how much $ have you made/lost on your comic collection?

[arexcrooke]

I like to fancy myself a collector who has investor leanings. By this I mean:

1) I collect because I enjoy it

2) I am attempting to complete several runs as we type/read

3) I do read my books (Just started on the Miller DD stuff, AWESOME)

4) I HATE to even think about buying stuff that will be almost worthless as soon as I get it. this is the main reason I stopped collecting baseball cards. I got tired of trying to speculate and then loose money. It was nice to make tons off of cards, but in the end, it got to be where i hated to even think about cards. Thus, i started in comic collecting.

5) I dont mind spending money on the cheaper books, but want to get them at a price that is as low as possible. I dont mind as much spending $1 on back issues, but will not pay $3 for the same book.

I think that the line with me is that, like most of us here, have very limited resources, and want to make my collecting dollar go as far as possible. Therefore, I tend to focus on price, but also keep an eye on "does this book have any chance to make me any money later"? If the answer is yes, then i will spend more on it, if no, then i bypass, unless it is a book that I need for my collection. I hope that I didnt ramble too much, and that my post makes sense.

[BassGMan]

Arex, good post. Sounds very reasonable and logical to me.

 

One thing we all need to remember is that people collect for different reasons and no reason is better or worse than the other. The reader is no better or worse a comic enthusiest than a guy that only flips to make a buck or to invest for the future. Most people are somewhere in between and for some, this is their life, for others, just a small hobby. I hate the cliche, but really "it's all good". ------Sid

[Kermit the frog]

One thing we all need to remember is that people collect for different reasons and no reason is better or worse than the other.

 

it resumes well this topic...

[arexcrooke]

I hope that my post did not come across as sounding as such as that was not my intention. just giving my point of view.

If i may ramble on just a sec longer, a succint way of saying what I was trying to say earlier is this:

If i need it for one of my runs, I buy it cheap, even if I know that there is no way that I could ever get my money back out of it. Second is that on books I want, I want high grade stuff, mostly because that is what i like, but also because I would probably be able to make my money back off of it if IF I ever decided to sell.

[Darthdiesel]

I recently got a good deal on an FF 48 and I was thinking that I hit the jackpot but as I was putting it away, I glanced at all the cheap modern stuff I have nearby. I was wondering how much money the ordinary collector here spends on his collection versus what he can actually get for it on ebay. Because even if you made a few hundred dollars on a sale, that would only be making up for new comics that you bought for full price that you cant sell (like Spawn in the 90s or even that new copy of Y the last man). For example, I buy about $20 worth of comics every week--titles like Daredevil, ASM, etc.-- and I know Im probably never going to be able to sell those. I get all happy when I buy a silver age ASM for 30% off but even if I sold it for full price, Id still wouldnt make a profit really. I'd just be making up for the money I lost on that new copy of Daredevil and the other stuff I bought from the comic shop.

So I was wondering, how much do you think youve spent on old and new comics over the years, and how much can you realistically sell them for?

 

So johnny wants to get down to the crux of the matter does he

 

Well are you a collector, or are you a dealer? It isn't even that simple. Are you a fan of the medium or a speculator who knows that Batman 232 will sell for X $$ in X grade - but have never heard of Denny O'Neill? - Maybe you know the answer to both questions.

 

Can you remember the first line to "Anatomy Lesson" with or are you losing sleep over when to dump your SOTST 37 - to close to the movie too far removed. Does the anticipation on walking onto your LCS every week give you a junkie rush - does the trepidation of picking with books to spec. give you junkie sweats? What price can you tag on knowing the entire history of Daredevil from 1-380, undestanding the nuance changes of the story and art - how would you ever know this if you decided to stop buying new comics with issue 157 because it was like flushing money down the toilet? So take a good look and your question will answer itself -why do you associate yourself with the medium.........

 

Wait Ill go first - I have 15K examples of the modern urban legends displayed in pamphlet art and story. When I was 12 I could walk to the spinner racks in an LCS and name the cover artist on 90% of the new issues there - not counting the mature independents I wasnt allowed to purchase. I can hold my own with pretty much anyone in a discussion about the comics medium. I make very little profit from that knowledge, but save myself an immense amount of money every year. I will soon have a full run of Uncanny X-Men in very respectable grade sitting next to my fun run of Groo the Wanderer and both equally.

 

You can compare yourself to other collectors ad naseum but you will always come up with more satisfying answers if you think about why you collect and pursue those thoughts. Someone roll another................

 

Nice post jbud

[read_em-migration]

One thing we all need to remember is that people collect for different reasons and no reason is better or worse than the other. The reader is no better or worse a comic enthusiest than a guy that only flips to make a buck or to invest for the future.

 

Typical speculator mentality, trying to justify and validate his own actions. There's no way you'll ever convince me that someone who speculates and flips, and never reads any of his comics is "no worse a comic enthusiast" than the reader. You can't be a sincere comic enthusiast if you don't read some of them - end of story.

[BassGMan]

One thing we all need to remember is that people collect for different reasons and no reason is better or worse than the other. The reader is no better or worse a comic enthusiest than a guy that only flips to make a buck or to invest for the future.

 

Typical speculator mentality, trying to justify and validate his own actions. There's no way you'll ever convince me that someone who speculates and flips, and never reads any of his comics is "no worse a comic enthusiast" than the reader. You can't be a sincere comic enthusiast if you don't read some of them - end of story.

 

Well read_em, I'm sure you are a nice guy but on this matter you are uttering comics snobbery in commenting on how your way of collecting is better than my way (or at least stating that your way makes you more of an enthusiest). Comics mean different things to different people. I am guessing that if someone did not have a great interest in the comics themselves, he would have no interest in flipping them. We all know there are many better ways of making money than with comics. Call me a speculating flipper if you will (although I'm quite a bit more than just that) but that makes me no less a comics enthusiest (or collector, or fan or comic-geek) than you. ----Sid

[Murph]

Sid, you're not the first one to notice this attitude from him. He exudes it all over the eBay forums. They love to point fingers over there about how CGC collectors act like comic elitists meanwhile their comments define the meaning of elitism with [#@$%!!!] like disparaging remarks about others collecting habbits and the whole "true collectors read their books" [#@$%!!!].

 

Brian

[october]

Call me a speculating flipper if you will (although I'm quite a bit more than just that) but that makes me no less a comics enthusiest (or collector, or fan or comic-geek) than you. ----Sid

 

Not trying to down on you, since you post here a ton and obviously love comics....but I seem to remember a great deal of speculating flippers during the 90s. I don't think they qualified as comics enthusiasts just because they showed some marginal interest in the medium and they certainly didn't bring anything to the hobby. As I recall they did the exact opposite and almost tanked the entire industry. Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, and I for one do not look kindly on people who simply buy moderns in bulk hoping to dump the comics for profit in a few months. The hobby can support people like this, but I don't think it should be encouraged. Next thing you know, Marvel will be bringing back X-Force to pander to the first issue speculators. Oh wait, that already happened....

 

Not to say there is anything wrong with buying and flipping sometimes, there isn't and I do it too. There is a limit to how much the hobby can take though. Too many speculators can do serious damage to a hobby and take decades to repair. Comics were lucky and recovered from the 90s glut, sports cards weren't. I guess I am just saying that people should tread cautiously when it comes to speculation, none of us want another 1993 on our hands.

[Shield]

About 25 grand to the good.

[BassGMan]

Yeah, I know what you are saying, but I hope I didn't give the impression that I am some kind of Modern speculator. Years ago I did buy a few extra copies of some new issues as stated, but these days I am a flipper yes, but not a Modern speculator at all. I do buy Bronze and do speculate with that a little, on certain titles and issues where I follow trends and am speculating on what I think is starting to gain more recognition (DC Bronze horror for now) but I agree that speculating on new stuff is not the way to go. At least it's not for me.

 

I haven't experienced the Ebay forums so I don't know what the comic talk is like over there. I'm addicted enough to these boards as it is, spend way to much time here already. Read_em is entitled to his opinions, but I don't like it when people act as if my collecting/buying/selling style is "not worthy" of a true comics fan. But it really bugs me when others doubt my love of comics just because I also like to make money off of them. And geez Read_em, so I'm a cover and art guy, not a reader, so what?

[Darthdiesel]

" And geez Read_em, so I'm a cover and art guy, not a reader, so what? "

 

Maybe you should change your name now to "Look_at_em"

[jbud73]

Lets see if I can shed some light on read em's position as I understand it in a slightly more neutral way. Collectors and short term specs will always be at odds with each other - Sid makes the arguement that he doesn't flip moderns - I think the medium makes little difference, however you do need more knowledge the farther back you go (BA, SA, AA, GA).

 

So lets use an older example - and a situation that came to light on the board. Cap. Of Industry was a bit steamed here about a month ago regarding the first app. of Captain Marvel I believe. Jason Ewert had purchased the book or sniped it after COI had put in a very agressive bid for the slabbed 9.8. No he wasnt upset at losing out on the book - though I'm sure thats part of it. He was upset to a large degree because he knew that Ewert didn't purchase it for his collection, he purchased for a customer, or to flip it . The crux of the matter is this.

 

I believe there is a Comic Identity scale of sorts, its not polarized in that its a sliding scale, with lets say the pure 90s new comic specs on one hand and the pure collector (only way their collection sees the light of day is because they must sell / or die). Everyone falls somewhere in there.

 

The issue of course is that Read 'Em I assume is more pure collector and the result of that is he views comics in terms of $$$ that he can absorb. While the purchases of Sid are more likely to be flipped than make their way into his collection - his view of a book would be more in line with a dealer in that profit potential enters the picture.

 

The butting of heads often occur as Dealers / specs GENERALLY have less money invested in books over a shorter period of time and therefore can justify paying in excess of someone who has a more cost absorbtion mind set. This is not always the case, but I've seen forces at play before and it probably happens more often than not.

 

So ppl with a larger dealer mindset will always be at odds with ppl with a collector mindset - because they are in a natural competitive situation. The interesting thing with the advent of Ebay is how the spectrum has expanded. I can personally say that 99% of all the books that I have sold occured this last year. Of course the over all number of comics I have sold is still less than 300 - some board members do that every week.

 

So I thnk that Read 'Em and Sid are just at a temporary impasse, I really don't think they are at extreme polar opposites, but find themselves far enough on opposing sides of the spectrum to disagree.

[Aman619]

who asked you?

[jbud73]

who asked you?

 

Like that was ever a prerequisite to post opinions here

[divad]

One thing we all need to remember is that people collect for different reasons and no reason is better or worse than the other. The reader is no better or worse a comic enthusiest than a guy that only flips to make a buck or to invest for the future.

 

Typical speculator mentality, trying to justify and validate his own actions. There's no way you'll ever convince me that someone who speculates and flips, and never reads any of his comics is "no worse a comic enthusiast" than the reader. You can't be a sincere comic enthusiast if you don't read some of them - end of story.

 

Well read_em, I'm sure you are a nice guy but on this matter you are uttering comics snobbery in commenting on how your way of collecting is better than my way (or at least stating that your way makes you more of an enthusiest). Comics mean different things to different people. I am guessing that if someone did not have a great interest in the comics themselves, he would have no interest in flipping them. We all know there are many better ways of making money than with comics. Call me a speculating flipper if you will (although I'm quite a bit more than just that) but that makes me no less a comics enthusiest (or collector, or fan or comic-geek) than you. ----Sid

 

Power to the people! Right on!

[Foolkiller]

Comic book fans take all different shapes and forms and I believe that the hobby needs, and in fact supports, all of them. Unfortunately, I think for whatever reason there is this division of "true" fans and "investor" fans. But anything you are going to sink an enormous amount of money into, you should, at least to some degree, consider the financial value in. I don't believe that makes you an investor, I think it makes you intelligent with your money.

 

I don't say this to offend anyone, but the truth is, the average comic collector is pretty damn stupid when it comes to most financial matters. Or perhaps it would be better to say, they often check their intellect at the door. It would be just as easy for me to criticize the "reader" collector by saying that many of them are hoarders who simply accumulate and accumulate and won't read 90% of their purchases but will keep it under the guise that they "might" read it someday. In truth, I don't believe that, but I do believe that many of the people who buy into the concept of multiple covers and special editions are more than just "comic investors". Honestly, I could care less how these people spend their money, but I've noticed many disturbing trends among a wide variety of collectors who often spend their money on books when they don't have the money to do so. The stretch every dollar and put it on comics. That smacks of obsession and addiction.

 

Arguing that finances should not be considered at all when looking at high end books is crazy. You don't want to become fixated on the money, and spend money you don't have, and the reason you are collecting isn't for money, but to say you would sink $1000 into a book and then have it worth $50 and it not be a concern to you sounds like a blatant lie to me. And being a high grade collector is no better and no worse than any other kind of comic collector; it's just a different taste. I think Captains of Industry has a similar ideal to me, I sell when I want to change money in a comic book, and for me sometimes I just tire of certain books, if I make a little, great, if I lose little no big deal.

 

I've met very few pure "investors" who don't love the medium in some way. When you label that your "fandom" is "better" than someone else's, you're just asserting your own form of geek elitism.

 

Typical speculator mentality, trying to justify and validate his own actions. There's no way you'll ever convince me that someone who speculates and flips, and never reads any of his comics is "no worse a comic enthusiast" than the reader. You can't be a sincere comic enthusiast if you don't read some of them - end of story.

[skybolt]

Back in the 80's and 90's I read every single comic book I purchased (over 2,000). In some cases I had to force myself to finish the book while thinking of something else (i.e. Malibu and Defiant books) . During those years, I developed a love for the comic book characters that will last me a lifetime. Now that I have a career and can afford these expensive books, I try to purchase them. I don't think there is anything wrong with owning a HG CGC graded book if you don't want to read it. I spent my childhood dreaming of owning a copy of ASM #1 or X-Men#1, and now I can actually fulfill that promise.

 

The second reason for collecting these books is for investment purposes (and I'm not talking about retiring on my gains). Let's put it this way, if I put my money in the stock market and break even or lose money in 5 years then I'll become really upset since I'm doing something I don't enjoy. At least with comic books, I can take out my CGC collection and feel proud that I've actually owned these books at one point in my life (whether I make or lose money). I doubt if I'll ever read comic books again, but fullfilling my childhood fantasy is a huge deal for me.

[COI]

Cap. Of Industry was a bit steamed here about a month ago regarding the first app. of Captain Marvel I believe. Jason Ewert had purchased the book or sniped it after COI had put in a very agressive bid for the slabbed 9.8. No he wasnt upset at losing out on the book - though I'm sure thats part of it. He was upset to a large degree because he knew that Ewert didn't purchase it for his collection, he purchased for a customer, or to flip it

 

You summed up my aggrivation nicely, but Ewert was the seller and Comiclink(Josh) was the buyer.

[jbud73]

Yep sorry COI it was Comic Link who won that auction - I knew Ewert was involved but forgot he was the seller. I just felt that the situation you went through illustrated my point of fact, in terms of the different perspectives and situations that collectors find themselves in this marketplace.