Investing in comics: What do you buy?

[brendanb438]

Really don't think 3-5 years you will get much of a ROI off 1 book.

 

Better luck picking out the next modern to jump off like The Walking Dead has in the past 18 months. Just buy like 30 to 50 of each book that is being discussed in the Modern forum and you are good to go.

 

Walking Dead #1s in 9.8 are going off for $1K + now on eBay. That is a ROI.

That would be great if you bought them when they were three dollars,but don't see them gaining any more value than they are.

 

True, do not buy them now. Way too late to that party. They have a little more upwards movement in them but they have to be getting close to the ceiling.

 

I am thinking really really hard about dumping my WD collection here soon and putting it into a couple nice HG SA keys.

[oakman29]

Really don't think 3-5 years you will get much of a ROI off 1 book.

 

Better luck picking out the next modern to jump off like The Walking Dead has in the past 18 months. Just buy like 30 to 50 of each book that is being discussed in the Modern forum and you are good to go.

 

Walking Dead #1s in 9.8 are going off for $1K + now on eBay. That is a ROI.

That would be great if you bought them when they were three dollars,but don't see them gaining any more value than they are.

 

True, do not buy them now. Way too late to that party. They have a little more upwards movement in them but they have to be getting close to the ceiling.

 

I am thinking really really hard about dumping my WD collection here soon and putting it into a couple nice HG SA keys.

Can never go wrong with HG SA keys.

[Westy Steve]

This is my blog. I've written most of a book, and I'm using the Blog to keep me motivated to finish it. I write alot about collectibles as a science, usually from the perspective of a coin collector or a comic collector. Truth be told, currency has a better future than coins, IMHO.

 

Anyway, here's a good one to start you off with:

 

http://makingakillingwithcollectibles.blogspot.com/2012/01/ive-got-time-machine-and-800.html

 

 

[Marvelfangirl]

Really don't think 3-5 years you will get much of a ROI off 1 book.

 

Better luck picking out the next modern to jump off like The Walking Dead has in the past 18 months. Just buy like 30 to 50 of each book that is being discussed in the Modern forum and you are good to go.

 

Walking Dead #1s in 9.8 are going off for $1K + now on eBay. That is a ROI.

That would be great if you bought them when they were three dollars,but don't see them gaining any more value than they are.

 

True, do not buy them now. Way too late to that party. They have a little more upwards movement in them but they have to be getting close to the ceiling.

 

I am thinking really really hard about dumping my WD collection here soon and putting it into a couple nice HG SA keys.

Can never go wrong with HG SA keys.

MMM...HG SA keys

[Dr. Balls]

In five years at an investment that would net you 2-3% (with no fees factored in), you'd make maybe around $2k on interest (less taxes). I'm not sure there's a lot of books that would get you the same return at the end of five years - other than an AF15 at the current rate of hotness.

 

But, I'm just guessing. I don't know what - say - a JIM 83 or ASM 1 was 5 years ago. So I can't really complete the comparison.

[Ditch Fahrenheit]

This article is common knowledge, and I'm not encouraging you to invest in any of these books because they may be near their peak. But it may give you some ideas. Unfortunately, the article is seriously lacking in information regarding condition/grade.

 

Many financial "experts" are now recommending investment in comic book "keys." Since there's so much money on the sidelines looking for better returns, as long as the money keeps channeling in, comics will be a decent investment. This could change quite rapidly once the normal financial markets improve.

 

 

Hot Comics – The One Hundred Dollar Club March 2012

 

Earlier we looked at comics published in the last thirty years that have been selling for over $200, raw, unslabbed, without variant covers or signatures to push them up the ranks. Here’s a look at those selling for between $100 and $200… and there’s a lot of Walking Dead, Goon and Hellboy about…

 

Walking Dead #5 by Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore from Image Comics recently selling for $171

 

Walking Dead #19 hitting $170 – that would be the first appearance of Michonne pushing this one up so high.

 

Hellboy CBG 4 Page Supplement selling for $169.50 – ripped from the pages of the Comics Buyers Guide and selling rather nicely.

 

Walking Dead #3 gets $162.50, up from $115 in November.

 

Dime Press #4 featuring early Hellboy for $162, down form November’s $200

 

New Mutants #98 with Rob Liefeld’s first Deadpool goes for $160

 

Ultimate Spider-Man #1 from Bendis and Bagley garners a tidy $155, well up from November’s $100. Could a new TV series be helping?

 

Invincible #1 by Robert Kirkman and Cory Walker sells for $152.50, up from November’s $114. Imagine if this had a TV series?

 

Cursed Pirate Girl #2 with its reduced print run sells for $152.50, down from November’s $200.

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #2 gets $152.50, up from $100 in November. The power of a new TV series there…

 

Maxx #3 Ashcan Blue – and I may have one of these from a UK convention sells for $150

 

Slow Jams #1 by the Facebook hundred-re David Choe sells for a relatively small $150

 

Walking Dead #4 gets a natty $142.50 – there must be some collectors out there with thousands in a small longboc that have completely skipped them by.

 

Walking Dead #2 Second Print sells for $135 – as if to prve a point.

 

Miracleman #24, the final issue by Gaiman and Buckingham sells for $130

 

Miracleman #15, by Alan Moore and John Totleben, usully the most valuable comic of the series now goes for the same price, for $130, down from $140 in November.

 

San Diego Comic Con Comics #2 with some early Hellboy gets $125

 

Cursed Pirate Girl #1 with it’s still far-too-small print run sells for $111, down from $190 in November.

 

GI Joe Special #1 with its ignored McFarlane art sells for $110

 

Walking Dead #5 is back at $110

 

Wolverine #1 by those Claremont and Miller fellow sells for $110

 

The Goon #3 brings up the rear at $100

 

Grimm Fairy Tales #2 shows the rarity of a second issue by clocking up $100

 

Coheed and Cambria: The Second Stage Turbine Blade sells for $100. Something to do with music, I seem to recall.

 

Incredible Hulk #377 third print, of which there were only a few thousand, and mostly eaten up by newstand distrubution, sells for $100

 

Sonic The Hedgehog #1 from Archie grabs $100 worth of gold rings.

 

And that elusive final issue of GI Joe #155 sells for $100. Exactly where it was in Nove,mber. At last, a little consistency…

[Junkdrawer]

Hulk 1

[lizards2]

I've been looking at the return investment in my kid's 529 plan compared to the increase in the price of Amazing Fantasy #15

 

So let's say that you have up to $10K to put into comic books. You can buy 1 book, multiple books, or multiple copies of the same book.

 

What do you buy and why?

It don't matter, because I usually sell at a loss :thumbsup:

[dupont2005]

I say buying modern Marvels at 50 cents a pop is the best investment you can make. How could they depreciate more than that?

[oakman29]

I say buying modern Marvels at 50 cents a pop is the best investment you can make. How could they depreciate more than that?

True.

[Buzzetta]

Mid Grade Marvel Keys...

 

My reasoning: Eventually books like the Action Comics 9.0 that recently went for over $2 million will hit a virtual ceiling. While it is true that the book will increase in value and eventually sell for a higher price, consider the price of the next sale in relation to the price of milk or gas between the two dates of sale.

 

There are only a limited amount of people in this world that can spend or try to come up with the money to spend $2 million on a comic book. They must satisfy the conditions of having the capital and the interest in the book. That puts them in an exclusive club. On top of that, the seller of Action Comics #1 is automatically removing himself from the hunt by the fact that he no longer wants the book.

 

However, mid grade books of say, Amazing Fantasy 15, X-Men 1, Hulk 181 will always be at a lower price point but be within the grasp of a wider audience with the cash. It can also be speculated that as the higher grade books become locked up in personal collections that mid grade and even lower grade copies of the "grails" become more desirable.

 

I believe that the Silver Age Marvel Keys in a mid grade condition still show the highest possible room for growth over the next ten years.

 

 

[oakman29]

Mid Grade Marvel Keys...

 

My reasoning: Eventually books like the Action Comics 9.0 that recently went for over $2 million will hit a virtual ceiling. While it is true that the book will increase in value and eventually sell for a higher price, consider the price of the next sale in relation to the price of milk or gas between the two dates of sale.

 

There are only a limited amount of people in this world that can spend or try to come up with the money to spend $2 million on a comic book. They must satisfy the conditions of having the capital and the interest in the book. That puts them in an exclusive club. On top of that, the seller of Action Comics #1 is automatically removing himself from the hunt by the fact that he no longer wants the book.

 

However, mid grade books of say, Amazing Fantasy 15, X-Men 1, Hulk 181 will always be at a lower price point but be within the grasp of a wider audience with the cash. It can also be speculated that as the higher grade books become locked up in personal collections that mid grade and even lower grade copies of the "grails" become more desirable.

 

I believe that the Silver Age Marvel Keys in a mid grade condition still show the highest possible room for growth over the next ten years.

 

One can only hope.

[HaydenTO]

Mid Grade Marvel Keys...

 

My reasoning: Eventually books like the Action Comics 9.0 that recently went for over $2 million will hit a virtual ceiling. While it is true that the book will increase in value and eventually sell for a higher price, consider the price of the next sale in relation to the price of milk or gas between the two dates of sale.

 

There are only a limited amount of people in this world that can spend or try to come up with the money to spend $2 million on a comic book. They must satisfy the conditions of having the capital and the interest in the book. That puts them in an exclusive club. On top of that, the seller of Action Comics #1 is automatically removing himself from the hunt by the fact that he no longer wants the book.

 

However, mid grade books of say, Amazing Fantasy 15, X-Men 1, Hulk 181 will always be at a lower price point but be within the grasp of a wider audience with the cash. It can also be speculated that as the higher grade books become locked up in personal collections that mid grade and even lower grade copies of the "grails" become more desirable.

 

I believe that the Silver Age Marvel Keys in a mid grade condition still show the highest possible room for growth over the next ten years.

 

One can only hope.

 

+1

[chrisco37]

Best copy of AF#15 you can get.

[jeranimal]

Thanks for all the input.

 

Wow! It seems that Amazing Fantasy #15 is the hottest book on the planet.

 

Any other close seconds that would be investment worth? Is it too late to cash in on Avengers #1? I've heard alot of buzz about DD#1 and Sgt.Fury #1 being undervalued. Thoughts?

 

[Gotham Kid]

Thanks for all the input.

 

Wow! It seems that Amazing Fantasy #15 is the hottest book on the planet.

 

Any other close seconds that would be investment worth? Is it too late to cash in on Avengers #1? I've heard alot of buzz about DD#1 and Sgt.Fury #1 being undervalued. Thoughts?

 

Hulk #1 would be a good bet....

 

Avengers #1 are found in greater numbers ( in all grades ) with newly slabbed HG copies surfacing every so often. The upcoming movie will likely cause an increase in demand/supply...as for DD and Fury, indeed they are undervalued and will most likely remain so.

 

my 2¢

 

 

[mintcollector]

Does it have to be just comics? You would be far better off in my opinion, 'investing' in other collectibles as well. The collectibles market goes in cycles, that being said, when one market is 'hot' another may have 'cooled off' a little bit. You could easily utilize dollar cost averaging in this same regard. I have done very well using these same principles.

 

Personally, I collect coins, currency, comic books, and toys. I am also a part time dealer in collectibles and to a lesser extent; antiques. Right now the antiques market is down roughly 30%. There are a lot of undervalued finds in that sector, but you must know what to look for.

 

That being said, you are much better off buying 10 $1,000 items than 100 $100 items. The transaction costs; as well as the storage costs will eat into your returns when you go to sell. Now if you were going to get into 'flipping' comic books or other collectibles on a regular basis, my advice would be different. However, your exact words were 'invest.' This implies to me that you are planning to 'buy and hold' these items for a year or longer, correct?

 

I hope that helps.

 

Kind Regards and good luck with whatever you decide to do!

 

'mint'

 

 

 

 

[jeranimal]

No, it doesn't have to be comics, but, as a collector, I'm more familiar with the comic market. I know nothing about coins or other collectibles.

 

And yes, I agree that the transaction cost definitely needs to be factored into my bottom line.

 

Thanks for the input.

[Dale Roberts]

Thanks for all the input.

 

Wow! It seems that Amazing Fantasy #15 is the hottest book on the planet.

 

Any other close seconds that would be investment worth? Is it too late to cash in on Avengers #1? I've heard alot of buzz about DD#1 and Sgt.Fury #1 being undervalued. Thoughts?

 

Avengers #1, Daredevil #1, X-Men #1, Hulk #1, JIM #83. TOS #39. I personally don't subscribe to Sgt Fury #1 being tremendously undervalued. Even though it does have Nick Fury, it is still a war comic, and the title is simply not as popular as the others. I might lean more to trying to find a nice Strange Tales #135.

 

Giant Size X-Men #1, X-Men #94, Hulk #181, Amazing Spider-man #129, Tomb of Dracula #1, Marvel Spotlight #2 and #5, House of Secrets #92, Iron Man #1, Batman #232, Batman #181, et al infinitum.

 

You could literally go on and on with a list of books that are investment worthy. I would even include Bronze Age 9.8s in this group. Many of these books are very undervalued right now compared to how tough it is to get them.

[mintcollector]

Thanks for all the input.

 

Wow! It seems that Amazing Fantasy #15 is the hottest book on the planet.

 

Any other close seconds that would be investment worth? Is it too late to cash in on Avengers #1? I've heard alot of buzz about DD#1 and Sgt.Fury #1 being undervalued. Thoughts?

 

Avengers #1, Daredevil #1, X-Men #1, Hulk #1, JIM #83. TOS #39. I personally don't subscribe to Sgt Fury #1 being tremendously undervalued. Even though it does have Nick Fury, it is still a war comic, and the title is simply not as popular as the others. I might lean more to trying to find a nice Strange Tales #135.

 

Giant Size X-Men #1, X-Men #94, Hulk #181, Amazing Spider-man #129, Tomb of Dracula #1, Marvel Spotlight #2 and #5, House of Secrets #92, Iron Man #1, Batman #232, Batman #181, et al infinitum.

 

You could literally go on and on with a list of books that are investment worthy. I would even include Bronze Age 9.8s in this group. Many of these books are very undervalued right now compared to how tough it is to get them.

 

Strange Tales #135 I fully agree with and have bought one right off these 'boards', as it was on my want list for some time. Great undervalued book, but my advice would be to seek out a copy in 9.2. The price spreads between a 9.2 and 9.4 are far too great to justify the cost.