Marketwatch 10-reasons-comic-books-are-the-best-investment

[ComicConnoisseur]

Not to be a Debbie Downer ... but, a few thoughts:

 

 

3. As I was sitting through the latest Wolverine movie kinda semi-enjoying it, I was thinking that the superhero movies have almost certainly peaked. If you view them objectively, there is a heck of a lot of sameness about them. It wouldn't surprise me if within a year of two, they were no longer grossing $200 million+. Once a movie genre falls out of favor, it can be a long way to the bottom. Knock this prop from under the comic market and ....

 

I don't know the answers to these questions, but I think it takes the eye of faith to consider comics a better long-term bet than stocks or other conventional investments.

Two of the top three box office movies this year were

Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel, so I guess the comic book movie boom won`t be over for awhile.

 

Of course stocks,conventional investments and farmland are for the most part a better investment then comic books. It is when we can compare the key comic books to other hobbies that we will find that the key comic books just may be the best investment out there, and no I am not talking the latest New DC 52 or X-FORCE #1 from the 1990s.

I will take the Marvel Silver Age keys over anything else in the other collectibles hobbies for growth in this upcoming next decade.

I don`t think any other collectible hobby has anything that will go up in price like the Marvel Silver Age keys. IMHO

[metropoliscomics]

There are so many characters to mine for great stories that I believe the comic book block buster movie is here to stay. I'd love to see a Deathlok movie, a movie about the Squadron Supreme and what about when Marvel and DC decide to do Justice League vs the Avengers? While extremely difficult to imagine it happening, money talks and that would be a huge movie. You heard it here first.

V

[loadstone]

Well that article might have just trumped it. Might be time to: SELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELLSELL

 

Seems like we are now in mid-stage of any potential bubble that might exist in comic investments today. If you took away the movies/tv shows and took away all the non-fan/short term speculators in the market (they won't continue year after year for the next 15-30 years and wait until everyone's retirement) what would the scope of today's comic book prices and print runs look like? I'm sure that the few "high grade" GA and SA keys like AC #1 and AF15 respectively will continue to see/realize high prices, but I fear that even the mid to lower grade copies of AF15 and less rare keys will fall as hoarders cash out, hollywood moves on from super-hero movies, and the investors find a new place to put their money.

 

Oh sure, if enough speculators read that article, there will no doubt be a spike in AF15 prices yet to come in any grade but for how long. As with all investments, you've got to know when to cash out or trade. That point is not dictated by your plans in life. It is dictated by the market and your exit price. If your low grade AF15 has doubled or more, it may be a good time to sell or possibly trade up/out. If you are expecting to get X amount from your comics, see how close you are to that in today's value and evaluate sales. Every investor/collector needs an exit strategy and hope it's not all at the same time. I often find it better to sell when you don't need the money than when you do. If money is not the concern, go balls out and buy whatever makes you happy.

[spidrvacc]

 

 

My plan since I started at 25 was to sell at age 45 (I am 46) but pushed that back to 65 now and when I say sell its not all my books. I wll never sell my favorites. Those will be left for my son.

 

+1

 

 

But I'm 46 too and I plan to sell when I'm 65. How many of us middle-agers are going to be selling ALL AT THE SAME TIME? The markets going to be flooded and none of us will make anything. How about if you sell yours when you're 70 and let me sell when I'm 65?

 

 

Sounds like a plan but I know when I am 65 I will say to myself "Might as well hold until 85"

 

 

[delekkerste]

There are so many characters to mine for great stories that I believe the comic book block buster movie is here to stay. I'd love to see a Deathlok movie, a movie about the Squadron Supreme and what about when Marvel and DC decide to do Justice League vs the Avengers? While extremely difficult to imagine it happening, money talks and that would be a huge movie. You heard it here first.

V

 

I'd love to see a Deathlok and Squadron Supreme movie too, but they ain't gonna do $200 million+ at the domestic box office. Wolverine 2: Tokyo Drift turned out to be very formulaic in the end and I could easily see fatigue setting in at the box office over the next couple of years unless some renewed creativity gets injected into these films. I have a feeling that "Guardians of the Galaxy" could be a big budget bomb for the genre.

 

In any case, as the years have rolled on, a greater and greater proportion of slabbed books have moved to the wrong side of peak pricing. Nearly all HG Bronze/Copper/Modern is past their peak, and I'd wager that a good proportion of Silver is too (by many accounts, peak pricing occurred in 2011 plus or minus a year), especially with the Brulato-Schmell mutually assured destruction arms race long over and the Census numbers swelled. I'd be curious to see if AF #15 9.6 is still a $1.1 million book now that there are several copies (as opposed to just 1 when you guys made that record sale) around.

 

I'd sooner invest in Metropolis' stock (if it were publicly traded) than invest in comics! I believe in your business & marketing acumen more than I do the comic book market.

[slym2none]

 

 

 

-slym

[metropoliscomics]

There are so many characters to mine for great stories that I believe the comic book block buster movie is here to stay. I'd love to see a Deathlok movie, a movie about the Squadron Supreme and what about when Marvel and DC decide to do Justice League vs the Avengers? While extremely difficult to imagine it happening, money talks and that would be a huge movie. You heard it here first.

V

 

I'd love to see a Deathlok and Squadron Supreme movie too, but they ain't gonna do $200 million+ at the domestic box office. Wolverine 2: Tokyo Drift turned out to be very formulaic in the end and I could easily see fatigue setting in at the box office over the next couple of years unless some renewed creativity gets injected into these films. I have a feeling that "Guardians of the Galaxy" could be a big budget bomb for the genre.

 

In any case, as the years have rolled on, a greater and greater proportion of slabbed books have moved to the wrong side of peak pricing. Nearly all HG Bronze/Copper/Modern is past their peak, and I'd wager that a good proportion of Silver is too (by many accounts, peak pricing occurred in 2011 plus or minus a year), especially with the Brulato-Schmell mutually assured destruction arms race long over and the Census numbers swelled. I'd be curious to see if AF #15 9.6 is still a $1.1 million book now that there are several copies (as opposed to just 1 when you guys made that record sale) around.

 

I'd sooner invest in Metropolis' stock (if it were publicly traded) than invest in comics! I believe in your business & marketing acumen more than I do the comic book market.

 

Thanks for the kind words. I am trying. Just got a call from FOX Business, I'll be on Markets Now tomorrow at 1:50pm. I can't wait.

 

And as for Deathlok and SS not pulling in the big bucks...That's what they said about Iron Man a few years back...

[Sqeggs]

Not to be a Debbie Downer ... but, a few thoughts:

 

 

3. As I was sitting through the latest Wolverine movie kinda semi-enjoying it, I was thinking that the superhero movies have almost certainly peaked. If you view them objectively, there is a heck of a lot of sameness about them. It wouldn't surprise me if within a year of two, they were no longer grossing $200 million+. Once a movie genre falls out of favor, it can be a long way to the bottom. Knock this prop from under the comic market and ....

 

I don't know the answers to these questions, but I think it takes the eye of faith to consider comics a better long-term bet than stocks or other conventional investments.

Two of the top three box office movies this year were

Iron Man 3, and Man of Steel, so I guess the comic book movie boom won`t be over for awhile.

 

 

Sure, which is why I said "in a year or two." Two problems comic book movies are facing: 1. They are very expensive, which means they have to be big hits or they lose money; and 2) their plots are, alas, very similar.

 

I see every one of these movies that comes down the pike but even I am getting a little tired of them. They need to spend more time on innovative plots and less on innovative special effects. Given how expensive they are to make, it won't take much loss of audience to put them in the red.

[spidrvacc]

Far as I see it technology finally caught up allowing movies . 15 years ago you couldnt make a good Avengers movie. The CGI stuff is amazing now. Superhero movies are like action movies . Some will fail and some will be awesome but they are here to stay and they bring new collectors into the market every day. I mentioned this last year but when the avengers came out I know so many people who went to comic stores and wanted comics and other stuff.

[mintcollector]

I wonder if this is what Western enthusiasts and collectors were saying if the internet had existed before their proposed hobby imploded by the early 1980's due to a glut of merchandise and a dying lack of interest...

“Preposterous, exclaimed Western collectors! The next generation will always love our beloved collectibles! Just look at the popularity of Gun Smoke (at the time it was the longest running television show ever) and the Lone Ranger!”

They were wrong!

 

One determining factor that all speculative bubbles suffer from is that those operating inside the bubble do not give credence that the bubble exists; and those that do acknowledge existence of the bubble must be crazy for thinking such a thing...

 

Look at all the recent run up in comic book prices. A large portion experienced accelerated growth within the last decade due to CGC coming into the market. The same thing happened with the coin collecting hobbies (when third party grading was introduced), baseball cards and the like. The best 'investment' was the guy who bought the comic book off the stands for ten cents and sold it for a few thousand; not the guy who bought for $400,000 and sold it for $405,000...

 

[chrisco37]

I'm sure that the few "high grade" GA and SA keys like AC #1 and AF15 respectively will continue to see/realize high prices, but I fear that even the mid to lower grade copies of AF15 and less rare keys will fall as hoarders cash out, hollywood moves on from super-hero movies, and the investors find a new place to put their money.

 

Oh sure, if enough speculators read that article, there will no doubt be a spike in AF15 prices yet to come in any grade but for how long. As with all investments, you've got to know when to cash out or trade. That point is not dictated by your plans in life. It is dictated by the market and your exit price. If your low grade AF15 has doubled or more, it may be a good time to sell or possibly trade up/out. If you are expecting to get X amount from your comics, see how close you are to that in today's value and evaluate sales. Every investor/collector needs an exit strategy and hope it's not all at the same time. I often find it better to sell when you don't need the money than when you do. If money is not the concern, go balls out and buy whatever makes you happy.

 

Know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em. That is good advice.

 

But, I disagree with you on the other statements regarding AF15. I've said it before (and just a minute ago in the Vince on TV thread), AF15 is the 3rd biggest book in the hobby.

 

The hobby has gone thru ebbs and flows over the years, but the one constant has always been that the cream rises to the top, regardless of grade. AF15 is the crème-de-la-crème. In the same class as Action 1 and Tec 27. I missed a few years in the 90's of OS, so I don't know if there was ever a time where they went down the following year. I don't think they would (someone correct me if I'm wrong).

 

I think we all can agree that Vincent is an authority (maybe THE authority) when discussing books of that magnitude. I think he knows what he's talking about. Yes, the supply of AF15 is much more than Action 1 & Tec 27 combined, but the demand still outweighs it. So does the potential pool of buyers.

 

You can get a complete, decent looking AF15 for under 5 figures. You can't with the other two. You can get a page or two.

[Kevin76]

gee, for a website that is all about getting a comic graded and watching what it sells for, awful lot of haters here who don't like "investing in comics" There are plenty of other fanboy sites out there that stories and characters are the main focus.

[warlocke]

Well, if anyone wants to buy my slabs, then I'm happy to sell them. Almost every one of the two hundred slabs I've bought in the last decade has lost value. What am I doing wrong? It's one thing to preserve dime copies from your childhood, but something totally different to buy high-grade slabs and expect to make money. I'm unconvinced by the latter strategy at this point.

[thehumantorch]

Great, more speculators and flippers who have never read a comic in their life to drive the price of comics up even more. Yippie.

 

Exactly what I was thinking as I read the article. I understand why Metropolis Comics would wanna push comics as investments, but I miss the good old days when the buyers actually loved what they were buying.

 

And there's no guarantee that comics will continue to appreciate or hold their value. If prices start slipping all the speculators, who have no attachment to the art form, will be jumping off the superhero wagon.

[ComicConnoisseur]

Great, more speculators and flippers who have never read a comic in their life to drive the price of comics up even more. Yippie.

 

Exactly what I was thinking as I read the article. I understand why Metropolis Comics would wanna push comics as investments, but I miss the good old days when the buyers actually loved what they were buying.

 

And there's no guarantee that comics will continue to appreciate or hold their value. If prices start slipping all the speculators, who have no attachment to the art form, will be jumping off the superhero wagon.

Let`s simplify a way to look at it.

There are about 100 to 500 comic keys tops that have real good investment potential. Of those 100 to 500 keys there will be peaks and valleys during our lifetime for value fluctuation. The rest of the comics basically are there to read and have very little monetary value.

Also,these are the good old days my friend. Buyers can buy just about any comic book they want in trade paperback form or download just about any comic book on their Kindle Fire and iPad. Having these extra blockbuster comic book movies is just extra gravy!

(thumbs u

[ComicConnoisseur]

Well, if anyone wants to buy my slabs, then I'm happy to sell them. Almost every one of the two hundred slabs I've bought in the last decade has lost value. What am I doing wrong? It's one thing to preserve dime copies from your childhood, but something totally different to buy high-grade slabs and expect to make money. I'm unconvinced by the latter strategy at this point.

What kind of comics did you get slabbed?

[ChrisInBaltimore]

Well, if anyone wants to buy my slabs, then I'm happy to sell them. Almost every one of the two hundred slabs I've bought in the last decade has lost value. What am I doing wrong? It's one thing to preserve dime copies from your childhood, but something totally different to buy high-grade slabs and expect to make money. I'm unconvinced by the latter strategy at this point.

What kind of comics did you get slabbed?

 

[namisgr]

He probably slabbed his favorite non-key Silver, Bronze, or Copper. Nearly all of these books not featuring Ultron-5 or Darkseid have declined in value.

 

Not only have most comics lost value over the past 5 years, but it's also important to remember that most comics lack liquidity. It may take years to sell a high grade SA comic featuring a top-tier hero at a strong price. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and precious metals can be turned into cash virtually instantly, while those comics are liable to sit and sit.

 

The major keys don't suffer from the same liquidity problem because they are in such high demand that they can nearly always be moved, especially if priced reasonably. Tales of Suspense #69 or Iron Man #17, not so fast.

 

I still think that for most collectors, a focus on acquiring books that you love, having them in your collection for a long time, and then selling them for whatever they are worth when the time comes is the favored approach. Comic books for fun and not investment. For investing, stick to traditional non-comic vehicles. And AF15.

[ChrisInBaltimore]

He probably slabbed his favorite non-key Silver, Bronze, or Copper. Nearly all of these books not featuring Ultron-5 or Darkseid have declined in value.

 

Not only have most comics lost value over the past 5 years, but it's also important to remember that most comics lack liquidity. It may take years to sell a high grade SA comic featuring a top-tier hero at a strong price. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and precious metals can be turned into cash virtually instantly, while those comics are liable to sit and sit.

 

The major keys don't suffer from the same liquidity problem because they are in such high demand that they can nearly always be moved, especially if priced reasonably. Tales of Suspense #69 or Iron Man #17, not so fast.

 

I still think that for most collectors, a focus on acquiring books that you love, having them in your collection for a long time, and then selling them for whatever they are worth when the time comes is the favored approach. Comic books for fun and not investment. For investing, stick to traditional non-comic vehicles. And AF15.

 

I think in the age of the internet, books don't take "years" to sell unless they are really not in demand.

 

But I do think there is a problem today with people submitting EVERYTHING to CGC. You don't need to slab every issue of Superior Spider-Man or other modern books. I think in most cases, they are for a loss.

 

Chances are though, that my none in demand silver age Spideys that are raw would sell for more than I paid for them. Those books are in demand just enough.

[namisgr]

Yes, books sometimes take years to sell at a strong price, which was my point. Unless you are willing to accept the end result of a 99 cent no reserve auction, some of your comics may take a long time to sell. If you don't believe this to be true, just check the websites and E-Bay stores of popular dealers. There are bunches of books that take a long time to sell, and it's not because the books are massively overpriced either, but rather priced strongly and fairly.

 

As investments, the vast majority of comics (those that aren't major keys) lack the liquidity of stocks, bonds, mutual funds, metals, currencies, and commodities, and are more like real estate.