Patience, Grasshopper! posted by bagofleas

[CSJournals-migration]

Be patient or you may end up being a mental patient!

 

All right, have you ever bought a graded comic and felt elated at your purchase, only to watch future equally graded copies sell for less and less until your purchase looks like you must have been drunk off your rocker at the time?

 

Of course, you have. Pretty much all CGC collectors have faced this issue at one time or another. Why? No patience.

 

We tend to think that just because this is the first copy of an issue thats been graded at it's level, there may never be another one or so few that the value couldn't possibly go down too much.

 

Or maybe it because were trying so hard to put a set together that we are willing to pay almost anything for those last few issues we need to meet our goal.

 

When I first got into this hobby about 2 1/2 years ago, I wanted Uncanny X-Men #212 so bad that I bought it for just over $400 (going price at the time). I thought, key issue, black background, wolvie vs. Sabretooth, only 25 copies in the grade at the time after 10 years or so of grading. This couldn't possibly drop too much below $400.

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong. There are now 111 copies of this thing out there now and they generally sell for around $78 to $95.

 

Why didn't I wait? Because I was new to the hobby and I made a bunch of assumptions, that's why. I now understand that there are MANY things to consider when determining what you are willing to pay for something. Don't drive yourself mad wishing you had waited just a little while before buying something you wanted.

 

My recent purchase of a signed copy of Jonah Hex #92 (see my previous journal) is an example of my now-learned-patience. I almost went ahead and bought an unsigned one for $250 about a year ago but decided to wait it out. Now I've got the only signed copy of it's grade (out of 14) for $110.

 

As an alternate example, I own the only 9.8 graded copy of Dazzler #42 (last issue/see image below) that I purchased for $150. Jet black cover and all! How will this pan out in the long run? We'll see, but for now, I'm a happy camper in this case. But that could change if everyone decides to suddenly send in their copies of this issue and some of them reach this grade.

 

So what do we learn from all this? Be selective, be knowledgeable, be rich (HA,HA), and most of all BE PATIENT!!!

 

There will almost always be future copies graded at the level you want, and the more that reach that grade, the cheaper you will get them for, unless current events cause the issue to skyrocket in demand for whatever reason.

 

Once you've decided what you're willing to pay for something, don't back down off it. When it comes to auctions, wait until the last possible second to put in your maximum amount and hope for the best.

 

Think before you buy or you'll drive yourself crazy wishing you had waited!

 

So, as my teaser for this journal says, Be Patient Or You May End Up Being A Mental Patient!!

 

See more journals by bagofleas

[mysterio]

I've had basically all the same experiences with Spidey Super Stories. Very thin census numbers on virtually all issues, so I always end up paying through the nose when any come up for sale that I need. Then I subsequently see books I paid well over $100 for sitting on eBay for months at $30-50 with no takers. But this is what happens whenever you chase something as actively as we chase these titles. As long as you pay what you are comfortable with you can always sleep at night.

[Tnerb]

Once in a while I will spend less on a book than I wanted to, but normally I have not found a deal like some of the ones you mentioned. I have slowed down my collecting due to Wizard World 2011 arriving in Philadelphia Next Month and I am going to try to add to my signature series.

 

I agree with your journal entry though about patience. I still want a copy of Daredevil #168 and decided to research the going price. One sold in January at $515.00, which is currently the lowest price. The first one sold in 2004 for $3305.00 so yes I agree that patience can overcome. Congrats on the Jonah Hex book, love the Dazzler book. That currently is a series I am trying to complete...ungraded. I need two more to get. Keep the journals coming....I am always curious what picture you will post next.

 

Tnerb