High grade collectors: Why get excited with each new pedigree?

[COI]

I remember having discussions on here back in 2002-2004 about the supply of high grade. Many of us (myself included) were certain at that time that in a matter of 2-3 years, supply would start drying up. That was several years ago, and I guarantee that most of us around at that time wouldn't have believed that a new pedigree like Twin Cities would emerge in 2011. It may or may not end up being considered a top pedigree, but it's still one heck of a collection.

 

That being said, if I held a significant amount of very high grade SA Marvels, particularly non-keys, seeing a new pedigree would only make me cringe. Despite the opportunity to possibly upgrade a couple books, what is there to be excited about? The long-term devaluing of your collections?

 

 

[fantastic_four]

Despite the opportunity to possibly upgrade a couple books, what is there to be excited about? The long-term devaluing of your collections?

 

The first thing. If the last thing bothers anyone significantly, they should sell them all immediately.

[COI]

Despite the opportunity to possibly upgrade a couple books, what is there to be excited about? The long-term devaluing of your collections?

 

The first thing. If the last thing bothers anyone significantly, they should sell them all immediately.

 

With the amount of money being thrown around in the high grade market, I refuse to believe that it's possible to collect without being concerned about long-term value. I buy that with low and mid-grade collectors, but not people spending many thousands of dollars to upgrade a single issue from 9.4 to 9.6.

[namisgr]

I don't think highly significant silver age pedigree collections come around very often. Yes, we've had several newly annointed ones come to market, but you have to go all the way back 12 years to the Pacific Coast pedigree to recall the last one to combine ultra-high grade runs of slews of Marvel and DC titles AND feature early high grade keys. Even that famous collection didn't kick into ultra high grade until the middle of 1962.

 

The Twin Cities pedigree appears to me to be the first one to come to market in 12 years that is truly significant. Pre-1964 comics in super shape and with great paper preservation just don't come along very often.

[jimjum12]

I don't think highly significant silver age pedigree collections come around very often. Yes, we've had several newly annointed ones come to market, but you have to go all the way back 12 years to the Pacific Coast pedigree to recall the last one to combine ultra-high grade runs of slews of Marvel and DC titles AND feature early high grade keys. Even that famous collection didn't kick into ultra high grade until the middle of 1962.

 

The Twin Cities pedigree appears to me to be the first one to come to market in 12 years that is truly significant. Pre-1964 comics in super shape and with great paper preservation just don't come along very often.

 

(thumbs u

[Dick Pontoon]

I don't think highly significant silver age pedigree collections come around very often. Yes, we've had several newly annointed ones come to market, but you have to go all the way back 12 years to the Pacific Coast pedigree to recall the last one to combine ultra-high grade runs of slews of Marvel and DC titles AND feature early high grade keys.

 

The Twin Cities pedigree appears to me to be the first one to come to market in 12 years that is truly significant.

 

Yeah, but that doesn't exactly answer the question posed by COI: why do we get excited with EACH new pedigree. Whether 1st tier or not, there's always a lot of hoopla. Off the top of my head, Suscha News, Savannah and Mound City all generated a lot of Board Buzz.

 

Personally, I get excited thinking about all the sissy-snowball fighting that takes place in General with each new ped.

[namisgr]

I don't think highly significant silver age pedigree collections come around very often. Yes, we've had several newly annointed ones come to market, but you have to go all the way back 12 years to the Pacific Coast pedigree to recall the last one to combine ultra-high grade runs of slews of Marvel and DC titles AND feature early high grade keys.

 

The Twin Cities pedigree appears to me to be the first one to come to market in 12 years that is truly significant.

 

Yeah, but that doesn't exactly answer the question posed by COI: why do we get excited with EACH new pedigree.

 

We don't.

[Drummy]

Good question.

 

I don't think I freak out about these things (pedigrees), but I do enjoy the treasure-hunting aspect of the hobby and the idea that beautiful collections are "out there" looking to be brought to light. I know if I found anything like a raw pedigree somewhere, I would be through the roof with excitement.

 

For me it has nothing to do with the value of my collection, but rather the vicarious thrill of a new find. A little rush for some new eye candy.

 

Dan

[Rip]

I love to see new high grade books. It gives me an awesome rush. I think collectors also like the idea of owning something new that hasn't been in anyone elses hands.

They like the idea of owning something unique. Maybe if I owned a huge run of these 9.6/9.8 books already, I might feel a hair worried. But I think the enjoyment of owning some of these new books would offset that.

I guess it boils down to how much you love collecting vs how much you love the future investment. Sometimes it's a weird give and take.

[Jeffro.]

Despite the opportunity to possibly upgrade a couple books, what is there to be excited about? The long-term devaluing of your collections?

 

If several of the people on this board are to be believed, the fact that comics are slowly dying will be a much greater factor on the long term devaluation of collections.

[500Club]

I do enjoy the treasure-hunting aspect of the hobby and the idea that beautiful collections are "out there" looking to be brought to light.

 

[500Club]

I don't think highly significant silver age pedigree collections come around very often.

 

Not to this point.

 

Will that continue? Stay tuned.

 

Were there other collectors like Mr Dahlberg and the collector who amassed Suscha? Probably. In the Twin Cities thread, an old collecting acquaintance of Mr Dahlberg popped up, and gave us some history regarding the collection. This fellow went on to add that Dahlberg had shown him to collect in a similar fashion.

[cheetah]

For me, it is the quality of early SA books that is exciting. I seldom have a chance to fill in the early holes in my runs by going through the regular run-of-the-mill auctions that come up. I wasn't collecting when the Pacific Coasts came up so this is the first time I've seen so many nice books that I would like to own all in one place.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Personally, even if a new SA/BA major pedigree comes out every year (certainly possible considering the hobby is at or near its peak in the amount of money being funneled into it and with so many baby-boomer OOs ready to retire and downsize their collections), and even if the prices on the post 1965 stuff continues to trend down, I'll still be in line to get at those books.

 

Whether its a $10 book, a $100 book, or a $500 book, a nice NM 12-cent FF or Spidey or other Marvel will always be something that I will love seeing in Mylar and tucking away in a shortbox. To amass a nice OO run of those books? Even better. However, I've never been a big fan of the 9.8 game, so shelling out $3,000 in 2009 for a 9.8 that's worth $300 today is never a problem I've had to deal with.

 

So, please, please, please, let the devaluation continue....

 

And BTW, I have no delusions about the 1964 and earlier stuff continuing to remain strong in HG for years to come...it will, I'm just hoping Andrew is right about the later stuff.

[Icculus308win]

The Twin Cities pedigree appears to me to be the first one to come to market in 12 years that is truly significant.

 

Totally agree.

Rocky Mountain is nice (especially after some pressing was done on some of the books) The "cream to off white," Pedigree that's being auctioned right now does nothing for me personally. The Twin Cities Ped. has some nice quality books/ keys and good looking.

[COI]

Pre-1964 comics in super shape and with great paper preservation just don't come along very often.

 

For me, it is the quality of early SA books that is exciting.

 

Both of these points I get, and I do think early silver in the higher grades will remain strong. However, if I were in the market for very high grade early SA books and already had a substantial collection of them, I would still feel that less is better, even if it means that it'll take me a lot longer to fill the gaps in my collection.

 

I remember when there was 1 FF 12 in 9.4 on the census; now there are 10. Even if we don't see new pedigrees every year, these books are slowly surfacing. The fact that immaculate oo collections still exist in the wild tells me that there are many more collections out there that may not be oo, but are just as nice. If I'm shelling out 5 and in some cases 6 figures for some of these books, I would still want to see less.

[COI]

Whether its a $10 book, a $100 book, or a $500 book, a nice NM 12-cent FF or Spidey or other Marvel will always be something that I will love seeing in Mylar and tucking away in a shortbox. To amass a nice OO run of those books? Even better.

 

No doubt. That being said, no one wants to pay more than they have to. I sold the bulk of my collection in 2007 - a near complete run of ASM from 39-100 in 9.2-9.6 - and I'm glad I sold when I did. Some of those books, the 9.4s and 9.6s I had in particular, can be had today for 30-60% less than I paid, with a little patience.

[rodan57]

Both of these points I get, and I do think early silver in the higher grades will remain strong. However, if I were in the market for very high grade early SA books and already had a substantial collection of them, I would still feel that less is better, even if it means that it'll take me a lot longer to fill the gaps in my collection.

 

I remember when there was 1 FF 12 in 9.4 on the census; now there are 10. Even if we don't see new pedigrees every year, these books are slowly surfacing. The fact that immaculate oo collections still exist in the wild tells me that there are many more collections out there that may not be oo, but are just as nice. If I'm shelling out 5 and in some cases 6 figures for some of these books, I would still want to see less.

 

More people can own a nice book.

[Monkeyman]

I get excited when I hear about new OO collections because it's fun to think that someone bought these books off the rack and took great care of them for so long. Mr. Dahlberg would probably be pretty sad to know that his books have passed through the Heritage pressing mill. I rarely buy any books from new finds because so many of them are pressed, which takes everything special out of it for me. I know that others feel differently, but that is just my opinion.

 

Mike

[worldsbestcomics]

I don't think that a new high-grade collection necessarily devalues current issues. When the books are really high-grade, they can sell at or above previous recorded prices.

 

It is the lesser-quality collections with poor PQ or ugly books that tend to sell well below average market prices that can push the market down by creating new GPA lows.