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Confessions of a speculator.

Started by conditionfreak,

120 posts in this topic

valiantman

valiantman

Posted
Posted
... here today gone tomorrow interest, sort of how I feel about the "variant" and retailer incentive covers... manufactured collectibles where the publishers are printing their own money by creating the scarcity, only to trump yesterdays efforts with today's latest hype.

 

Variants suck. Amen.

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Jonesin4Comics

Jonesin4Comics

Posted
Posted
... here today gone tomorrow interest, sort of how I feel about the "variant" and retailer incentive covers... manufactured collectibles where the publishers are printing their own money by creating the scarcity, only to trump yesterdays efforts with today's latest hype.

 

Variants suck. Amen.

It's easy, for me, to get caught up in the variants game. I have to take astep back and remind myself the I don't need or want them

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AKA Rick

AKA Rick

Posted
Posted

...from an opportunity to popularity and scarcity standpoint, do CGC collectors who get graded books take into consideration the age of the book?

 

It seems, to get any (any issue and any title) book from prior to the 1960's in top notch condition when few collectors were taking care of their books let alone keeping them, is something that's worthy of grading, and anything getting a high grade is worth noticing.

 

Then, the 1970's and early 80's, I'd say to key books, grading is worthwhile.

 

But, for the modern age of comics, when the speculators started hording and preserving books, do high grades even really matter, or is it just a matter of time before the market falters a bit.

 

Even getting books off the shelves today, although in one breath, preserving today's collectibles for tomorrows collector is one viewpoint, I somehow think the population as it will relate to supply and demand won't necessarily matter much unless the book is actually a good title.

 

I remember a friend bragging about his CGC 10.0 book, a perfect specimen, but a title which was mediocre at best. At the end of the day, I must say, I'd think collectors would say "who cares?" when it comes to graded junk, trash is trash, whether it's in poor condition or mint condition.

 

The card collecting hobby saw, early when grading was emerging, any "Perfect 10" cards would command high prices because there was a perception of perfection and scarcity, so even current common cards at a 10 would command crazy multiples. Then, the bottom started to fall out. People actually took the time to stop and think about what they were spending and what they were putting into their collection and realized, pedigree junk is still trash.

 

I'm more impressed by an old book from the 1960's at a 7.0 than any modern book graded at 9.8 personally.

 

I think there's one comic pubisher going into the CGC market and I beleive had some Joe Jusko variant incentive cover they were only going to distribute at a 9.8 slabbed. So, now the publishers are getting into the game of manufacturing their collectibles.

 

The hobby is turning more and more into a marketing scheme, than a legitimate business in it's de-evolution with variant covers, retailer incentives and now the possibility of pre-graded books.

 

I think that's ultimately why so many comic collectors turned to Original Art, since that sector is based on true "one of a kind" scarcity, so it's the ultimate collectible and where condition really doesn't play as key of a role nor does signatures.

 

 

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conditionfreak

conditionfreak

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Let's have some fun. How many Speed Racer #1's do you think I have? (hint: more than a table full). They all seem to be 9.8's. Some better. I have never sold one. Here are a few on the table. I had high hopes for these when I bought them. doh!

 

 

2ndhoards003.jpg

Below are about half of my ASM #'s 361, 362 and 363. I have sold several sets of these over the years.

 

2ndhoards002.jpg

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Phill the Governor

Phill the Governor

Posted
Posted

You wanna talk speculation? Check out my CAF Gallery. Its ALL Walking Dead art (except for one piece). I've been amassing a small collection over the past two years, because why? Well for one, I think the series is exceptional. Kirkman's writing with Charlie's art is a fantastic combo in my opinion.

 

.... at the same time the prices for the original issues keep going up. The tv show just broke more records, and print runs are going up for new issues. It's won all sorts of awards, and gets praise in many directions. The art its self has been appreciating in value steadily. So for some reason, for the past two years, I've been buying up as much art as I possibly can.

 

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Thanos_7575

Thanos_7575

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I just bought my first page of waking dead OA....... I love the piece and I love the book but I mist admit that in the back of my head I wonder what it will be worth in the future........ Spoiler Alert...... It's the double page spread of Carlr getting shot. I agree with AKA RICK....... I used to focus my collecting on comics but the whole variant cover multiple print thing pushed me away. So I switched to mainly buying OA. I find it much more satisfying to own a true one of a kind page then a comic that really isn't that rare.

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AKA Rick

AKA Rick

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I think you've made a very wise choice in where to invest your money.

 

I think Kirkman is a great writer who will continue to do great things, and the fact that Walking Dead is closing in on 100 issues and is a criticially acclaimed TV show that a lot of non-comic collectors are a fan of (you know it's hit the mainstream when a lot of people say "Oh, there's a comic book of the show?")

 

I think the Kirkman/Adlard run is already... L E G E N D A R Y

 

So, even if they departed the series and the TV show gets eventually cancelled (as most shows other than The Simpsons do), I think your pieces are going to be what quite possibly Byrne X-Men and Miller Daredevil of the 80's is today, hopefully in 20-30 years your pieces will be on Heritage Auctions commanding tens of thousands of dollars (where that CGC 9.8 signature series of #1 won't move at the same multiples as your one of a kind artwork)

 

I know, with roughly 25 pages and the cover per issue, there's about let's say 2,500 unique one of a kind pieces of art out there, some good pages, some great pages, other mediocre in composition and characters, but even the least expensive of pages in the $200 range are better buys than the graded comic books I think, especially if collectors keep referring to "population" figures.

 

I'm going to check out your CAF gallery. I'm sure it'll be quite impressive! Congrats on finding a smart niche.

 

You wanna talk speculation? Check out my CAF Gallery. Its ALL Walking Dead art (except for one piece). I've been amassing a small collection over the past two years, because why? Well for one, I think the series is exceptional. Kirkman's writing with Charlie's art is a fantastic combo in my opinion.

 

.... at the same time the prices for the original issues keep going up. The tv show just broke more records, and print runs are going up for new issues. It's won all sorts of awards, and gets praise in many directions. The art its self has been appreciating in value steadily. So for some reason, for the past two years, I've been buying up as much art as I possibly can.

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WiseGuyX

WiseGuyX

Posted
Posted
85 speed racers...i already posted my CGW motorhead photo in another thread...wouldn't want to terrorize anyone any further with that debacle.

 

OMG, 85 copies :o

 

Now that is some speculation...I think this thread deserves that picture!

 

 

 

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

Posted
Posted

Hah! Great to see some Now Comics love with the Speed Racer.

 

I did the same thing (-ish) buying up Green Hornet # 1 (w/ the Steranko cover)--but this was 7-8 years ago in anticipation of the aborted Kevin Smith movie. Still have 15-16 copies of it, plus dozens of other issues pulled from the $.50 bins.

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