Does anyone here buy speculative comics off the shelf?

[USArmyParatrooper]

Looking for the next Walking Dead or Chew 1?

 

I do from time to time just to take a shot. I'm starting to look for indy comics with low print runs. The problem is finding a comic that ends up being a big success but initially had low expectations.

 

I'm wondering if any of you do the same, and perhaps you have a particular strategy you wouldn't mind sharing.

[Claudio]

No. It is waste of money, imo. You spend a lot more money on the losers than you would on gain on the winners. If you have the time, you can seek out all the hottest items and then flip them on ebay but you would have to spend a lot of time.

[bane]

I tend to order alot of independents but thats because I read them (eventually), I missed out on Chew as I ended up with a 2nd print.

 

Some of the books I've bought have ended up making money when I've come to sell them, Crossed for instance but I've had a fair share of stuff that won't budge, Skullkickers now (which was hot at one point), strange as I've read the 1st six issues and really enjoying it.

 

But speculating on Moderns, I think you have to be quick to flip as the poster above has suggested.

[USArmyParatrooper]

I think you both made good points. I'm still going to try, though

 

For me it's not about trying to make a profit, it's just fun. Looking back at my old OLD collection before it got stolen 20 years ago, boy did I have some big winners!

 

I just like that feeling of, "you know I bought that for cover price?"

 

I more or less wanted to know if others do it and have a strategy I might not have considered. At some point I'm going to look for where you can find print quantities ahead of the release (if it's possible), and then compare them to reviews as soon as those come out. Low print runs plus good reviews might be a good recipe, especially if it's an ongoing series.

[seanfingh]

 

I do it occasionally. For every Morning Glories there is a Sixth Gun, Scourge, Scarlet and Murderland. It is fun to hit the home run, but not so fun when you see the five copies of "Turd of the Month" that you paid $3.29 a piece for.

[paperheart]

Looking for the next Walking Dead or Chew 1?

 

I do from time to time just to take a shot. I'm starting to look for indy comics with low print runs. The problem is finding a comic that ends up being a big success but initially had low expectations.

 

I'm wondering if any of you do the same, and perhaps you have a particular strategy you wouldn't mind sharing.

 

i'd ask Larry

[JediTrix]

i'd ask Larry

 

Hey! I enjoyed those threads. I thought it was fun to listen to people discuss the 'next big hit' and see how it played out. Too bad everyone couldn't just play nice.

[KEY ISSUES Comics]

On a related note. I treat moderns like the lottery. I don't actually buy any to read anymore (TPBs instead), but I do hunt for high grade copies of certain COPPER/MODERN comics and send them to CGC hoping for 9.8s or better.

 

Does anyone else suffer from this? I don't mind breaking even on plenty of books if they come back as 9.6 (or even 9.8s in some cases), but the winners are often homeruns that make up for this.

 

I actually get a rush going to my CGC submissions page to if I received any winners. I received a big one this week. I submitted a GL #76 (yeah, yeah, I know it's not a MODERN book) expecting a 6.0 and hoping for a 6.5, but guess what. It received a 7.5 - muuuuchh better than a 6.0 or 6.5. Woo-hoo!!!

 

Just curious.

[RockMyAmadeus]

i'd ask Larry

 

Hey! I enjoyed those threads. I thought it was fun to listen to people discuss the 'next big hit' and see how it played out. Too bad everyone couldn't just play nice.

 

See Seanfingh's post above.

 

Is it acting out of hate...or love...to warn people about things that can harm them?

 

And does losing money on speculation harm people?

[JediTrix]

i'd ask Larry

 

Hey! I enjoyed those threads. I thought it was fun to listen to people discuss the 'next big hit' and see how it played out. Too bad everyone couldn't just play nice.

 

See Seanfingh's post above.

 

Is it acting out of hate...or love...to warn people about things that can harm them?

 

And does losing money on speculation harm people?

 

I don't want to rehash old threads, and I should know better....

 

but did Larry tell people to empty their 401k's and stock up on Skull Kickers or did he just pick out the book he thought had a chance every week? I thought he was just picking books every week for fun and discussion. To me it was like watching the analysts pick NFL games then going back on Monday and seeing how they did.

 

Sure, Larry doesn't always handle himself well but I seem to recall him being provoked a little and questioned in the thread. I'm too lazy to confirm this.

 

[seanfingh]

 

If you guys keep saying his name, it's gonna be like Candyman up in this piece.

[maloney414]

The "I bought this book for cover" is meaningless when you have a long box of worthless comics you paid cover price for sitting next to it.

 

Just remember, it's safer to buy a hot modern like morning glories at the $30 mark, than to speculate on 10 moderns at $2.99.

 

Buy what you want to read and enjoy. Speculating on moderns for profit is but if you find it fun, go for it. Who am I to tell you how to collect? (thumbs u

[the blob]

bought multiples of skullkickers 1 and 27 1. did pretty well on those at $15-$25 a pop.

 

then i probably bought about $14 worth of other #1s that went nowhere and I am out of that game

 

i'd rather pay $3-$4 for something vintage or multiple vintage books.

[mister_not_so_nice]

I speculate if the story is good or not

[towards2112]

If you guys keep saying his name, it's gonna be like Candyman up in this piece.

 

Met Candyman at Comicpalooza. Great guy.

And now to Larry.

Would have binladen nice to see Larry put up a play money counter for

books he would spec on, then the next week, month, and 3month range

find out how he did. Some of you with more time on their hands [sfingus]

can work us up a flow chart.

[Jeffreykli]

Seems to me that if you really want to speculate, it's far better to do that from a Diamonds Preview so you don't have to pay full cover. Work out a deal with the LCS to put in an order for 10 copies or so, and try to get a 25-50% discount. Since it's a guaranteed sale, the comic shop might do it. If you're already starting at $4, you have to go that much farther to get a win.

[seanfingh]

Seems to me that if you really want to speculate, it's far better to do that from a Diamonds Preview so you don't have to pay full cover. Work out a deal with the LCS to put in an order for 10 copies or so, and try to get a 25-50% discount. Since it's a guaranteed sale, the comic shop might do it. If you're already starting at $4, you have to go that much farther to get a win.

 

I always get 20% off at my LCS. But 20% off a turd is still a turd.

[fastballspecial]

Still bullish on Hack Slash. Movie ever gets into production watch out.

Has a loyal audience and the book is a good read.

 

[Prince Namor]

The problem I see with speculation is that it falsely inflates the market, and hurts the

When the market crashes, it puts shops out of business, scares talent away from the business, drives customers out of the hobby, and creates a playing field that only the big guys can withstand (so all we get is the same old ).

 

I think what Larry did here maybe had an air of 'fun' to it at first, but he didn't handle the questions about it very well. As an example, if he does respond to this thread, he'll see what I just wrote as some kind of slight.

 

Too many of us were around to see the crash and burn last time (the comic market, not Larry) and it still gives us a trigger response. It was ugly.

[Gatsby77]

Yeah--I've speculated on exactly three moderns in the last five years:

 

Dark Tower (1st mini) # 1 (x 10 at $3.00 per)

American Vampire # 1 (x 10 at $2.50 per)

Brave & Bold # 1 (x 10 at $2.50 per).

 

Theory on the former two is that there's far more Stephen King fans out there than comics fans. On the latter? Loved the Perez outwork and thought it might be the next "Superman/Batman 1."

 

Of those, only Dark Tower # 1 worked out--note that each of these was pre-ordered at a discount before release.