So how do you press a book?

[Chespirito]

Sometimes, it's just cool to own a high grade copy of a comic that you know is scarce in HG.

 

One example of upgrading for me would be my copy of Richie Rich 1. It's about a 3.0, but I want a higher grade copy. It's always been a grail book for me. Do I need a higher grade copy? No, but collecting is never about need.

That is th exact way I feel about a few books..like Lois Lane 122, WW199, HoS 89, 94....just to name a few...do I need them?..yes! Like a hole in the brain

[Davenport]

Electronic readers will continue to savage collectibles prices, as well as competition from big-budget movies, games and TV that can now visualize the fantastic worlds that once could only be visited in the pages of comics or literature. Add to this upcoming generations that prefer visuals and text-shorthand to true reading, and comics are hardly alone in their marketplace woes. And as it comes to golden-age and even early silver-age, many lesser characters are simply forgotten or completely unknown to new collectors, which is itself a natural order of things collected.

 

In the 19th century there were probably 1,000 authors that were popular in their day. Today, maybe two-dozen are still actively collected (if that).

The pressing controversy doesn't even amount to a microbe on the back of a flea on the back of a mouse in terms of effect on future valuations compared to other forces at work.

 

+1

The impact of digital probably gets underestimated. A young noob collector starting from scratch today, deciding they like Batman, could 'collect' every issue of Detective and Batman, #1 to current, probably within twenty four hours. Or any main title.

 

And even without 'collecting' anything at all, a newly rabid fan could immerse themselves for entire days reading comic book blogs, view cover galleries, original art galleries, documentaries, comic book history, artist's pages, and more.

 

Sparks of desire arising around comic books can be flooded with fulfillment instantly, without even breaking stride.

 

That's one hell of a difference compared to thumbing Photo-Journal Guides and back issue catalogs, or waiting for a Con to come around.

[mintcollector]

Electronic readers will continue to savage collectibles prices, as well as competition from big-budget movies, games and TV that can now visualize the fantastic worlds that once could only be visited in the pages of comics or literature. Add to this upcoming generations that prefer visuals and text-shorthand to true reading, and comics are hardly alone in their marketplace woes. And as it comes to golden-age and even early silver-age, many lesser characters are simply forgotten or completely unknown to new collectors, which is itself a natural order of things collected.

 

In the 19th century there were probably 1,000 authors that were popular in their day. Today, maybe two-dozen are still actively collected (if that).

The pressing controversy doesn't even amount to a microbe on the back of a flea on the back of a mouse in terms of effect on future valuations compared to other forces at work.

 

+1

The impact of digital probably gets underestimated. A young noob collector starting from scratch today, deciding they like Batman, could 'collect' every issue of Detective and Batman, #1 to current, probably within twenty four hours. Or any main title.

 

And even without 'collecting' anything at all, a newly rabid fan could immerse themselves for entire days reading comic book blogs, view cover galleries, original art galleries, documentaries, comic book history, artist's pages, and more.

 

Sparks of desire arising around comic books can be flooded with fulfillment instantly, without even breaking stride.

 

That's one hell of a difference compared to thumbing Photo-Journal Guides and back issue catalogs, or waiting for a Con to come around.

 

Comparing collecting comic books in 'physical form' to buying them in digital form is not a fair comparison in my opinion. As a video game dealer, collector, and enthusiast I often make the argument that digital downloads will (and have as proven many times) hurt the demand for classic games. This has been proven as prices of most popular and valuable titles do drop once a comparable release on the Virtual Console or the Xbox Arcade and comparable Playstation Network occurs. This happened with Final Fantasy VII and a multitude of other games. That being said, it is unfair in my opinion to compare comic books the same way. Comic books were also made in 'physical form' and you lose a lot of the realistic characteristics of the medium when going digital. It is not the same.

 

Video games on the other hand were always in digital form. Your downloaded copy of Super Mario Bros. played on a Wii with a 'classic controller' (or even an adaptor that lets you use original NES controllers) is NO different then playing the original NES classic. This is why video game collecting is comparable to record collecting in some regards. You can listen to David Bowie on a CD or your Ipod, but sometimes having the original album cover and hearing that classic analog sound is well worth it. Video game collecting is much the same way. I know of very few video game enthusiasts under the age of twenty five who bother to go after the classic stuff as they always tell me they could either 'emulate' or download it and it plays EXACTLY like the original thing. Even classic full fledged arcade games are a love and not a good 'investment' in my opinion (and I own twenty five and counting). Pinball on the other hand CANNOT be emulated well. Therefore, you are better off buying a pinball machine and collecting those. They will always be in demand. To compare this to comic books; downloading a copy of Tales of Suspense #39 is NOT the same as owning the original. It should also be noted that to own a classic video game (meaning a console based game like Zelda or Mario) and truly appreciate it by playing it, you also have to own the actual physical console. A comic book, action figure, or coin; stands on its own without the need for any other 'dependent hardware.'

 

Just a point of view while we look at the 'digital wars' that are consuming all fields of entertainment.

 

Would anywhere here actually believe that a first edition of 'The Great Gatsby' will lose value because one can simply download a copy from the iBooks store? A different kind of collector is going after a book that sells for $6,000+

 

Kind Regards,

 

'mint'

[gaz973]

I agree. I think that often collectors will buy stuff that would never read anyway. Not all vintage comics were a good read and many buy them for the purposes of filling a hole in a collection or just for the nostalgia of owning a comic from that period in time. Those sorts of motivations can never be filled by being able to read the issue digitally.

 

Anyone who buys a CGC graded book without the intention of cracking it out isn't going to be impacted by the fact that they could read the issue in digital format.

 

I'm not saying that there won't be any effect from the availability of back issues digitally but I certainly don't think it's the be all and end all of the situation.

[Davenport]

I agree there will always be 'object' collectors. Of all kinds.

 

I was mainly thinking about how this is the very 1st generation of digital comic books aimed at a young generation that does almost everything digital, becoming comfortable with it. So for the future fan/passion/nostalgia motivated, instant gratification may feed the need.

 

Also, collecting 'coined' comics, professionally encapsulated books, seems more a curator/investor type motivation, since there's that barrier to physical contact. And once archived, viewing and posting slab-scans is a typical pleasure. That's digital too, minus the interior pages.

 

If future generations have the square footage and funds, that niche could grow. Absolutely.

I just have a hard time thinking of that as 'fan driven' pop culture, the way comic book collecting initially came to be.

[oakman29]

I look at digital comics as a good thing,bringing awareness to people who otherwise may not read the classic books.Once there is an awareness it may spark some people to want to get the original books.