When will/will the WALKING DEAD bubble burst? 7 7

[MostAwesomeComics]

The Marvel Tales comparison doesn't work for me. In Mystery Tales case you are talking about a 57 year old comic with 3 issues on the census. It only takes a dozen or two Lost collectors (as well as horror comic collectors) to drive the price of an issue up to $600. In the Walking Dead case you are talking about a 10 year old comic with over 1500 issues on the census. It would take thousands and thousands of Walking Dead collectors to drive the comic up to $2000. While there might still be a couple dozen people who were really into Lost still I'm not sure there will be the thousands and thousands of collectors who are into The Walking Dead 5 years after the tv series ends.

 

 

I think this would really depend on the Walking Dead comic though. If the new issues of the comic are still selling well when the TV series ends, I don't think you'll see a substantial drop in the prices. While the TV series gave the early issues a boost in value, the comic was popular and climbing in price long before the TV series came about. The TV series did bring more interest to the title, we all acknowledge that. The question is, does the Walking Dead comic have life after the TV series? I'm guessing so, since it had plenty of life before the TV series.

 

The Walking Dead is breaking new ground in many regards. There are no American comic books that I can think of that are character driven that lasted as long as this title has. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a defined end for the series like many titles of it's kind, so the series can continue well past the creator's interest in the title, if the creator wants. I could see a day where all the original main characters are gone and this series is still selling well.

 

I think for the most part, the title has been handled well. The 100th issue was a money grab absolutely, but when you consider the popularity of this title (not just pamphlets, but also in TPB), it was a smart move not to start pumping out auxiliary titles to accompany the main title. If this were a Marvel or DC title, there would be 12 different titles and the interest would have been killed long before now. By keeping the focus on the single monthly comic, the creator has managed to keep interest in this title high. As long as that continues, I don't see the Walking Dead comic fading into obscurity like many here are foretelling.

+1.7 Kajillion! Ezekiel has a fricken tiger.

[MostAwesomeComics]

Just a thought, how many great story arcs have titles like Superman and Batman actually had over the past 70 or so years? How great are the current arcs spread out over the truckload of books these characters star in every month? Seems like aside from the retelling of the origin story and reintroduction of major villains there isnt a whole lot of good content there. Any sight of those bubbles bursting or are people still paying the price of a beach house to own their first appearances?

[BarryAllen]

Just a thought, how many great story arcs have titles like Superman and Batman actually had over the past 70 or so years? How great are the current arcs spread out over the truckload of books these characters star in every month? Seems like aside from the retelling of the origin story and reintroduction of major villains there isnt a whole lot of good content there. Any sight of those bubbles bursting or are people still paying the price of a beach house to own their first appearances?

 

Are you saying that Walking Dead is in the same league as Superman or Batman?

 

Great stories don't necessarily make valuable books. Iconic characters do.

[Mike's Rack]

The Marvel Tales comparison doesn't work for me. In Mystery Tales case you are talking about a 57 year old comic with 3 issues on the census. It only takes a dozen or two Lost collectors (as well as horror comic collectors) to drive the price of an issue up to $600. In the Walking Dead case you are talking about a 10 year old comic with over 1500 issues on the census. It would take thousands and thousands of Walking Dead collectors to drive the comic up to $2000. While there might still be a couple dozen people who were really into Lost still I'm not sure there will be the thousands and thousands of collectors who are into The Walking Dead 5 years after the tv series ends.

 

 

I think this would really depend on the Walking Dead comic though. If the new issues of the comic are still selling well when the TV series ends, I don't think you'll see a substantial drop in the prices. While the TV series gave the early issues a boost in value, the comic was popular and climbing in price long before the TV series came about. The TV series did bring more interest to the title, we all acknowledge that. The question is, does the Walking Dead comic have life after the TV series? I'm guessing so, since it had plenty of life before the TV series.

 

The Walking Dead is breaking new ground in many regards. There are no American comic books that I can think of that are character driven that lasted as long as this title has. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a defined end for the series like many titles of it's kind, so the series can continue well past the creator's interest in the title, if the creator wants. I could see a day where all the original main characters are gone and this series is still selling well.

 

I think for the most part, the title has been handled well. The 100th issue was a money grab absolutely, but when you consider the popularity of this title (not just pamphlets, but also in TPB), it was a smart move not to start pumping out auxiliary titles to accompany the main title. If this were a Marvel or DC title, there would be 12 different titles and the interest would have been killed long before now. By keeping the focus on the single monthly comic, the creator has managed to keep interest in this title high. As long as that continues, I don't see the Walking Dead comic fading into obscurity like many here are foretelling.

Good post. I think the best thing that WD has going for it is that it is in the hands of a creator that seems to know what he is doing both with the story and the marketing of the property. Kirkman has done a good job in not killing the golden goose. Zombies will not always be cool but good stories always will. The biggest problem I see with this discussion is that there is nothing else like WD to draw a sufficient comparison. WD has similarities with Ninja Turtles and other indy books but it has just as many distinctions. I would not be surprised if the story carries on for another 20 years with ever increasing popularity. I would also not be surprised to see the book sacrificed on the altar by a fickle public.

 

I know one thing, anyone that tells you they know for sure what will happen is either selling something or in your Corn Flakes.

 

[BarryAllen]

The Marvel Tales comparison doesn't work for me. In Mystery Tales case you are talking about a 57 year old comic with 3 issues on the census. It only takes a dozen or two Lost collectors (as well as horror comic collectors) to drive the price of an issue up to $600. In the Walking Dead case you are talking about a 10 year old comic with over 1500 issues on the census. It would take thousands and thousands of Walking Dead collectors to drive the comic up to $2000. While there might still be a couple dozen people who were really into Lost still I'm not sure there will be the thousands and thousands of collectors who are into The Walking Dead 5 years after the tv series ends.

 

 

I think this would really depend on the Walking Dead comic though. If the new issues of the comic are still selling well when the TV series ends, I don't think you'll see a substantial drop in the prices. While the TV series gave the early issues a boost in value, the comic was popular and climbing in price long before the TV series came about. The TV series did bring more interest to the title, we all acknowledge that. The question is, does the Walking Dead comic have life after the TV series? I'm guessing so, since it had plenty of life before the TV series.

 

The Walking Dead is breaking new ground in many regards. There are no American comic books that I can think of that are character driven that lasted as long as this title has. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a defined end for the series like many titles of it's kind, so the series can continue well past the creator's interest in the title, if the creator wants. I could see a day where all the original main characters are gone and this series is still selling well.

 

I think for the most part, the title has been handled well. The 100th issue was a money grab absolutely, but when you consider the popularity of this title (not just pamphlets, but also in TPB), it was a smart move not to start pumping out auxiliary titles to accompany the main title. If this were a Marvel or DC title, there would be 12 different titles and the interest would have been killed long before now. By keeping the focus on the single monthly comic, the creator has managed to keep interest in this title high. As long as that continues, I don't see the Walking Dead comic fading into obscurity like many here are foretelling.

 

Well put, I agree that there may still be a Walking Dead following post TV show that continue to read the comic and for that reason alone prices will most likely not reduce to zero.

 

However, the entire reason there are comics that are worth large sums of money is because of their popularity beyond the books themselves (Batman, Superman, Mickey Mouse, Archie, etc). They are a staple of popular culture and are instilled in the hearts of every new generation of children born after their inception.

 

Seriously, can you same the same thing is happening with Walking Dead...?

 

 

 

If you look at the values 9.8 sales before and during the show, it is clear that there was a HUGE jump in popularity in the book post TV show (launched in 2010). Then values skyrocketed in 2012 when the viewing population doubled with the third season of the show versus the first season (viewers went from ~5.5 million to ~11 million per episode).

 

Hard to argue that the TV show wasn't the sole driver of the huge increase in value.

 

 

 

If I were to guess, I think you will see prices relax back to the 2007-2008 price points once the show is cancelled and the draw falls off about two years after the last episode. This will put 9.8 value around $130-350: low-end for the average buyer and high-end for the remaining die-hard collector.

 

 

Year - High / Low

2013 - $2,899 / $1,625

2012- $3,500 / $900

2011- $900 / $474

2010 - $875 / $300

2009 - $550 / $250

2008 - $399 / $170

2007 - $325 / $132

2006 - $390 / $128

2005 - $117 / $33

2004 - $125 / $39

 

[paperheart]

The Marvel Tales comparison doesn't work for me. In Mystery Tales case you are talking about a 57 year old comic with 3 issues on the census. It only takes a dozen or two Lost collectors (as well as horror comic collectors) to drive the price of an issue up to $600. In the Walking Dead case you are talking about a 10 year old comic with over 1500 issues on the census. It would take thousands and thousands of Walking Dead collectors to drive the comic up to $2000. While there might still be a couple dozen people who were really into Lost still I'm not sure there will be the thousands and thousands of collectors who are into The Walking Dead 5 years after the tv series ends.

 

 

I think this would really depend on the Walking Dead comic though. If the new issues of the comic are still selling well when the TV series ends, I don't think you'll see a substantial drop in the prices. While the TV series gave the early issues a boost in value, the comic was popular and climbing in price long before the TV series came about. The TV series did bring more interest to the title, we all acknowledge that. The question is, does the Walking Dead comic have life after the TV series? I'm guessing so, since it had plenty of life before the TV series.

 

The Walking Dead is breaking new ground in many regards. There are no American comic books that I can think of that are character driven that lasted as long as this title has. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a defined end for the series like many titles of it's kind, so the series can continue well past the creator's interest in the title, if the creator wants. I could see a day where all the original main characters are gone and this series is still selling well.

 

I think for the most part, the title has been handled well. The 100th issue was a money grab absolutely, but when you consider the popularity of this title (not just pamphlets, but also in TPB), it was a smart move not to start pumping out auxiliary titles to accompany the main title. If this were a Marvel or DC title, there would be 12 different titles and the interest would have been killed long before now. By keeping the focus on the single monthly comic, the creator has managed to keep interest in this title high. As long as that continues, I don't see the Walking Dead comic fading into obscurity like many here are foretelling.

+1.7 Kajillion! Ezekiel has a fricken tiger.

 

#108- probably the worst book i've read in the past 5 years

Edited July 2, 2013 by paperheart

[MostAwesomeComics]

The Marvel Tales comparison doesn't work for me. In Mystery Tales case you are talking about a 57 year old comic with 3 issues on the census. It only takes a dozen or two Lost collectors (as well as horror comic collectors) to drive the price of an issue up to $600. In the Walking Dead case you are talking about a 10 year old comic with over 1500 issues on the census. It would take thousands and thousands of Walking Dead collectors to drive the comic up to $2000. While there might still be a couple dozen people who were really into Lost still I'm not sure there will be the thousands and thousands of collectors who are into The Walking Dead 5 years after the tv series ends.

 

 

I think this would really depend on the Walking Dead comic though. If the new issues of the comic are still selling well when the TV series ends, I don't think you'll see a substantial drop in the prices. While the TV series gave the early issues a boost in value, the comic was popular and climbing in price long before the TV series came about. The TV series did bring more interest to the title, we all acknowledge that. The question is, does the Walking Dead comic have life after the TV series? I'm guessing so, since it had plenty of life before the TV series.

 

The Walking Dead is breaking new ground in many regards. There are no American comic books that I can think of that are character driven that lasted as long as this title has. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a defined end for the series like many titles of it's kind, so the series can continue well past the creator's interest in the title, if the creator wants. I could see a day where all the original main characters are gone and this series is still selling well.

 

I think for the most part, the title has been handled well. The 100th issue was a money grab absolutely, but when you consider the popularity of this title (not just pamphlets, but also in TPB), it was a smart move not to start pumping out auxiliary titles to accompany the main title. If this were a Marvel or DC title, there would be 12 different titles and the interest would have been killed long before now. By keeping the focus on the single monthly comic, the creator has managed to keep interest in this title high. As long as that continues, I don't see the Walking Dead comic fading into obscurity like many here are foretelling.

+1.7 Kajillion! Ezekiel has a fricken tiger.

 

#108- probably the worst book i've read in the past 5 years

I take it you dont read Zenescope then.

[paperheart]

The Marvel Tales comparison doesn't work for me. In Mystery Tales case you are talking about a 57 year old comic with 3 issues on the census. It only takes a dozen or two Lost collectors (as well as horror comic collectors) to drive the price of an issue up to $600. In the Walking Dead case you are talking about a 10 year old comic with over 1500 issues on the census. It would take thousands and thousands of Walking Dead collectors to drive the comic up to $2000. While there might still be a couple dozen people who were really into Lost still I'm not sure there will be the thousands and thousands of collectors who are into The Walking Dead 5 years after the tv series ends.

 

 

I think this would really depend on the Walking Dead comic though. If the new issues of the comic are still selling well when the TV series ends, I don't think you'll see a substantial drop in the prices. While the TV series gave the early issues a boost in value, the comic was popular and climbing in price long before the TV series came about. The TV series did bring more interest to the title, we all acknowledge that. The question is, does the Walking Dead comic have life after the TV series? I'm guessing so, since it had plenty of life before the TV series.

 

The Walking Dead is breaking new ground in many regards. There are no American comic books that I can think of that are character driven that lasted as long as this title has. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a defined end for the series like many titles of it's kind, so the series can continue well past the creator's interest in the title, if the creator wants. I could see a day where all the original main characters are gone and this series is still selling well.

 

I think for the most part, the title has been handled well. The 100th issue was a money grab absolutely, but when you consider the popularity of this title (not just pamphlets, but also in TPB), it was a smart move not to start pumping out auxiliary titles to accompany the main title. If this were a Marvel or DC title, there would be 12 different titles and the interest would have been killed long before now. By keeping the focus on the single monthly comic, the creator has managed to keep interest in this title high. As long as that continues, I don't see the Walking Dead comic fading into obscurity like many here are foretelling.

+1.7 Kajillion! Ezekiel has a fricken tiger.

 

#108- probably the worst book i've read in the past 5 years

I take it you dont read Zenescope then.

 

nope, but i read some terrible stuff. just finished Nick Fury vs Shield- awful.

[DiceX]

I've read through #100-something and must say that the Governor story line was the high point and everything after that either sucked, or sucked worse.

Given the fact that the TV Governor story was horrible compared to the comic, I don't see them gaining any viewers after Season 4.

 

I do like the TV show and hope it continues to do well, but if I was heavily invested in WD comics, I think I'd have to cash in my chips STAT.

 

 

[comicsnyc22]

How on earth are we still having this discussion?

[ItsJustRyan]

How on earth are we still having this discussion?

meaning?

[mrwoogieman]

How on earth are we still having this discussion?

 

It's gone on so long, an entire new generation of boardies are now offering their opinions. This thread has reached perpetual motion status!

[Speedy-D]

Demand outstrips demand hence the premium price of TWD #1...

 

You've got tens of thousands of fans (validated by current TWD print runs) that would love to get there hands on a #1.

 

Less than 500 9.8's on the census. Just over 1500 total slabbed. Sure there are raws out there, but who knows the condition and they are not being dropped on the market en mass, but are available.

 

I'd love to see prices come down to $500 for a 9.8, because I'd jump all over it... But I'm not holding my breath.

 

There are, what, like 35 or so copies on ebay at any time? I'm gonna say demand has not outstripped supply.

 

Of course it has... That's like saying there are a 1000 houses for sale at the beach. Everyone wants a beach house, hence that demand drives up the price to a level where the seller can maximize asking prices. Just because there's a lot of something doesn't mean the demand is not there. It means the price has reached a point to curtail rapid sell-outs.

 

How many TWD #1 would be on eBay if the price was $100 per?

After a while, I'd say ~35 at a time.

[ItsJustRyan]

How on earth are we still having this discussion?

 

It's gone on so long, an entire new generation of boardies are now offering their opinions. This thread has reached perpetual motion status!

 

I hadn't realized... I guess it has gone on a bit

[BarryAllen]

How on earth are we still having this discussion?

 

It's gone on so long, an entire new generation of boardies are now offering their opinions. This thread has reached perpetual motion status!

 

I hadn't realized... I guess it has gone on a bit

 

 

To be fair, it hasn't been a year yet!

 

 

 

Was it concluded and I just missed the right answer somewhere back in the early pages...?

[ItsJustRyan]

How on earth are we still having this discussion?

 

It's gone on so long, an entire new generation of boardies are now offering their opinions. This thread has reached perpetual motion status!

 

I hadn't realized... I guess it has gone on a bit

 

 

To be fair, it hasn't been a year yet!

 

Was it concluded and I just missed the right answer somewhere back in the early pages...?

 

Tell you what.... I'll put the thread to bed and tell you how to answer the question:

 

Ask this guy...

 

[rjrjr]

How on earth are we still having this discussion?

 

 

[NewWorldOrder]

I finally think even with the show coming back on TV in October I don't see Walking Dead #1 trading at higher levels again. Meaning I do not see an increase once the show is back on TV. Summer months or not the books are maxed out and are now decreasing. Bubble is slowly deflating back down to normal realistic levels.

 

WD #1 in CGC 9.8 is barely hitting $1700-1800 anymore, and the show heading into a pivotal season 4 with a previous weak Governor and prison arc story-line I really think burst the bubble or at least started the deflation cycle.

[Mark 1]

Wrong

[Speedy-D]

Wrong

Well, he tried.