Ask Gator 13 13

[Cat-Man_America]

IIRC, there was a David Alexander who in the late 1960s published a newsletter devoted to Carl Barks. Also, I think, he bought and sold Barks books. Same person?

yes... One in the same (thumbs u

 

Holy smokes! I wasn't even alive in the 60s. I may technically be middle-aged, but now I can feel young for a little while (at least until I look in the mirror).

 

I was alive and collecting in the 1960s. If I only I had held on to more of the books I had in those days. Come to think of it, if only I had held on to more of the books I had 10 years ago!

 

 

 

[font:Times New Roman]Same here.

 

I've learned one valuable life lesson from COMICS after I sold off most of my collection twenty odd years ago, ...you can always reboot.[/font] (thumbs u

[Flex Mentallo]

 

I've learned one valuable life lesson from COMICS after I sold off most of my collection twenty odd years ago, ...you can always reboot.[/size][/font] (thumbs u

 

..as they apply the paddles and shout, "Clear!", my response will be "You can always reboot!"

[Primetime]

Rick, at what level does Tec 33 "excite" you?

 

It's been passed by the 29 and 31 for a few years now and even the 35 sells for more. Full wingspan, gun holster, 1st told origin...obviously, in the age of CGC, it hasn't been a show stopping cover compared to the aforementioned.

[G.A.tor]

Rick, at what level does Tec 33 "excite" you?

 

It's been passed by the 29 and 31 for a few years now and even the 35 sells for more. Full wingspan, gun holster, 1st told origin...obviously, in the age of CGC, it hasn't been a show stopping cover compared to the aforementioned.

to be honest...maybe at 1/2 price I would get excited buying a copy...

 

it always seems to be available in the market...there is little challenge in obtaining a copy, and in a cgc case, the cover is kind of "bland/generic"...

 

still a favorite of mine, just not a lot of excitement procuring one

[G.A.tor]

Here are a few pics from our FCBD event last week:

 

 

[Primetime]

Rick, at what level does Tec 33 "excite" you?

 

It's been passed by the 29 and 31 for a few years now and even the 35 sells for more. Full wingspan, gun holster, 1st told origin...obviously, in the age of CGC, it hasn't been a show stopping cover compared to the aforementioned.

to be honest...maybe at 1/2 price I would get excited buying a copy...

 

it always seems to be available in the market...there is little challenge in obtaining a copy, and in a cgc case, the cover is kind of "bland/generic"...

 

still a favorite of mine, just not a lot of excitement procuring one

interesting if that is the majority feeling of the masses? Outside of those that hail the first told origin as a grail (which normally is a big deal in comics). Agreed though, it doesn't have the jolting power of a 29/31 cover that grabs one. The balance of supply and demand is interesting. Everything is quite available at the right price in our Internet society.

 

Rick, comment, if you will, on the following assessments. I'm not really looking at CGC census data but just my overall exposure to copies.

 

Bat 1--decent supply, non stop demand, but at cyclical times no blue copies available for sale.

 

Tec 33---probably less supply than Bat 1s, less demand than Bat 1, always available copies

 

Tec 31-- rarer than 33s and Bat 1, non stop demand, not many blue copies to public market for several months to my knowledge

 

Tec 29--tougher than 31s, high demand although prices seem to be not as crazy as 31s and 35s (did the over exposure of the BW copy affect FMV?), several low grade copies have surfaced for sale and traded hands privately the past year. Seems to be a lot of 3.0/3.5 copies circulating.

 

Tec 35--people say its tough but I don't think it is at all. I say that loosely keeping in mind we aren't living in CBG/mail order/cons only days. Demand non stop and has been moving very strong FMV for several years now.

[Racer-X]

Dear G.A.tor

 

I know this is the GA forum but do you have a forecast for HG silver keys? Anecdotaly I have noticed prices softening. The Avengers 4 9.6 being an example.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jake

Supply + demand= price.

Since demand remains relatively stable for hg sa keys, the main variable becomes supply...that is not fixed. More and more hg copies either surface or are "created" so I see a continuing of price softening unless something leads to an increase in demand.

 

True or False and why?:

 

The world's population increases daily. Therefore, the population of comic collectors increases daily. Thus, demand for comics increases daily. The increased demand for comics > increase in the population of comics

Edited May 13, 2013 by Racer-X

[G.A.tor]

Dear G.A.tor

 

I know this is the GA forum but do you have a forecast for HG silver keys? Anecdotaly I have noticed prices softening. The Avengers 4 9.6 being an example.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jake

Supply + demand= price.

Since demand remains relatively stable for hg sa keys, the main variable becomes supply...that is not fixed. More and more hg copies either surface or are "created" so I see a continuing of price softening unless something leads to an increase in demand.

 

True or False and why?:

 

The world's population increases daily. Therefore, the population of comic collectors increases daily. Thus, demand for comics increases daily. The increased demand for comics < increase in the population of comics

false... There is no correlation between an increase in population and increase in the percentage of that population that enjoys comics

[HRCostigan]

GAtor -- which is happening more quickly over time -- previously unknown copies of GA books being (re)discovered, or GA books getting destroyed through attrition or natural causes? In other words, is the population growing or shrinking?

[Racer-X]

Dear G.A.tor

 

I know this is the GA forum but do you have a forecast for HG silver keys? Anecdotaly I have noticed prices softening. The Avengers 4 9.6 being an example.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jake

Supply + demand= price.

Since demand remains relatively stable for hg sa keys, the main variable becomes supply...that is not fixed. More and more hg copies either surface or are "created" so I see a continuing of price softening unless something leads to an increase in demand.

 

True or False and why?:

 

The world's population increases daily. Therefore, the population of comic collectors increases daily. Thus, demand for comics increases daily. The increased demand for comics > increase in the population of comics

false... There is no correlation between an increase in population and increase in the percentage of that population that enjoys comics

 

Wouldn't have to be an increase in percentage. Same percentage on an increased # = a bigger #

 

Example:

 

Pop: 5 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 500,000

 

Pop: 6 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 600,000

 

 

Edited May 13, 2013 by Racer-X

[shrunkenhead]

Dear G.A.tor

 

I know this is the GA forum but do you have a forecast for HG silver keys? Anecdotaly I have noticed prices softening. The Avengers 4 9.6 being an example.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jake

Supply + demand= price.

Since demand remains relatively stable for hg sa keys, the main variable becomes supply...that is not fixed. More and more hg copies either surface or are "created" so I see a continuing of price softening unless something leads to an increase in demand.

 

True or False and why?:

 

The world's population increases daily. Therefore, the population of comic collectors increases daily. Thus, demand for comics increases daily. The increased demand for comics > increase in the population of comics

false... There is no correlation between an increase in population and increase in the percentage of that population that enjoys comics

 

Wouldn't have to be an increase in percentage. Same percentage on an increased # = a bigger #

 

Example:

 

Pop: 5 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 500,000

 

Pop: 6 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 600,000

 

 

But how are you determining that the collecting percentage will be maintained at .01%?

[Racer-X]

Dear G.A.tor

 

I know this is the GA forum but do you have a forecast for HG silver keys? Anecdotaly I have noticed prices softening. The Avengers 4 9.6 being an example.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jake

Supply + demand= price.

Since demand remains relatively stable for hg sa keys, the main variable becomes supply...that is not fixed. More and more hg copies either surface or are "created" so I see a continuing of price softening unless something leads to an increase in demand.

 

True or False and why?:

 

The world's population increases daily. Therefore, the population of comic collectors increases daily. Thus, demand for comics increases daily. The increased demand for comics > increase in the population of comics

false... There is no correlation between an increase in population and increase in the percentage of that population that enjoys comics

 

Wouldn't have to be an increase in percentage. Same percentage on an increased # = a bigger #

 

Example:

 

Pop: 5 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 500,000

 

Pop: 6 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 600,000

 

 

But how are you determining that the collecting percentage will be maintained at .01%?

 

Just noting that in order to achieve a bigger # on an expanding population u don't need an increased % - a maintained percentage will yield a bigger sub-population

[Sqeggs]

Dear G.A.tor

 

I know this is the GA forum but do you have a forecast for HG silver keys? Anecdotaly I have noticed prices softening. The Avengers 4 9.6 being an example.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jake

Supply + demand= price.

Since demand remains relatively stable for hg sa keys, the main variable becomes supply...that is not fixed. More and more hg copies either surface or are "created" so I see a continuing of price softening unless something leads to an increase in demand.

 

True or False and why?:

 

The world's population increases daily. Therefore, the population of comic collectors increases daily. Thus, demand for comics increases daily. The increased demand for comics > increase in the population of comics

false... There is no correlation between an increase in population and increase in the percentage of that population that enjoys comics

 

Wouldn't have to be an increase in percentage. Same percentage on an increased # = a bigger #

 

Example:

 

Pop: 5 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 500,000

 

Pop: 6 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 600,000

 

 

But how are you determining that the collecting percentage will be maintained at .01%?

 

Just noting that in order to achieve a bigger # on an expanding population u don't need an increased % - a maintained percentage will yield a bigger sub-population

 

You are raising the great unknowable in forecasting the future of the hobby -- particularly collecting GA books. Looking just at the U.S., the fraction of people who are (or were) comic collectors is almost certainly much higher among people who are currently 40 to 60 years old than among people who are currently 20 to 40 year olds. There are also more people who are 40 to 60 years old than there are people who are 20 to 40 years old.

 

Combine those two facts and it would appear that the absolute number of comic collectors will decline. If you focus just at the upper end of the hobby -- say, people who are willing to fairly regularly pay more than $1,000 for a book -- the picture gets a little more murky. I think G.A.tor offered an estimate recently that that group may number in the hundreds to the low thousands. With that small a number, it's possible that a combination of younger collectors and non-U.S. collectors might keep the high-end of the market afloat.

 

It's hard to look at the demographics, though, and think that prices for routine GA, SA, and BA books won't decline over time.

[G.A.tor]

GAtor -- which is happening more quickly over time -- previously unknown copies of GA books being (re)discovered, or GA books getting destroyed through attrition or natural causes? In other words, is the population growing or shrinking?

I believe the population will remain relatively constant...as new books are rediscovered/discovered, a number will be locked back into collections...

 

with all the modern knowledge and technology today, we are not losing that many books to natural causes....

[G.A.tor]

Rick, at what level does Tec 33 "excite" you?

 

It's been passed by the 29 and 31 for a few years now and even the 35 sells for more. Full wingspan, gun holster, 1st told origin...obviously, in the age of CGC, it hasn't been a show stopping cover compared to the aforementioned.

to be honest...maybe at 1/2 price I would get excited buying a copy...

 

it always seems to be available in the market...there is little challenge in obtaining a copy, and in a cgc case, the cover is kind of "bland/generic"...

 

still a favorite of mine, just not a lot of excitement procuring one

interesting if that is the majority feeling of the masses? Outside of those that hail the first told origin as a grail (which normally is a big deal in comics). Agreed though, it doesn't have the jolting power of a 29/31 cover that grabs one. The balance of supply and demand is interesting. Everything is quite available at the right price in our Internet society.

 

Rick, comment, if you will, on the following assessments. I'm not really looking at CGC census data but just my overall exposure to copies.

 

Bat 1--decent supply, non stop demand, but at cyclical times no blue copies available for sale.

 

Tec 33---probably less supply than Bat 1s, less demand than Bat 1, always available copies

 

Tec 31-- rarer than 33s and Bat 1, non stop demand, not many blue copies to public market for several months to my knowledge

 

Tec 29--tougher than 31s, high demand although prices seem to be not as crazy as 31s and 35s (did the over exposure of the BW copy affect FMV?), several low grade copies have surfaced for sale and traded hands privately the past year. Seems to be a lot of 3.0/3.5 copies circulating.

 

Tec 35--people say its tough but I don't think it is at all. I say that loosely keeping in mind we aren't living in CBG/mail order/cons only days. Demand non stop and has been moving very strong FMV for several years now.

pretty good analysis

[G.A.tor]

Dear G.A.tor

 

I know this is the GA forum but do you have a forecast for HG silver keys? Anecdotaly I have noticed prices softening. The Avengers 4 9.6 being an example.

 

Thanks in advance

 

Jake

Supply + demand= price.

Since demand remains relatively stable for hg sa keys, the main variable becomes supply...that is not fixed. More and more hg copies either surface or are "created" so I see a continuing of price softening unless something leads to an increase in demand.

 

True or False and why?:

 

The world's population increases daily. Therefore, the population of comic collectors increases daily. Thus, demand for comics increases daily. The increased demand for comics > increase in the population of comics

false... There is no correlation between an increase in population and increase in the percentage of that population that enjoys comics

 

Wouldn't have to be an increase in percentage. Same percentage on an increased # = a bigger #

 

Example:

 

Pop: 5 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 500,000

 

Pop: 6 billion

% collecting comics: .01%

# collecting Comics: 600,000

 

if the percentage were to remain constant, then naturally more folks would result in a higher percentage... but the percentage of comic book fans is not a constant, so elevating quantity of folks still does not necessarily equate to an increase in the number of collectors...

[Mike's Rack]

if the percentage were to remain constant, then naturally more folks would result in a higher percentage... but the percentage of comic book fans is not a constant, so elevating quantity of folks still does not necessarily equate to an increase in the number of collectors...

Therefore me must strive to elevate the quality of folks rather than the quantity. If the quality of humanity increases so will the quantity of comic collectors. So this man believes.

[G.A.tor]

There are a myriad of things we, as a comic community, can do to increase that percentage. Just going to take some more effort !

[ciorac]

There are a myriad of things we, as a comic community, can do to increase that percentage. Just going to take some more effort !

 

We know you will do your part Gator

[thunsicker]

Dear G.A.tor,

 

What will the lottery numbers be this Wednesday? Someone is posting sweet sweet comics in the Golden/Silver/Bronze Age thread and I need some cash.

 

Thanks,

thunsicker