Do speculators make this hobby better or worse?

[Comicopolis]

I think it's the variant covers. You're essentially printing money by creating scarcity. That's awful. Blows me away when I see people making hundreds of dollars more on a story that's EXACTLY THE SAME.

 

That said, I think the speculation of TV/film is just as bad. I wish I could teach a class on the way a TV production comes to life. The fact that a comic book is optioned means ABSOLUTELY nothing. Just because a comic has a -script in development means ABSOLUTELY nothing. These are essentially modern day ashcans and copyrights, to ensure another network doesn't take/infringe on the idea of a property. Until you hear that property/franchise has a timeslot and start seeing paid support to amplify it, It has just as much a chance of having a show as any of us. I love ToT, Revival, Bedlam, PP, etc, but they're not going to be on TV anytime soon, if at all.

 

Have you told the Panzerfaust speculators about this? I can't remember a book ever increasing in value so rapidly for no good reason at all. A raw copy has gone up roughly 500% in just a few months. For what reason? On the basis that bbc is making a motion comic that will likely never become a show?

 

Some people are easily led.

[krighton]

i've never understood people that stand in line for 24 hours to get a new iphone when they're producing over 50 million of them for sale. People want something and they'll pay or wait in line to get it. Late in the game in regards to the general workings of the human species to try and understand how people tick.

[Mishmashman]

Peter panzerfaust has garnered cult status...it's no longer about a tv show. Though that was certainly a launching point. Print run on #1 is lower than Chew #1 and #2 is even lower. And there's people buying it that have actually read the comic, and, enjoy it.

 

Enjoy it enough to pay $400 for 1-7? Doubt that. Don't get me wrong, I have my set of pp bc I love the art and story. But if I had missed the boat on it, I would not throw down $400 to catch up--unless of course I thought my $400 purchase could be worth $4000.

[accessndx]

Sometimes there are completely unknown reasons why something takes off into the stratosphere....and it doesn't necessarily relate to movies or speculation.

Remember Cabbage Patch dolls? Tickle me Elmo.....etc.

People were ready to eat each other's faces ala bath salt cannibal style over every single one of those horrid toys.

For whatever reason they got imbedded into the public consciousness as a collectible and the rest as they say is history.

 

I think PP is an example of a multiplicity of things coming together synergystically to make it popular:

 

1) Image publication

2) Low print run/scarcity

3) Compelling story/art

4) Speculators

5) Television hype

6) The author and artist both participate here on the boards

 

Is it worth $400 for a run? Not quite yet, but it appears to be moving in that direction. Now if you just wanted to "catch up" you could certainly do that with current prints and not seek out the 1st prints which are markedly more expensive. If it's just about reading, then folks don't care about the first vs. next print.

[ThoseBackPages]

better.

[mar-vell]

well i guess to the "purist" collector who was no interest in monetary value of the books but collects just for the love of the art and stories speculators certainly place a burden om them. Especially if high grade is what is desired than i would think speculators make the hobby much worse. Most collectors though have taken on the financial aspect as part of the deal and probably the value placed on the books by others is part of the desirability. I think it just comes down to what you are trying to get out of it. Of course if yopu are a completist who would like to collect the golden age most likely you would be happier if the books were all still worth only 10 cents each.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I was told an Iron Man #55 in F is worth over $200.00? What do YOU THINK my answer is...

[comix4fun]

That bloody ASM #700 DITKO variant is a case in point.

 

 

 

 

And to show how absolutely silly the entire ASM 700 thing is,

 

I just bought a gorgeous slabbed AF 15 for 30% LESS than that slabbed ASM 700 signed by Stan Lee got a couple of weeks ago.

 

That's how you know something's fudged up in funny book town.

 

 

 

[batman_fan]

I was told an Iron Man #55 in F is worth over $200.00? What do YOU THINK my answer is...

 

"pass me the crack"

[Mishmashman]

I was told an Iron Man #55 in F is worth over $200.00? What do YOU THINK my answer is...

 

so true. Just imagine what an F copy of nova 1 will be worth when he shows up in GOTG. Love it!

[Old Fashion PB and J]

I was told an Iron Man #55 in F is worth over $200.00? What do YOU THINK my answer is...

 

"pass me the crack"

It makes me sick. It isn't even a cool cover, or book. I owned it, I sold it because it was lame.

[DrWatson]

Then why are you worried about what it sells for in fine condition?

[Hado]

Then why are you worried about what it sells for in fine condition?

didn't get $200

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Then why are you worried about what it sells for in fine condition?

sigh... speculation drove it up.

[dupont2005]

There would be no speculators without a booming collector market.

The day the speculators leave is the same day we go to bed with our collections worth X and wake up with our colections worth less than X.

 

As sad as it is to say, it's not a hobby without collector interest. Without that, we're just collecting worthless leaves falling from a tree in October. .

 

My comics will never be worthless to me, not even the ones that actually are worthless to everyone else.

[Qiky]

Peter panzerfaust has garnered cult status...it's no longer about a tv show. Though that was certainly a launching point. Print run on #1 is lower than Chew #1 and #2 is even lower. And there's people buying it that have actually read the comic, and, enjoy it.

No 1 year old comic is worth over $400 for a 9.8. It's tv hype.

This will keep happening with every book that a network is sniffing around until the bottom falls out of the market and people think how could I have been so deluded to think 'insert short run image comic' could be worth so much so soon

[oakman29]

Peter panzerfaust has garnered cult status...it's no longer about a tv show. Though that was certainly a launching point. Print run on #1 is lower than Chew #1 and #2 is even lower. And there's people buying it that have actually read the comic, and, enjoy it.

No 1 year old comic is worth over $400 for a 9.8. It's tv hype.

This will keep happening with every book that a network is sniffing around until the bottom falls out of the market and people think how could I have been so deluded to think 'insert short run image comic' could be worth so much so soon

I'm still mad about The Walking Dead #1s prices.I mean I want one,but I sure as hell don't want to pay a grand to get it.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Peter panzerfaust has garnered cult status...it's no longer about a tv show. Though that was certainly a launching point. Print run on #1 is lower than Chew #1 and #2 is even lower. And there's people buying it that have actually read the comic, and, enjoy it.

No 1 year old comic is worth over $400 for a 9.8. It's tv hype.

This will keep happening with every book that a network is sniffing around until the bottom falls out of the market and people think how could I have been so deluded to think 'insert short run image comic' could be worth so much so soon

I'm still mad about The Walking Dead #1s prices.I mean I want one,but I sure as hell don't want to pay a grand to get it.

Why do you want one?

[oakman29]

Peter panzerfaust has garnered cult status...it's no longer about a tv show. Though that was certainly a launching point. Print run on #1 is lower than Chew #1 and #2 is even lower. And there's people buying it that have actually read the comic, and, enjoy it.

No 1 year old comic is worth over $400 for a 9.8. It's tv hype.

This will keep happening with every book that a network is sniffing around until the bottom falls out of the market and people think how could I have been so deluded to think 'insert short run image comic' could be worth so much so soon

I'm still mad about The Walking Dead #1s prices.I mean I want one,but I sure as hell don't want to pay a grand to get it.

Why do you want one?

I like the run,and wish I had gotten on it from the start.There's just so many books that are more important to get at this point.

[Old Fashion PB and J]

Peter panzerfaust has garnered cult status...it's no longer about a tv show. Though that was certainly a launching point. Print run on #1 is lower than Chew #1 and #2 is even lower. And there's people buying it that have actually read the comic, and, enjoy it.

No 1 year old comic is worth over $400 for a 9.8. It's tv hype.

This will keep happening with every book that a network is sniffing around until the bottom falls out of the market and people think how could I have been so deluded to think 'insert short run image comic' could be worth so much so soon

I'm still mad about The Walking Dead #1s prices.I mean I want one,but I sure as hell don't want to pay a grand to get it.

Why do you want one?

I like the run,and wish I had gotten on it from the start.There's just so many books that are more important to get at this point.

I liked the book, but no interest in collecting it.