Infinite Bronze Horror Thread 16 16

[sterlingcomics]

Those are some great books there. Wow you picked up Roter's books

Well those are some great books. I'd love to own some

 

Actually, I've been negotiating on the books for a while. Still paid a high price, but not as high as other 9.6 books of similar caliber on Vault...

[Zonker]

[shiverbones]

boy i was smoked out QUICKLY! I did not trade all of my precodes, as he suggested, but select ones. I kept the icons & stories i really loved books like matt fox art, thing 10, black cat 50 etc. etc. I got rid of Goods and below, and some VG's i really didn't like as much. Going forward with precodes, i am going to be much tighter on page quality as many of mine were just too fragile. Anyway the reasoning is this. Pre code horror has been selling under guide for awhile now and that seems to be a steady trend. The big boom came and went and prices have stabilized at a true market value. On the other hand, bronze is just starting to go, and true HG is selling way over guide. In 2 years time i think i will be able to replace VGish precodes at todays price levels, while the 70's stuff will likely cost 3 times as much. Also, i wanted my website to be as complete as possible and that meant sacrificing some books since i don't have the money to buy everything i am missing.

 

as for Doug's report i am not sure. I think a lot of 80's books have some room to grow yes, but not all of it. There is too much quantity of just about any marvel book in high grade. Some DC can be trickier, but still not too hard. I think any title that has been popular like X-men, ASM, New Mutants, Detective, will never leap. They may in the guide, but like late 60's marvel actual selling price won't reflect that. Books that could grow a lot - Labyrinth, fraggel rock, late weird war, sgt. rock, late jonah hex, late charlton, elvira's HOM, master of kung fu, stuff like that.

[shiverbones]

oh and Banner, while for the most part i agree with the late 70's being easier in high grade, Most weird War, HOM, Ghosts & Unex from 1975-1977 are just as tough, i think its just that less people are fighting for the available copies of the later books. I wasn't able to find NM copies of those issues back in the late 80's, when i had NM runs of the earlier stuff. People always saved the Wrightson & adams books, but no one cared about filler issues from the late 70's. I think that the earlier ones seem tougher because they are more imbedded in collections by this point. In the early 90's When Tony Starks kept hyping up the early mystery issues people went out & bought them, and they have them still i believe.

[drbanner]

Yeah, I guess it's a case of the age old problem of no demand = no supply. I do know that the Manitoba Collection had multiples of all the later issues of all the horror titles in high grade, but very few pre-1972/1973 books in high grade, although the books were in the collection.

[precodekeith]

When I talk to Doug, he communicates to me just how hot bronze horror is. I know it is, because a few months back I ordered Ghosts 60-70 from him just 2 hours after he posted his list and they were already sold

 

Demographics are changing, and now the folks that used to read these books want them. I can honestly see someone selling their precode books if they were strapped for cash if they personally had a better connection with the newer books. My humble observation.

 

No denying that bronze is hot right now. In fact, in my latest issue of Horror Comics Review (which FINALLY goes to press tonight!) I talk in the market report section about this. I see exactly what you mean about someone having a better connection to books that they grew up with opposed to older ones. I have been buying almost strictly bronze for over a year lately without nary a pre-code, simply because they are less expensive (barring high grade these days) and I read them as a kid.

 

I also find it interesting that Doug points out that horror collectors have traditionally been buyers of vg - fine grades and not really sought HG material.

[awe4one]

They are not there in very high numbers (maybe the somewhat low print count, and the fact that people didn't see these as "collector" items as much as other genres may make the difference).

 

On the otherhand, there aren't as many horror as superhero collectors either. Any drastic increase in HG 80-85 horror due to diminished supply would have to correspond with a major influx of new collectors to the genre. Since these later horror stories are routinely dismissed in comicdom as inferior to early-mid 70s stories, even among horror collectors, I don't see them getting hot anytime soon.

 

Jim

[shiverbones]

Hey Happy Birthday Jim!!!!

 

i think its deeper than that, because non horror collectors WILL collect horror, and it happens in cycles. When Superhero books get insanely expensive, many superhero collectors, who just love comics, look for other areas to spend their money. Horror is "2nd best" in their minds and usually cheaper so there they go. Then horror gets really expensive, equalling out more with superhero, so they go back to superheros. The exact same thing happened with 50's horror in the 90's when gold Superhero got nutty expensive. I think right now there are a lot of collectors buying bronze horror that were never interested in horror before. Rightly so, its great stuff! Also, the later issues of DC horror are actually as good or better in many cases. I aim to correct that misunderstanding on my site. If you look at the late run Bruce Jones Issues of HOM for instance, they hold up to the best of any era.

[shiverbones]

Thats true about the Manitobas, they did help. Bobcat certainly has some nice ones too, though i don't know how deep. We'll find out how many are out there as prices go up & collections are smoked out i guess.

[precodekeith]

Since these later horror stories are routinely dismissed in comicdom as inferior to early-mid 70s stories, even among horror collectors, I don't see them getting hot anytime soon.

 

Jim

 

I've been collecting strictly horror "full time" for eleven years now, and I've never known this to be the MAJORITY opinion among my fellow horror heads. That era ('80-'85) produced some GREAT stories, including my all time personal favorite (Unexpected 202, baby!). Sure, a lot of us poo-poo the Johnny Peril type filler, but the remainder of the stuff is still pretty solid over all. MAYBE the art isn't as comparable, but a good scary story is just that and always will be.

 

I think what Doug was actually implying is that the ENTIRE output of 80 - 85 (not just horror) was getting warm and had potential to get hot in a couple more years.

[sterlingcomics]

They are not there in very high numbers (maybe the somewhat low print count, and the fact that people didn't see these as "collector" items as much as other genres may make the difference).

 

On the otherhand, there aren't as many horror as superhero collectors either. Any drastic increase in HG 80-85 horror due to diminished supply would have to correspond with a major influx of new collectors to the genre. Since these later horror stories are routinely dismissed in comicdom as inferior to early-mid 70s stories, even among horror collectors, I don't see them getting hot anytime soon.

 

Jim

 

Great perspective Jim, Keith. BTW, Happy Birthday Jim!!!

[awe4one]

I've been collecting strictly horror "full time" for eleven years now, and I've never known this to be the MAJORITY opinion among my fellow horror heads. That era ('80-'85) produced some GREAT stories, including my all time personal favorite (Unexpected 202, baby!). Sure, a lot of us poo-poo the Johnny Peril type filler, but the remainder of the stuff is still pretty solid over all. MAYBE the art isn't as comparable, but a good scary story is just that and always will be.

 

I think you nailed it.....the impression among collectors is the art in those early-mid 70s horror books is superior to the later issues. Sure the stories could be comparable but frankly, the art is where it's at in the current market.

 

Charltons have the same perception problem, right or wrong.

 

Hey...I'd be more than happy if all horror, to include 80s-85, became more collectible. The genre overall deserves it in my opinion as it's consistantly been better than it's superhero cousin. I don't think any rapid price rise is going to happen anytime soon though....

 

Jim

[shiverbones]

well its happening now Jim! 1980-1983 Books that guide for $6 are selling for $20 & up in NM

[awe4one]

well its happening now Jim! 1980-1983 Books that guide for $6 are selling for $20 & up in NM

 

I think this has more to do with the current horror craze buying occurring on early Bronze having collectors buying these later Bronze horror issues on the oft chance that the price rises will slip upwards than any sustain readjustment in price. Most of these issues are readily found in high grade (I know there are some exceptions). Once this becomes obvious, prices will slip back down. Probably at a mid-point between the two depending on the issue and what contained therein.

 

Jim

[shiverbones]

that i agree with, especially the later HOMS, they have never been trouble for me. Time will seperate the difficult & those will stand. I agree the current frenzy is a hedge against missing a tough one before its discovered....

[greggy]

that i agree with, especially the later HOMS, they have never been trouble for me. Time will seperate the difficult & those will stand. I agree the current frenzy is a hedge against missing a tough one before its discovered....

[sterlingcomics]

that i agree with, especially the later HOMS, they have never been trouble for me. Time will seperate the difficult & those will stand. I agree the current frenzy is a hedge against missing a tough one before its discovered....

 

It is he, man of few words How did your last sale go btw? I was only looking at the horror stuff (of course)...

[greggy]

that i agree with, especially the later HOMS, they have never been trouble for me. Time will seperate the difficult & those will stand. I agree the current frenzy is a hedge against missing a tough one before its discovered....

 

It is he, man of few words How did your last sale go btw? I was only looking at the horror stuff (of course)...

[sterlingcomics]

Congrats, you DC 100 Page freak, you.

[deathlok]

Congrats, you DC 100 Page freak, you.