Will Silver age follow Golden age?

[tth2]

I'm not saying there is anything wrong with low or mid-grade books, but there would be NO hunt, therefore NO thrill.

 

My sentiments exactly.

[dam60]

My favorite Modern Batman stories are the flashback stories that don't have Robin.

 

Personally, I like " A Death in the Family" for that very reason. Robins are at their best when they're dead, and Batman is at his best when they're dead.

 

[dam60]

My favorite Modern Batman stories are the flashback stories that don't have Robin.

 

Personally, I like " A Death in the Family" for that very reason. Robins are at their best when they're dead, and Batman is at his best when they're dead.

 

Yup and I just read KnightFall and Tim was being all gay saying that Batman needs a Robin and Bruce wasn't the same after Jason died but he has been a little better since he has taken over the roll. Therefore Jean Paul needs a little brat to molest in order to rightfully claim the mantle of the Bat.

The Batman should never have been allowed to become the original Michael Jackson. What kind of a Dark Knight has a kid in greggy short shorts named follow him around?

 

[dam60]

Maybe the "next age" just isn't collecting Marvel or DC.

 

Nope, and if you're referring to Valiants, the vast majority of "young collectors" were reading and buying comics in 1989-90 before the trio of Spider-man #1, X-Men #1 and X-Force #1 turned the market, literally overnight, into a "no new kids allowed" deal.

 

After that, any "new blood" coming into comics has been drowned by those leaving the hobby.

 

Joe, what the hell are you talking about? I remember vividly busting open my poly bagged SM 1 and XF 1 and trying to get all the variant covers

 

And let me tell you, I wasn't the only "kid" doing it . . .

 

DAM

[lou_fine]

Ok, thinking about it, Golden age books are now becoming too expensive and the people that collect them are slowly leaving the hobby.

 

Will Silver age books follow? Just think about it this way, Silver age is seeing a massive boost in prices not just due to speculating but also because the collectors are getting into money. But when these collectors die or the books become to expensive will Silver age books just fall out of popularity?

 

Well, from reading Keith Contarino's market report in the latest issue of CBM (#112), I would have to say that he definitely believes that SA will follow the same path as GA. Keith basically states that run-of-the-mill GA books are plentiful and rarely bring Guide. Keys, on the other hand, are out of most people's price range. He goes on to state that the same thing is starting to happen with SA. He concludes by stating that the BA keys like Hulk #181 and Modern Age keys like DD #168 are the new Gold & Silver keys.

 

What's your opinion of his analysis of the comic book market or is he off by quite a few years?

[rjpb]

I think what is happening with HG silver is what has already happened with GA books in all grades. As SA keys and runs become unaffordable to many HG and even low-mid grade collectors - they will concentrate more on completing titles with shorter runs and lower profile characters, or collect villian covers, or classic covers , or cross-overs, or just representative issues.

 

While it is true that much GA moves slowly when priced at guide, this is true for most comics in general. Any complete GA book (especially superhero ones) can be sold if the price is right, and usually for more than most HG moderns. You can find hundreds of modern books on ebay that get no bids, even when the starting bid is a penny - it's not worth paying for even media mail to ship them. If shipping costs are kept down - a low grade, off-brand funny animal book from the 1940s or early 50s usually gets at least a dollar bid.

 

Silver Age collectors may be far more plentiful than Golden Age collectors, but as long as people still collect comics, Golden Age in any condition will always find a home - most people collecting GA today weren't even born when the books were first printed, and some of the more obscure characters are in high demand (Cat-man, Hangman, Phantom Lady etc.)

[Mr. Zipper]

I think that's just comic book logic - as in, "if it's still popular, go back to the 1st appearance". I don't think the current generation raised on videogames like Grand Theft Auto and movies like XXX, not to mention edgy or relevant superhero properties like "Smallville", "Daredevil" (complete with blaring soundtrack from Evanescence) and "X2" is going to feel at all compelled to spend big $$$ on books featuring simplistic art and goofy dialogue of the "Golly Gee, Batman!" or "Great Scott, Lois!" variety.

 

Bravo!

 

A point that I have made previously in other threads...

 

It is flawed logic to assume that because a fictional character survives in film (or some other medium), there is always going to be high demand (and prices) for the original comic books. I like James Bond movies, but I don't run out to collect the original Ian Fleming novels!

 

To today's 15 year old, Spider-Man is a movie and video game franchise and a character printed on their skateboards. If the kids are not reading the comics now, why in heaven are they suddenly going to be compelled to pay mortgage money for the original Silver Age issues 20 years from now?!?

 

For those that think that just because Hollywood is making superhero movies, your funnybooks will be in high demand forever, I fear you are going to wake up 30 years from now to learn that every old cronie moving into a smaller apartment will be trying to unload his slabbed gems and the 35 year olds of the day won't give a [!@#%^&^] about old comic books that they never cared about in the first place.

 

[joe_collector]

For those that think that just because Hollywood is making superhero movies, your funnybooks will be in high demand forever, I fear you are going to wake up 30 years from now to learn that every old cronie moving into a smaller apartment will be trying to unload his slabbed gems and the 35 year olds of the day won't give a [!@#%^&^] about old comic books that they never cared about in the first place.

 

I think the smart collectors realize this, and are slowly but surely divesting themselves of their comics. Too fast and it could cause a stir (especially for a BSD) but too slow and they'll be burning slabs in their fireplace. The smart money is definitely leaving the building, but this whole "divestment operation" depends on how long the newbie money holds out.

 

But one thing's for sure, although many will slam and ridicule you (in public) for outlining this natural evolution, the long-time collectors do understand this market reality, and are preparing for it.

[Silver Surfer]

To today's 15 year old, Spider-Man is a movie and video game franchise and a character printed on their skateboards. If the kids are not reading the comics now, why in heaven are they suddenly going to be compelled to pay mortgage money for the original Silver Age issues 20 years from now?!?

 

For those that think that just because Hollywood is making superhero movies, your funnybooks will be in high demand forever, I fear you are going to wake up 30 years from now to learn that every old cronie moving into a smaller apartment will be trying to unload his slabbed gems and the 35 year olds of the day won't give a [!@#%^&^] about old comic books that they never cared about in the first place.

 

 

Good points but how do we know that 15-year olds are not buying comics? I'm sure there are numbers to support purchasing habits but does anyone have comparable numbers handy showing a declining trend? I just spoke to a dealer about getting a book I purchased shipped to me and he indicated that it would take a few days because he had about 350 to fill and catch up on. LCS might be struggling but the online market is probably the way of the future. Hopefully Marvel will finally get their act together and continute to churn out great movies and do more marketing with cartoon/DVD releases to reach that segment of the market. Creation of some additional characters that will have some long-term stick would help as well.

 

I'm not using this as an arguement to keep buying HG grade slabbs but who's to say that todays 15-year olds will not be turned on to SA comics 10 years from now when they can actually afford them after having another 10-years of being exposed to proper marketing from Marvel, DC, etc? I think if you like Superhero movies as a kid, the next natural step is to read some of the comics to understand where Doc and the Green Goblin ideas came from. My parents were from the old school, old country so the thought of them promoting comics to me as a kid just would never happen, I did it through friends and my own curiosity. I would guess that the opposite would be the case in todays world as I'm sure each board member here who has kids will likely pass down their collections and bring them up on the idea of reading/collecting comics?

 

Is Marvel and DC facing a huge task trying to reach todays youth, you bet. But all we need is a few guys like a young Stan Lee, Kirby, to come along and make things happen. The Golden Age suffered from the cr@p in the 50's where comics were misunderstood, being blammed for the source of youths troubles, etc. Couple this with a lack of creativity and many I'm sure would have said that it was all over back then. Five or seven years later and look what happened. Doom and gloom 30 years from now, I doubt it.

[joe_collector]

I would guess that the opposite would be the case in todays world as I'm sure each board member here who has kids will likely pass down their collections and bring them up on the idea of reading/collecting comics?

 

Nope, though I do toss readers in the bottom floor washroom, and sometimes I see them being picked up.

 

The problem is, that I cannot see any kids today wanting to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for some old comic book. It just makes no logical sense, and is far apart from the "kids read comics" atmosphere I grew up in, and nurtured my love of the hobby.

 

Trust me on this, there is no surer way of killing a hobby than to have adults embrace it. After that, it's like poison for anyone over the age of 10, not to mention unaffordable.

[joe_collector]

After listening to some of these comments, I've got to ask one question:

 

Why would you EVER want your kids to enter the comic market as adults?

 

It makes no sense, and although I do appreciate and collect books, I did so from a grassroots basis. In the 70's, few comics were worth anything, and I kind of grew up through the valuation spikes.

 

To ask someone to jump in at these nosebleed levels is patently insane, and personally would wish far better for my kids than sitting around buying and selling $100K slabs of books that they have no link to. Not that it would ever happen, but to wish that on a young child is bizarre.

 

I'd rather have them find their own hobbies and interests, and have their own "Golden Age" they can look back on with fondness.

[Silver Surfer]

 

Trust me on this, there is no surer way of killing a hobby than to have adults embrace it.

 

Are you making reference to yourself? Sorry JC, I couldn't help myself.

[musicmeta]

After listening to some of these comments, I've got to ask one question:

 

Why would you EVER want your kids to enter the comic market as adults?

 

It makes no sense, and although I do appreciate and collect books, I did so from a grassroots basis. In the 70's, few comics were worth anything, and I kind of grew up through the valuation spikes.

 

To ask someone to jump in at these nosebleed levels is patently insane, and personally would wish far better for my kids than sitting around buying and selling $100K slabs of books that they have no link to. Not that it would ever happen, but to wish that on a young child is bizarre.

 

I'd rather have them find their own hobbies and interests, and have their own "Golden Age" they can look back on with fondness.

 

Very well stated.

[delekkerste]

I'm not using this as an arguement to keep buying HG grade slabbs but who's to say that todays 15-year olds will not be turned on to SA comics 10 years from now when they can actually afford them after having another 10-years of being exposed to proper marketing from Marvel, DC, etc? I think if you like Superhero movies as a kid, the next natural step is to read some of the comics to understand where Doc and the Green Goblin ideas came from.

 

ROTFL!!! The tiny percentage of the population who will feel at all compelled to want to "understand where Doc Ock and the Green Goblin ideas came from" will avail themselves of (1) A Google search on Doc Ock and the Goblin, (2) The DVD extras in the Spidey DVDs, (3) The Stan Lee "Mutants, Monsters & Marvels" DVD and/or (4) TPBs like Essential Spider-Man Vol. 1 ordered online before they would even consider going out of their way to a comic store. The minuscule number of people who would end up actually buying comics to read would surely purchase reprints or other reader copies of the issue(s) in question. Most people wouldn't shell out even $80 for an absolute beater copy of an important SA book if their only goal is to read the story or find out more information about the characters and they surely aren't going to blow several/many months of mortgage payments for a slabbed copy they can't even read.

[joe_collector]

Trust me on this, there is no surer way of killing a hobby than to have adults embrace it.

 

Are you making reference to yourself? Sorry JC, I couldn't help myself.

 

Is this supposed to be funny?

[Silver Surfer]

Trust me on this, there is no surer way of killing a hobby than to have adults embrace it.

 

Are you making reference to yourself? Sorry JC, I couldn't help myself.

 

Is this supposed to be funny?

 

I don't know? I got a brief chuckle out of it.

[joe_collector]

Trust me on this, there is no surer way of killing a hobby than to have adults embrace it.

 

Are you making reference to yourself? Sorry JC, I couldn't help myself.

 

Is this supposed to be funny?

 

I don't know? I got a brief chuckle out of it.

 

Seriously, what's the joke? Because I'm one of the hundreds of thousands of adults that have taken over the comic book market, I've killed it due to my comments?

 

If so, then the attempted joke doesn't work to the meaning of the statement, which is actually the youngster's aversion for things that "the old man collects".

[Silver Surfer]

[ROTFL!!! The tiny percentage of the population who will feel at all compelled to want to "understand where Doc Ock and the Green Goblin ideas came from" will avail themselves of (1) A Google search on Doc Ock and the Goblin, (2) The DVD extras in the Spidey DVDs, (3) The Stan Lee "Mutants, Monsters & Marvels" DVD and/or (4) TPBs like Essential Spider-Man Vol. 1 ordered online before they would even consider going out of their way to a comic store. The minuscule number of people who would end up actually buying comics to read would surely purchase reprints or other reader copies of the issue(s) in question. Most people wouldn't shell out even $80 for an absolute beater copy of an important SA book if their only goal is to read the story or find out more information about the characters and they surely aren't going to blow several/many months of mortgage payments for a slabbed copy they can't even read.

 

You have to start somewhere. There were no video games or Siper-Man movies when I was a kid buying comics. Owning HG stuff was never a big motivator back then mainly because I couldn't even dream of affording it with my paper route money. I never went to reprints and I am not looking for them either? I've never heard of the MM &M dvd? Why is it so hard to believe that kids may grow up to actually want to buy those SA issues?

[joe_collector]

Why is it so hard to believe that kids may grow up to actually want to buy those SA issues?

 

Because you're not putting yourself in their shoes, and instead looking at the future in a very biased way.

 

I swear to God, I was having the *exact* same conversation with some sportscard collectors about a decade ago, and they also couldn't understand why kids wouldn't continue to grow up with sportscards (at $9.99 and up a pack?), and then as adults, happily pay hundreds of thousands to buy their collections.

 

Some people simply cannot identify with the next generation, or understand the very basics of collectibles and nostalgia.

[Silver Surfer]

I'd rather have them find their own hobbies and interests, and have their own "Golden Age" they can look back on with fondness.

 

Very well stated.

 

Give me a break. You make it sound like I would force my kid to read and buy comics. Sure let them blow $20 a pop on those DVD's that they watch once then put away forever or $50 a pop on those X-Box games that they finish in two weeks and then on to the next one. Yeah they can look back at their "Golden Age" when they are 40 and remember the days of playing asteroids and Q-Bert. Better yet don't get involved or encourage them, let them explore on their own, hang out at the school yard in the middle of the night, steal cars, do crack, all that fun stuff kids do these days. Please lets not take such an extreme angle on everything.

 

I often wonder why some people actually spend time on these boards when they are so negative about the hobby in general and its future prospects. Like I've said before if you think the market has peaked, put your money where your mouth is and get out while you can. If slabb prices are doomed surely this will have a negative impact on your raw copies as well. Stick to DVD's and reprints and oh yes video games.