Tampa Show..recap.

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

I've been asked to post a brief review of the Tampa show...so...here it is:

 

In a word..average. Plenty of foot traffic, but few people actually buying anything. Admittingly, I was one of those folks, as I sold a lot more then I bought. There was a fairly decent selection of Golden age books, including many keys that don't normally appear at these small regional shows (Cap # 1, Bat-Man # 1, Human Torch # 1, All-Select # 1, Red Raven # 1, etc). Of course, I think those were transacted mostly between dealers, if at all. I had plenty of cash in my pocket, but I wasn't particularly motivated to buy, especially not at the steep asking prices that were stickered onto the best stuff.

 

One note: Bronze books continue to do well, and as much as I may hate to admit it, the demographic of the marketplace is certainly moving towards those books printed in the 70s and later. 80% of my sales came from Bronze books today, even though I had some cool high grade Silver that no one else did.

 

My gross sales exceeded my nominal expectations, though that was mostly due to one solid pre-show dealer-to-dealer transaction. After that it was mostly dollar books and people trying to get an even deeper discount on my 50% off books.

 

Anyone pick up anything of note?

[joe_collector]

Bronze books continue to do well, and as much as I may hate to admit it, the demographic of the marketplace is certainly moving towards those books printed in the 70s and later.

 

It's really not that surprising, and as I viewed that "Golden Age Auction Find" thread with all the apparently-cool books, it was like I was looking at a pile of newspaper. Sure, they may be worth $$$, but that's never been a consideration for me personally, and truth is that the books held no connection for me.

 

If that thread had been about a huge Bronze warehouse find and there were tons of NM+ Bronze keys on display, I'd need a new keyboard from all the drool.

[fantastic_four]

How could you feel no connection whatsoever to Superman and Batman? I can't imagine anyone not wanting those from the Golden Age even just a little bit unless they've written off the chance to get them so long ago that they've forgotten the desire.

[joe_collector]

Honestly, I have virtually no connection to ANY Golden or Silver Age title, except for maybe Amazing Spider-man. I'm serious here, someone would dump a box of GA Timely on my desk and it would listed on EBay the same day.

 

My Dad had a big box of old Timely's, DC and others, and when I read them, they just seemed super-lame. I loved the Bronze books of my own era, just as I assume Gold, Silver and Modern readers do as well.

[sterlingcomics]

Considering that I grew up in the BA, I have to say there's more of a connection with me and BA/early MA than GA or early SA. I collect and love all genres but there's just something about picking up books in the era you grew up in that does it...

[Rocketeer]

I'm the same way with Golden age books.....I love silver and bronze DC's,...but I don't really have any interest in books prior to 1955....the art work always looks crude and every cover background is that sickly yellow....they all look the same to me....

[fantastic_four]

I grew up in the 80s, but the major titles for me then were Miller Daredevil, X-Men, Byrne Fantastic Four, and Spidey. All of these started back in the Silver age, which is why I was drawn to that. I couldn't figure any reason to identify to the Bronze age other than books like GS X-Men #1 and Hulk 181, and I still haven't figured out a reason to buy Bronze other than filling in runs which started in earlier decades which continue thru the 70s.

 

GA appeals to me for two reasons--that's where Superman and Batman started. I would have to imagine that's the most popular way that people do end up collecting backwards, by following heroes still popular today back to their origins.

[joe_collector]

but there's just something about picking up books in the era you grew up in that does it...

 

I lost a pile of my favorite comics (as well as tons of multi-packs I bought there) on an infamous camping trip, and there's no bigger rush than to buy a Bronze book and then discover it's one of my "lost" ones.

[sfilosa]

Thanks for posting the report.

 

Quick Hits:

 

1) I love Silver-Age Marvel and some Gold, but it doesn't surprise me that Bronze does well. One, it's more affordable. Two, it's much more likely that you can find a true NM Bronze age book at a convention that's not CGC graded, then a Gold or Silver-Age book. I've bought six total books in the last two conventions, and all were Bronze-Age books.

 

2) Just because a many collectors (JC and others), don't like Golden-Age doesn't mean there is no market. Look at the HIGH prices that many Golden-Age books got in Heritage's auctions. It seemed that anything priced near guide, sold (even the lesser publishers).

 

3) For those who don't think they like Golden-Age books, I recommend Gerbers PhotoJournal Guides. Those books turned on more people to Golden-Age books than anything else that I can think of (I know it did for me).