and the art in it and not just cause it was the 14th variant limited edition pizza hut giveaway.

 

Probably not getting my point across correctly but....

[comicalgems]

If it's a title that you enjoy then I can see collecting the full run. Personally, I'm into ASM, Nova, and TWD. All others I'm picking up on a month to month basis.

[ckp1680]

Sports cards in my opinion got killed due to the hype of limited stuff, by the time you knew it everything was collectible/limited and you were payin $9 or more a pack and throwing out the thing cause you didnt get the limited one one. I remeber opening a pack of cards and getting a rookie or 2 that was worth something and making a set of all the cards.

 

I think the same is or is starting to happen with comics. So many variant covers $/$5 a piece. People hardly make full runs or sets of the newer stuff. People buy the graphic novels to read the whole thing instead of individual issues usually.

 

I think the old timers and old comics and other stuff got it right. The book was done and drawn and stood on its on two feet for what it was and the art in it and not just cause it was the 14th variant limited edition pizza hut giveaway.

 

Probably not getting my point across correctly but....

 

+1

 

Made perfect sense to me (thumbs u

[joe_collector]

Sports cards in my opinion got killed due to the hype of limited stuff

 

Agreed, but it's not just new stuff, like that RRP stupidity, but also CGC ultra-high grades. Do you really think people are paying big bucks for a GL/GA 76 9.6 or a NM 98 9.9 because they're not limited in number?

 

You've got to think outside the "new retail products" box and realize that a just-slabbed CGC comic is *exactly* the same thing.

[Mr. Zipper]

This certainly applies to uber high grade slabbed moderns:

 

the problem is that with much-hyped limited edition pieces, everyone who wants them buys them from the manufactured when they're issued -- and then a secondary market never develops after that, and resale values fall.

 

 

Could this apply to the high grade market versus everything else?

 

ultra-rare Hummels still occasionally fetch big bucks -- 'Adventure Bound' recently sold for $1,135 on eBay. But that's the exception. Many other Hummels don't sell at all -- or sell for less than $50, a once unheard of price for Hummels.

 

 

And this is the same demographic problem that comics will face:

 

Like so many things, demographics will be the driver of the Hummel market of the future: everyday, Hummel enthusiasts pass away and their treasures get dumped onto an already saturated market. Without any new collectors to replace them, Hummels are likely to continue their descent into poverty.

[comicalgems]

Sounds like a good time to start buying Hummels (for keepsake purposes only)

[october]

Sports cards in my opinion got killed due to the hype of limited stuff

 

Agreed, but it's not just new stuff, like that RRP stupidity, but also CGC ultra-high grades. Do you really think people are paying big bucks for a GL/GA 76 9.6 or a NM 98 9.9 because they're not limited in number?

 

You've got to think outside the "new retail products" box and realize that a just-slabbed CGC comic is *exactly* the same thing.

 

Almost the same thing. I agree that making arbitraty distinctions between 9.9 and 10.0 is basically marketing hype, but rare vintage books in top condition weren't produced for the collectible market. They are freaks of nature that survived unscathed for decades. Regardless of the plastic they are in, the comic itself became rare through "natural" processes rather than a limited run.

 

The market recognizes the difference too. Modern cards are almost all in the toilet, but the vintage stuff has held up fairly well, especially the very top end of the market (which includes high grade slabbed cards).

[joe_collector]

Regardless of the plastic they are in, the comic itself became rare through "natural" processes rather than a limited run.

 

[october]

Yeah, I almost put an * next to "natural" in my post.

[Mr. Zipper]

Sounds like a good time to start buying Hummels (for keepsake purposes only)

 

I bought my parents a Hummel nativity years ago and have added pieces over the years. It's really a nice set. Maybe I should add a few more camels now.

[Comicsarefun]

The article was very interesting, the part about old collectors dying off and having no new younger interest was telling to the future of comics.

 

Really, how long is the first appearance of Starman going to be a major key in Adventure Comics? Who gives a p o o p about Starman? That's just one example, I'm sure you can think of tons more.

[comicalgems]

The article was very interesting, the part about old collectors dying off and having no new younger interest was telling to the future of comics.

 

Really, how long is the first appearance of Starman going to be a major key in Adventure Comics? Who gives a p o o p about Starman? That's just one example, I'm sure you can think of tons more.

 

WTF is Starman?

[Darth Corgi]

I think the biggest difference between comics and other collectibles such as baseball cards or figurines is that after looking at the cover image of a comic, there is so much more there to be discovered between those covers. There is great art and stories waiting to be discovered. You have writers, artists, color stylists, graphic design all throwing their hats in the ring. Whereas with many other collectibles, it sort of is a "what you see is what you get" package. I don't mean to downplay these other collectibles' value (in fact I have a cool vintage toy collection). My point is that Comics pack a mean punch and have a lot to offer the enthusiast specifically the ability to tell a story, whether it be simple and fun or a complex one over a long period of time! I can't really say the same thing about sports cards.

[comicparadox]

I think the biggest difference between comics and other collectibles such as baseball cards or figurines is that after looking at the cover image of a comic, there is so much more there to be discovered between those covers.

 

But once a comic is encapsulated, that "so much more there" is no longer accessible. So in essence, a 3D object with a storyline and 32/64/128 pages of colored artwork becomes a 2D slab.

[NewWorldOrder]

Hummels.....

 

Serious?

 

 

Sounds really cool like collecting stamps.