Do only 50 really matter?

[Scrooge]

As most have said, sure there is an over(?)-emphasis on the keys at times in the marketplace but there are still looneys out there that care beyond those books. Maybe we are a dying breed or just different ... but dealers can still make $$ from us, just not 1,000's at any one given time but over time, we're worth cultivating as a customer. Heck, even Ed finds it worthwhile selling to me as I amassing what Honky calls my 4-color mattress

 

[Ted Knight]

At a recent local small comic convention one of the dealers made the statement that since CGC only 50 books realy matter anymore in the hobby & that the days of collecting runs is long gone & if you want to make money from his point of view its all about the grade & its all about those top 50 gold & silver age books no need to name them here, just look over the past 35+ years of overstreet & you know the books & the covers like the back of your hand as we all used to just dream of having some of them.

 

I really wish this were the case because there are literally 100s of books that I want that unfortunately are going to cost me many, many thousands of dollars. I desperately want the comic book market to collapse but it just won't.

 

Golden Age comics are getting a lot of attention right now. 3 years ago, it was ultra high grade bronze. 3 years from now... (again, I'm hoping the comic market will collapse by then), maybe Silver Age westerns, oh wait, that's happening right now.

[adamstrange]

As most have said, sure there is an over(?)-emphasis on the keys at times in the marketplace but there are still looneys out there that care beyond those books. Maybe we are a dying breed or just different ... but dealers can still make $$ from us, just not 1,000's at any one given time but over time, we're worth cultivating as a customer. Heck, even Ed finds it worthwhile selling to me as I amassing what Honky calls my 4-color mattress

 

 

That does look quite comfy. Now what to use for a blanket.

[Comicdey]

All comics matter.

But 50 of them are now only affordable for sheiks and Exxon execs.

Given your collection, I'm guessing your Exxon office overlooks your Saudi palace.

 

I was thinking the same thing....TEC 31, MM 1 up, etc.......I hear the harem is filling up too.

[thehumantorch]

As most have said, sure there is an over(?)-emphasis on the keys at times in the marketplace but there are still looneys out there that care beyond those books. Maybe we are a dying breed or just different ... but dealers can still make $$ from us, just not 1,000's at any one given time but over time, we're worth cultivating as a customer. Heck, even Ed finds it worthwhile selling to me as I amassing what Honky calls my 4-color mattress

 

 

That does look quite comfy. Now what to use for a blanket.

 

Dazzler #1s

[143ksk]

You could blanket it with Peps

 

[Hamlet]

I wish people were only interested in the 50 keys. They'd stop outbidding me on the other stuff.

 

[Darth Corgi]

All comics matter.

 

Amen.

[Darth Corgi]

As most have said, sure there is an over(?)-emphasis on the keys at times in the marketplace but there are still looneys out there that care beyond those books. Maybe we are a dying breed or just different ... but dealers can still make $$ from us, just not 1,000's at any one given time but over time, we're worth cultivating as a customer. Heck, even Ed finds it worthwhile selling to me as I amassing what Honky calls my 4-color mattress

 

 

If I ever crash at your pad, I'll take that mattress!

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

I would say that CGC, particularly in the past couple of years, where the combination of oversupply due to pressing and the weak economy in general, has severely impacted prices on common, non-key, late-Silver, Bronze, and Copper books. This has also had the effect of rendering many of these books "uncertifiable" in terms of profitability. Remove the CGC Press-and-Flip guys (guilty as charged) from the equation, and what you have left are the collectors who are still find with putting together runs of books in 7.0 to 9.0.

 

I know I've been able to work on late Silver/Bronze runs of titles like FF, Sub-Mariner, TOS in high grade (8.0-9.2 predominantly) and buy them on the cheap, compared to just a few years ago. I can't think of too many books that I paid anywhere near Guide for.

 

As it concerns GA, I think a lot of titles have little to no interest for many collectors now-a-days and the aging GA collecting field is slowing leaving the hobby. How many 20-somethings want to work on a run of Bonanza or some other TV-show related comic from the 50s/60s? No one that I can think of.

 

And while titles like Batman, Superman, and others will always be popular, the more common issues certainly aren't immune to the laws of supply and demand.

[TheWatcher]

You could blanket it with Peps

 

 

Show off

[VintageComics]

It's a mixed soup of reasons, isn't it Jive?

 

I'm sure lots of us would love to put runs together but since they have been so expensive (into investment territory) many run collectors are eliminated from the "running" and only those with the disposable income can afford the "top 50" books.

 

When I put runs together I have to make them within strict criteria to make them financially possible for me.

 

Certainly, CGC has also helped people focus on covers rather than reading stories, no doubt. There are likely many terrific stories that are not reprinted simply because they are not stories about the most popular "A" tier characters and so those stories, unless some old timer recognizes them, will go by unnoticed.

 

I'm a big advocate of cracking books out, for the record.

 

There also is the liquidity offered by having a CGC book graded, making it possible for anyone to sell a well graded comic. This has increased supply for the more common books make less common books desirable.

 

So many reasons.

[ciorac]

I would say that CGC, particularly in the past couple of years, where the combination of oversupply due to pressing and the weak economy in general, has severely impacted prices on common, non-key, late-Silver, Bronze, and Copper books. This has also had the effect of rendering many of these books "uncertifiable" in terms of profitability. Remove the CGC Press-and-Flip guys (guilty as charged) from the equation, and what you have left are the collectors who are still find with putting together runs of books in 7.0 to 9.0.

 

I know I've been able to work on late Silver/Bronze runs of titles like FF, Sub-Mariner, TOS in high grade (8.0-9.2 predominantly) and buy them on the cheap, compared to just a few years ago. I can't think of too many books that I paid anywhere near Guide for.

 

As it concerns GA, I think a lot of titles have little to no interest for many collectors now-a-days and the aging GA collecting field is slowing leaving the hobby. How many 20-somethings want to work on a run of Bonanza or some other TV-show related comic from the 50s/60s? No one that I can think of.

 

And while titles like Batman, Superman, and others will always be popular, the more common issues certainly aren't immune to the laws of supply and demand.

 

I think the bolded part above is a very myopic view on your part. I completely disagree. I see lots of younger collectors collecting ALL KINDS of GA. Heck, I'm not that damned old myself. I don't collect Bats and Supes anymore to any real degree. I collect the titles and issues you would think no one collects. Just venture into the other threads and see all the variety being collected. Search closed auctions on ebay that aren't "buy it nows" with inflated asking prices. Sure, many sell for less than guide, some much less, but they are SELLING. Also, I have to pay more than I'd like for "off brand" titles. There is still a lot of energy in the GA arena across all sprectrums

 

This board is built on the premise of high grade only collectors, so the view is quite narrow and skewed. Lots and lots of people collect under 6.0, in all ages all eras

[MrBedrock]

I'm not that damned old myself.

Talk about myopic

[cheetah]

I would say that CGC, particularly in the past couple of years, where the combination of oversupply due to pressing and the weak economy in general, has severely impacted prices on common, non-key, late-Silver, Bronze, and Copper books. This has also had the effect of rendering many of these books "uncertifiable" in terms of profitability. Remove the CGC Press-and-Flip guys (guilty as charged) from the equation, and what you have left are the collectors who are still find with putting together runs of books in 7.0 to 9.0.

 

I know I've been able to work on late Silver/Bronze runs of titles like FF, Sub-Mariner, TOS in high grade (8.0-9.2 predominantly) and buy them on the cheap, compared to just a few years ago. I can't think of too many books that I paid anywhere near Guide for.

 

As it concerns GA, I think a lot of titles have little to no interest for many collectors now-a-days and the aging GA collecting field is slowing leaving the hobby. How many 20-somethings want to work on a run of Bonanza or some other TV-show related comic from the 50s/60s? No one that I can think of.

 

And while titles like Batman, Superman, and others will always be popular, the more common issues certainly aren't immune to the laws of supply and demand.

 

I think the bolded part above is a very myopic view on your part. I completely disagree. I see lots of younger collectors collecting ALL KINDS of GA. Heck, I'm not that damned old myself. I don't collect Bats and Supes anymore to any real degree. I collect the titles and issues you would think no one collects. Just venture into the other threads and see all the variety being collected. Search closed auctions on ebay that aren't "buy it nows" with inflated asking prices. Sure, many sell for less than guide, some much less, but they are SELLING. Also, I have to pay more than I'd like for "off brand" titles. There is still a lot of energy in the GA arena across all sprectrums

 

This board is built on the premise of high grade only collectors, so the view is quite narrow and skewed. Lots and lots of people collect under 6.0, in all ages all eras

 

Personally, I love collecting titles that no one else collects.

[cheetah]

Who wants a complete Avengers run anymore? ( just #1 & 4 please)

 

Want vs. have.

[adamstrange]

Personally, I love collecting titles that no one else collects.

I would like to help you do this better.

[cheetah]

You're dropping all your cool titles?!? You are my best friend EVER!!!

[markseifert]

I think the bolded part above is a very myopic view on your part. I completely disagree. I see lots of younger collectors collecting ALL KINDS of GA. Heck, I'm not that damned old myself.

 

I agree with this also, as someone who collects low to midgrade stuff. I wish the prices were as soft as is commonly believed, but in my experience they're not, really. Granted, I'm collecting GA DC right now, but in the 5-6 years I've been back into it seriously I actually think midgrade non-key stuff that I collect has rebounded a bit vs guide. (and don't get me started on what low/mid grade Timely books go for)

 

To your point about seeing more younger people into GA, I think it's very overlooked that it is SO much easier to collect GA today than it was 20 years ago. Used to be, you were rolling the dice based on a catalog or CBG ad with no pics, and maybe making it to the occasional major con to buy. Most locals -- even ones that had good SA stock -- had very little GA.

 

It's just so much easier to find GA now than it used to be. I'm collecting runs I wouldn't have dreamed of attempting 20 years ago.

[adamstrange]

You're dropping all your cool titles?!? You are my best friend EVER!!!