Comic Book Investing

[RockMyAmadeus]

..."Fine" covered what is now 2.0 to 9.0. Comic books, in 1980, weren't priced at "Mint/Fine/Good" unless they were expensive (read: $1,000 or more), and even then, there was considerable fudging going on.

 

You almost always paid the Mint price for anything that still had the cover attached, ...

 

This is the only part of your long post where we're disagreeing with you. Basically every store was selling back issues, they all had their idiosyncracies in grading, but there were many conservative graders out there. Many people tried to differentiate between GD and VG. I'm sure it was the case in CBG ads too. Fine did not cover 2.0 to 9.0.

 

Sorry, but that's simply not true.

 

I've seen it with my own two peepers, and so have hundreds and thousands of others.

 

The existence of conservative grades does not therefore negate the concurrent existence of extremely liberal graders. And extremely liberal (read: over) graders were the norm, not the exception.

 

Obviously, I am exaggerating for effect...but not by much.

 

Let me give an example. There is a dealer at Frank & Sons, where I was at this past Wednesday, who had boxes of books for sale.

 

I pulled out a few, saw they were marked "VF" and priced accordingly. One of these books was a Batman #255. Another was a #258. There were several others.

 

The Batman #255 had the ragged spine splits/pieces missing that are common with these books in lower grade, along with creasing, soiling, etc.

 

The book was no better than a G/VG, masquerading as a VF. And I'm a reasonably good grader. The rest of the books were all the same.

 

That dealer, in effect, had 3.0 books that he was calling 8.0.

 

In this era, nearly 15 years after the advent of the CGC model, we STILL have dealers who call G/VG books VF...is it really a surprise, then, that "Fine" books in the 80's would include books that would now be graded only "Good"....?

 

 

Of course, the opposite is also true, if rare. There are a few dealers whose "Fine" is equivalent to a CGC 9.0 (Todd Lange, for example, in the early 2000's, frequently sold books that would grade 9.0 as "Fine.")

[RockMyAmadeus]

I used to, when I was younger and had more spitfire, try to reason with overgraders...I don't anymore, and haven't for years. It's not worth it. They obviously sell to *someone*, and their lack of ability and/or integrity does not affect me, so why make an unnecessary enemy over the matter?

 

I was looking at a Hulk #4 that was, as is, a Fine. The 2013 had the book in Fine around $450 or so. In VF, it was $1300 or so.

 

The dealer kept trying to convince me how "clean" it was (and it was), and that $1300 is THIS year's price...wait until the NEXT OPG comes out in a couple of weeks, and it'll be $1800 or more!

 

 

You cannot reason with this. It's not possible. No amount of reason on earth will convince the guy.

 

And what I found most insulting, but said nothing, was that the guy was "willing" to "lower" the price to $1,000...a veritable STEAL!

 

When, in fact, I could have gotten a book that is in better condition than the one he's selling, an as-is 6.5, for $490 in May.

 

You cannot reason with these people. And if you try, you will make an enemy, and they will think you are trying to steal from them.

[ComicConnoisseur]

I think what happened with Coke and other soda pops was the younger generation figured out that it isn`t healthy for them. Coke is loaded with sugar that makes people put on weight, and who knows how many cavities it has caused? I think there is a good number of consumers who are much more health conscious, then their parents or grandparents ever were. Wouldn't`t water be a better investment going forward then these sugary sodas?

 

True. People drink less soda than they did a decade ago, just like people smoke less than they did a decade ago.

 

And there's likely some truth to that last statement - one of the craziest things I ever saw was in the Congress-only section of the Congressional Research Service's library -- there was a whole four drawer file cabinet devoted to U.S. strategic responses to the potential rise of Canada as a superpower if water displaced oil as a strategic commodity in the 21st century.

 

Seriously - some very smart people have been thinking about such as a scenario for a very long time.

I agree and believe you about that.

I also was looking at COCA-COLA collectibles comparing price guides from 15 years ago to today`s prices, and the prices on all these COCA-COLA collectibles have dropped significantly like 50 percent or more. A perfect example of what was popular with one generation might not be popular with a future generation.

 

 

I will attempt to keep this factual, but please do more research before making blanket statements. Coca Cola is also a very popular collecting category with auction records being set almost monthly.

 

http://artdaily.com/news/66860/Morphy-s-brushes--2-million-mark-with-December-6-7-auction-of-antique-advertising-and-coin-op-machines#.U8mO5ctOUdU

 

I have been collecting high end vintage advertising for decades and thanks to television shows like American Pickers and a general media obsession with antiques I have never seen a more robust time to collect these items.

 

Please kindly check out past auction sales at Morphy Auctions (www.morphyauctions.com) before making any statements. Ironically if you read the book you just showed a picture of you would have found an excellent graph that actually shows the investment potential of these items (check out page 27) listed in the chapter entitled Coca-Cola Collecting as an Investment!

 

For many years Coca Cola collectibles have been in the top ten of all collecting categories as noted by several sources (TIAS, etc.)

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, Some of the key rare items of Coke have gone up, but overall the majority of the manufactured common stuff has dropped. Sound familiar? Doesn`t that sum up many of the collectibles and antique markets?

Also compare a group of key Coke collectibles from the 1960s and 1970s to comic book keys of the same era. We will find the superhero keys are far more in demand from that era. In this case investing in Coke stock would be a better bet then investing in Coke collectibles. Just my opinion. Coke collectibles are cool, as my grandfather and grandmother use to collect Coke stuff. I remember all those Coke trays and drinking glasses they had. They loved the stuff. (thumbs u

 

 

[mintcollector]

I think what happened with Coke and other soda pops was the younger generation figured out that it isn`t healthy for them. Coke is loaded with sugar that makes people put on weight, and who knows how many cavities it has caused? I think there is a good number of consumers who are much more health conscious, then their parents or grandparents ever were. Wouldn't`t water be a better investment going forward then these sugary sodas?

 

True. People drink less soda than they did a decade ago, just like people smoke less than they did a decade ago.

 

And there's likely some truth to that last statement - one of the craziest things I ever saw was in the Congress-only section of the Congressional Research Service's library -- there was a whole four drawer file cabinet devoted to U.S. strategic responses to the potential rise of Canada as a superpower if water displaced oil as a strategic commodity in the 21st century.

 

Seriously - some very smart people have been thinking about such as a scenario for a very long time.

I agree and believe you about that.

I also was looking at COCA-COLA collectibles comparing price guides from 15 years ago to today`s prices, and the prices on all these COCA-COLA collectibles have dropped significantly like 50 percent or more. A perfect example of what was popular with one generation might not be popular with a future generation.

 

 

I will attempt to keep this factual, but please do more research before making blanket statements. Coca Cola is also a very popular collecting category with auction records being set almost monthly.

 

http://artdaily.com/news/66860/Morphy-s-brushes--2-million-mark-with-December-6-7-auction-of-antique-advertising-and-coin-op-machines#.U8mO5ctOUdU

 

I have been collecting high end vintage advertising for decades and thanks to television shows like American Pickers and a general media obsession with antiques I have never seen a more robust time to collect these items.

 

Please kindly check out past auction sales at Morphy Auctions (www.morphyauctions.com) before making any statements. Ironically if you read the book you just showed a picture of you would have found an excellent graph that actually shows the investment potential of these items (check out page 27) listed in the chapter entitled Coca-Cola Collecting as an Investment!

 

For many years Coca Cola collectibles have been in the top ten of all collecting categories as noted by several sources (TIAS, etc.)

 

 

 

Yes, Some of the key rare items of Coke have gone up, but overall the majority of the manufactured common stuff has dropped. Sound familiar? Doesn`t that sum up many of the collectibles and antique markets?

Also compare a group of key Coke collectibles from the 1960s and 1970s to comic book keys of the same era. We will find the superhero keys are far more in demand from that era. In this case investing in Coke stock would be a better bet then investing in Coke collectibles. Just my opinion. Coke collectibles are cool, as my grandfather and grandmother use to collect Coke stuff. I remember all those Coke trays and drinking glasses they had. They loved the stuff. (thumbs u

 

 

 

Yes, Some of the key rare items of Coke have gone up, but overall the majority of the manufactured common stuff has dropped.

 

Your original statement as noted below contradicts this. Fact is the most recent guide you portrayed was published in the year 2008 and even the most common vintage advertising Coca-Cola collectibles have yielded gains across the board since that time making this version obsolete due to auction gains on most pre-1960's material. It is the newer items produced from the 1980's on that is a horrible investment, but you stated all.

I also was looking at COCA-COLA collectibles comparing price guides from 15 years ago to today`s prices, and the prices on all these COCA-COLA collectibles have dropped significantly like 50 percent or more. A perfect example of what was popular with one generation might not be popular with a future generation.

 

Also compare a group of key Coke collectibles from the 1960s and 1970s to comic book keys of the same era. We will find the superhero keys are far more in demand from that era.

 

I absolutely agree because this is a trick statement. Vintage advertising from the late 1960's and onward is extremely plentiful. It was actually saved en masse and modern era Coca Cola collectibles (quite different from vintage advertising) are horrid investments. Now if you want to compare comic books from the 1960's and 1970's to say vintage Coca-Cola advertising from the 1920's to 1940's I think you would see similar spikes in prices and they are still going strong. Keep in mind that you would also see spikes in prices with 1960's and 1970's comic books; including a disastrous performance for ultra high grade graded copies that consumed the market just a few years ago. Vintage Coca Cola advertising has had similar price fluctuations, but it has not dropped and fallen out of favor with the younger generation as incorrectly stated in your original post. Vintage comic books have had a great upswing, but they are not the be all end all panacea you make them out to be...nor is any other antique or collectibles one can state.

 

In conclusion, I would urge you to study the greater antiques and collectibles market without bias and do your own research. I collect comic books and truly love the art form in which they are part of. My obsession ends there.

 

 

 

 

 

[delekkerste]

To believe that prices will increase significantly from here is to believe that similar new developments will occur. (Or, better, new developments not currently anticipated.) I've asked the optimists several times to indicate what they think these new developments might be. Unless I missed them, none have been suggested.

 

I'll suggest one: The massive influx of collectors from the rest of the world. American comic book culture has only begun to insinuate itself in the rest of the world. And the rest of the world is only just beginning to rival us in wealth. Chuck Rozanski, I think, has written about how so many of his books are now leaving the country when he sells them.

 

I think prices will continue to rise as a result.

 

This is what I have termed "The Great White Hope" of comic book collecting. All the other major catalysts are largely spent, so it's got to be the foreigners to the rescue. Obviously, only time will tell, but I'll take the "under" on this bet. American comic book culture already did insinuate itself in certain parts of the world, and that is why we have a large number of American comic book collectors in Canada, with smaller outposts in the U.K., parts of Western Europe and various English-speaking countries (e.g., Australia). These are people who will be subject to the same generational/cultural/demographic shift we are probably in the very early stages of seeing in the U.S.

 

Outside of these outposts, I don't think people who didn't grow up with American comic books and who, in many cases, don't even speak English, will flock to vintage back issues in any significant numbers (of course the Pollyannas will argue that not many will have to - my bet is that the # will be even lower than they think). IMO, only someone who leads a very comic-centric life would even conceive of such a notion. I bet people who collect duck decoys probably think the Chinese are going to save their hobby too.

 

I also think that many people are confusing the love of American comic book films (which are dubbed or subtitled overseas and which are generally understandable even without sound to a foreign audience) with an interest in American comic books themselves. Just because a teenager in China sees a comic book movie and wears a Spider-Man t-shirt does not mean they will ever pick up a comic book, let alone get into back issue collecting, let alone become obsessed by grades and slabs and Census numbers. It's really not that different from here in the U.S., where the films have largely just energized existing collectors and brought lapsed ones back in the fold, but have not brought in new collectors in large numbers.

 

Again, this isn't something that can be proven or disproven until it does or doesn't happen, but I will take the other side of this bet all day long and twice on Sunday.

[rjrjr]

Exactly. There were lots of people selling comics at GD, VG, and FN in 1980. I certainly was by 1983.

 

 

I'm didn't say there weren't decent dealers, or that there weren't dealers who didn't use lower grades (and price accordingly.)

 

The grade designations, however, weren't the issue. For many, many dealers, the books were *priced* at the "NM" price, especially when the Updates came into being, with their single prices, regardless of the actual condition of the books.

 

That exists to this very day. I saw a dealer with 3.0-5.0 books graded "VF", and marked at the VF price...but "on sale" for 50% off...meaning, they were only priced at 3-4 times what they were actually worth.

 

 

Mile High Comics is an example of such a dealer. In fact, it sounds like you are describing Mile High above.

[comicdonna]

133 pages? Could someone tell me if comics are a good investment? 20 words or less please.

[WebSlinger]

133 pages? Could someone tell me if comics are a good investment? 20 words or less please.

 

Maybe

[rjrjr]

Coke didn't diversify the way Pepsi has. Never keep all your eggs in one basket.

 

Coke owns so many brands you would be surprised. I think most brands now are either Coke or Pepsi. Coke is diversified.

 

Here's a list:

 

http://www.coca-colacompany.com/brands/all/

[rjrjr]

I think what happened with Coke and other soda pops was the younger generation figured out that it isn`t healthy for them. Coke is loaded with sugar that makes people put on weight, and who knows how many cavities it has caused? I think there is a good number of consumers who are much more health conscious, then their parents or grandparents ever were. Wouldn't`t water be a better investment going forward then these sugary sodas?

 

True. People drink less soda than they did a decade ago, just like people smoke less than they did a decade ago.

 

And there's likely some truth to that last statement - one of the craziest things I ever saw was in the Congress-only section of the Congressional Research Service's library -- there was a whole four drawer file cabinet devoted to U.S. strategic responses to the potential rise of Canada as a superpower if water displaced oil as a strategic commodity in the 21st century.

 

Seriously - some very smart people have been thinking about such as a scenario for a very long time.

 

And Coke is heavily invested in water too. They own Dasani, Evian, glaceau, Spring, and other water brands.

[rjrjr]

The scary thing is, after reading your well written analysis, if you substitute the word "stocks" every time you use the word "comics" you could just about reach the same conclusion. The prices of everything could drop, or they could inflate, but both stocks and comics for the most part move in tandem.

 

That is true, but time and a regular investment plan tends to work well in stocks because the underlying companies generate earnings over time (I'm assuming one is investing in index ETFs or are a good value stockpicker and are not buying penny stocks or ridiculously valued story stocks where you can suffer permanent impairment of capital). On the other hand, if people decide that $91K is not the right price for an Avengers #4 9.6 and it tanks by 70%, there is nothing that says people ever have to value it at that price again.

 

BTW, I'm nibbling at an investment in glowsticks (SFXE).

 

SFXE.........you know what they say. Anytime a guy with a Gordon Gekko avatar recommends a stock you fire in on a few hundred shares minimum. Ill check it out. TTWO and JCP my current Ameritrade gambles.

 

CLCT. Hope they acquire a comic grading service someday ...

[HighStakesComics]

The scary thing is, after reading your well written analysis, if you substitute the word "stocks" every time you use the word "comics" you could just about reach the same conclusion. The prices of everything could drop, or they could inflate, but both stocks and comics for the most part move in tandem.

 

That is true, but time and a regular investment plan tends to work well in stocks because the underlying companies generate earnings over time (I'm assuming one is investing in index ETFs or are a good value stockpicker and are not buying penny stocks or ridiculously valued story stocks where you can suffer permanent impairment of capital). On tohe other hand, if people decide that $91K is not the right price for an Avengers #4 9.6 and it tanks by 70%, there is nothing that says people ever have to value it at that price again.

 

BTW, I'm nibbling at an investment in glowsticks (SFXE).

 

SFXE.........you know what they say. Anytime a guy with a Gordon Gekko avatar recommends a stock you fire in on a few hundred shares minimum. Ill check it out. TTWO and JCP my current Ameritrade gambles.

 

CLCT. Hope they acquire a comic grading service someday ...

 

 

Holy dividends, Batman ! Is that 7% a one-timer or is it sustainable??

[rjrjr]

The scary thing is, after reading your well written analysis, if you substitute the word "stocks" every time you use the word "comics" you could just about reach the same conclusion. The prices of everything could drop, or they could inflate, but both stocks and comics for the most part move in tandem.

 

That is true, but time and a regular investment plan tends to work well in stocks because the underlying companies generate earnings over time (I'm assuming one is investing in index ETFs or are a good value stockpicker and are not buying penny stocks or ridiculously valued story stocks where you can suffer permanent impairment of capital). On tohe other hand, if people decide that $91K is not the right price for an Avengers #4 9.6 and it tanks by 70%, there is nothing that says people ever have to value it at that price again.

 

BTW, I'm nibbling at an investment in glowsticks (SFXE).

 

SFXE.........you know what they say. Anytime a guy with a Gordon Gekko avatar recommends a stock you fire in on a few hundred shares minimum. Ill check it out. TTWO and JCP my current Ameritrade gambles.

 

CLCT. Hope they acquire a comic grading service someday ...

 

 

Holy dividends, Batman ! Is that 7% a one-timer or is it sustainable??

 

Sustainable since I've been holding it. They are a money making machine. Again, wish they would acquire CGC or one of it's upcoming competitors.

[HighStakesComics]

To believe that prices will increase significantly from here is to believe that similar new developments will occur. (Or, better, new developments not currently anticipated.) I've asked the optimists several times to indicate what they think these new developments might be. Unless I missed them, none have been suggested.

 

I'll suggest one: The massive influx of collectors from the rest of the world. American comic book culture has only begun to insinuate itself in the rest of the world. And the rest of the world is only just beginning to rival us in wealth. Chuck Rozanski, I think, has written about how so many of his books are now leaving the country when he sells them.

 

I think prices will continue to rise as a result.

 

This is what I have termed "The Great White Hope" of comic book collecting. All the other major catalysts are largely spent, so it's got to be the foreigners to the rescue. Obviously, only time will tell, but I'll take the "under" on this bet. American comic book culture already did insinuate itself in certain parts of the world, and that is why we have a large number of American comic book collectors in Canada, with smaller outposts in the U.K., parts of Western Europe and various English-speaking countries (e.g., Australia). These are people who will be subject to the same generational/cultural/demographic shift we are probably in the very early stages of seeing in the U.S.

 

Outside of these outposts, I don't think people who didn't grow up with American comic books and who, in many cases, don't even speak English, will flock to vintage back issues in any significant numbers (of course the Pollyannas will argue that not many will have to - my bet is that the # will be even lower than they think). IMO, only someone who leads a very comic-centric life would even conceive of such a notion. I bet people who collect duck decoys probably think the Chinese are going to save their hobby too.

 

I also think that many people are confusing the love of American comic book films (which are dubbed or subtitled overseas and which are generally understandable even without sound to a foreign audience) with an interest in American comic books themselves. Just because a teenager in China sees a comic book movie and wears a Spider-Man t-shirt does not mean they will ever pick up a comic book, let alone get into back issue collecting, let alone become obsessed by grades and slabs and Census numbers. It's really not that different from here in the U.S., where the films have largely just energized existing collectors and brought lapsed ones back in the fold, but have not brought in new collectors in large numbers.

 

Again, this isn't something that can be proven or disproven until it does or doesn't happen, but I will take the other side of this bet all day long and twice on Sunday.

 

I prefer the aforementioned Dutch Tulip Bubble argument, Gene. Most of the SA keys have <600 copies in 7.0 or better. The market only needs 2000+ people with enough money to fight over these books in order for prices to rise significantly. The Marvel movie momentum could cause a parabolic blow-off top in these books, which I believe has yet to occur. In my guesstimation, we could be a year or two away from this scenario and the top will be reached when books command prices where intelligent people reach the conclusion that selling out is the most logical decision. When I see an Avengers 1 in 9.2 (no first appearances) sell for 50k I can't imagine that this day is too far off, but I feel the next Avengers movie could be so heavily hyped that it could push prices even higher. In order to make a purchase like that, assuming people cap their comic holdings at 5% of net worth, would require assets of $10,000,000. There's a lot of people with $10,000,000+ out there. Heck there's probably 1000+ people with that much money here in Cincinnati alone! I'm not saying all those people buy comics, but if Vince Zurzulo keeps gracing the pages of Forbes magazine you never know.

 

BTW-on a side note, that oa piece you have from ASM 31 where Harry and Gwen are introduced is amazing!!! To be honest, I've got a moderate case of weiner envy over it. Great find!!!

[ComicConnoisseur]

I think what happened with Coke and other soda pops was the younger generation figured out that it isn`t healthy for them. Coke is loaded with sugar that makes people put on weight, and who knows how many cavities it has caused? I think there is a good number of consumers who are much more health conscious, then their parents or grandparents ever were. Wouldn't`t water be a better investment going forward then these sugary sodas?

 

True. People drink less soda than they did a decade ago, just like people smoke less than they did a decade ago.

 

And there's likely some truth to that last statement - one of the craziest things I ever saw was in the Congress-only section of the Congressional Research Service's library -- there was a whole four drawer file cabinet devoted to U.S. strategic responses to the potential rise of Canada as a superpower if water displaced oil as a strategic commodity in the 21st century.

 

Seriously - some very smart people have been thinking about such as a scenario for a very long time.

I agree and believe you about that.

I also was looking at COCA-COLA collectibles comparing price guides from 15 years ago to today`s prices, and the prices on all these COCA-COLA collectibles have dropped significantly like 50 percent or more. A perfect example of what was popular with one generation might not be popular with a future generation.

 

 

I will attempt to keep this factual, but please do more research before making blanket statements. Coca Cola is also a very popular collecting category with auction records being set almost monthly.

 

http://artdaily.com/news/66860/Morphy-s-brushes--2-million-mark-with-December-6-7-auction-of-antique-advertising-and-coin-op-machines#.U8mO5ctOUdU

 

I have been collecting high end vintage advertising for decades and thanks to television shows like American Pickers and a general media obsession with antiques I have never seen a more robust time to collect these items.

 

Please kindly check out past auction sales at Morphy Auctions (www.morphyauctions.com) before making any statements. Ironically if you read the book you just showed a picture of you would have found an excellent graph that actually shows the investment potential of these items (check out page 27) listed in the chapter entitled Coca-Cola Collecting as an Investment!

 

For many years Coca Cola collectibles have been in the top ten of all collecting categories as noted by several sources (TIAS, etc.)

 

 

 

Yes, Some of the key rare items of Coke have gone up, but overall the majority of the manufactured common stuff has dropped. Sound familiar? Doesn`t that sum up many of the collectibles and antique markets?

Also compare a group of key Coke collectibles from the 1960s and 1970s to comic book keys of the same era. We will find the superhero keys are far more in demand from that era. In this case investing in Coke stock would be a better bet then investing in Coke collectibles. Just my opinion. Coke collectibles are cool, as my grandfather and grandmother use to collect Coke stuff. I remember all those Coke trays and drinking glasses they had. They loved the stuff. (thumbs u

 

 

 

Yes, Some of the key rare items of Coke have gone up, but overall the majority of the manufactured common stuff has dropped.

 

Your original statement as noted below contradicts this. Fact is the most recent guide you portrayed was published in the year 2008 and even the most common vintage advertising Coca-Cola collectibles have yielded gains across the board since that time making this version obsolete due to auction gains on most pre-1960's material. It is the newer items produced from the 1980's on that is a horrible investment, but you stated all.

I also was looking at COCA-COLA collectibles comparing price guides from 15 years ago to today`s prices, and the prices on all these COCA-COLA collectibles have dropped significantly like 50 percent or more. A perfect example of what was popular with one generation might not be popular with a future generation.

 

Also compare a group of key Coke collectibles from the 1960s and 1970s to comic book keys of the same era. We will find the superhero keys are far more in demand from that era.

 

I absolutely agree because this is a trick statement. Vintage advertising from the late 1960's and onward is extremely plentiful. It was actually saved en masse and modern era Coca Cola collectibles (quite different from vintage advertising) are horrid investments. Now if you want to compare comic books from the 1960's and 1970's to say vintage Coca-Cola advertising from the 1920's to 1940's I think you would see similar spikes in prices and they are still going strong. Keep in mind that you would also see spikes in prices with 1960's and 1970's comic books; including a disastrous performance for ultra high grade graded copies that consumed the market just a few years ago. Vintage Coca Cola advertising has had similar price fluctuations, but it has not dropped and fallen out of favor with the younger generation as incorrectly stated in your original post. Vintage comic books have had a great upswing, but they are not the be all end all panacea you make them out to be...nor is any other antique or collectibles one can state.

 

In conclusion, I would urge you to study the greater antiques and collectibles market without bias and do your own research. I collect comic books and truly love the art form in which they are part of. My obsession ends there.

 

 

 

 

I just don`t see Coke collectibles being the real thing for future collectors.

Sure there will some die-hards that will collect Coke collectibles like there is in every hobby, but like most stuff that was highly collected from that era we will find that the majority of the Coca-Cola collectibles fan base is aging and dying off!

This leads to mass exodus of stuff getting sold off at lower prices. I would say the Coke collectibles field will have a shorter window of opportunity then the key comic books.

Just my opinion. I am sure there are a few highly prized Coke collectibles that will always be sought after, but the majority of them will be sold at a loss in the future. I would be very interested to see what the prices of stuff you showed to me in the latest auction results will sell for in 5 years. Very interested.

 

 

 

 

[ComicConnoisseur]

I think what happened with Coke and other soda pops was the younger generation figured out that it isn`t healthy for them. Coke is loaded with sugar that makes people put on weight, and who knows how many cavities it has caused? I think there is a good number of consumers who are much more health conscious, then their parents or grandparents ever were. Wouldn't`t water be a better investment going forward then these sugary sodas?

 

True. People drink less soda than they did a decade ago, just like people smoke less than they did a decade ago.

 

And there's likely some truth to that last statement - one of the craziest things I ever saw was in the Congress-only section of the Congressional Research Service's library -- there was a whole four drawer file cabinet devoted to U.S. strategic responses to the potential rise of Canada as a superpower if water displaced oil as a strategic commodity in the 21st century.

 

Seriously - some very smart people have been thinking about such as a scenario for a very long time.

 

And Coke is heavily invested in water too. They own Dasani, Evian, glaceau, Spring, and other water brands.

Selling tap water in a bottle, and making someone pay for it is pure genius.

 

Coca-Cola admits Dasani is really tap water.

[ComicConnoisseur]

To believe that prices will increase significantly from here is to believe that similar new developments will occur. (Or, better, new developments not currently anticipated.) I've asked the optimists several times to indicate what they think these new developments might be. Unless I missed them, none have been suggested.

 

I'll suggest one: The massive influx of collectors from the rest of the world. American comic book culture has only begun to insinuate itself in the rest of the world. And the rest of the world is only just beginning to rival us in wealth. Chuck Rozanski, I think, has written about how so many of his books are now leaving the country when he sells them.

 

I think prices will continue to rise as a result.

 

This is what I have termed "The Great White Hope" of comic book collecting. All the other major catalysts are largely spent, so it's got to be the foreigners to the rescue. Obviously, only time will tell, but I'll take the "under" on this bet. American comic book culture already did insinuate itself in certain parts of the world, and that is why we have a large number of American comic book collectors in Canada, with smaller outposts in the U.K., parts of Western Europe and various English-speaking countries (e.g., Australia). These are people who will be subject to the same generational/cultural/demographic shift we are probably in the very early stages of seeing in the U.S.

 

So true about that. There is stuff that I can`t sell for Wal-Mart prices to my American cliental, that sell quite well, extraordinarily well to the UK, Australia and Canada markets. They seem to have the disposable income right now. (thumbs u

How long it will last? I don`t know.

[mintcollector]

I think what happened with Coke and other soda pops was the younger generation figured out that it isn`t healthy for them. Coke is loaded with sugar that makes people put on weight, and who knows how many cavities it has caused? I think there is a good number of consumers who are much more health conscious, then their parents or grandparents ever were. Wouldn't`t water be a better investment going forward then these sugary sodas?

 

True. People drink less soda than they did a decade ago, just like people smoke less than they did a decade ago.

 

And there's likely some truth to that last statement - one of the craziest things I ever saw was in the Congress-only section of the Congressional Research Service's library -- there was a whole four drawer file cabinet devoted to U.S. strategic responses to the potential rise of Canada as a superpower if water displaced oil as a strategic commodity in the 21st century.

 

Seriously - some very smart people have been thinking about such as a scenario for a very long time.

I agree and believe you about that.

I also was looking at COCA-COLA collectibles comparing price guides from 15 years ago to today`s prices, and the prices on all these COCA-COLA collectibles have dropped significantly like 50 percent or more. A perfect example of what was popular with one generation might not be popular with a future generation.

 

 

I will attempt to keep this factual, but please do more research before making blanket statements. Coca Cola is also a very popular collecting category with auction records being set almost monthly.

 

http://artdaily.com/news/66860/Morphy-s-brushes--2-million-mark-with-December-6-7-auction-of-antique-advertising-and-coin-op-machines#.U8mO5ctOUdU

 

I have been collecting high end vintage advertising for decades and thanks to television shows like American Pickers and a general media obsession with antiques I have never seen a more robust time to collect these items.

 

Please kindly check out past auction sales at Morphy Auctions (www.morphyauctions.com) before making any statements. Ironically if you read the book you just showed a picture of you would have found an excellent graph that actually shows the investment potential of these items (check out page 27) listed in the chapter entitled Coca-Cola Collecting as an Investment!

 

For many years Coca Cola collectibles have been in the top ten of all collecting categories as noted by several sources (TIAS, etc.)

 

 

 

Yes, Some of the key rare items of Coke have gone up, but overall the majority of the manufactured common stuff has dropped. Sound familiar? Doesn`t that sum up many of the collectibles and antique markets?

Also compare a group of key Coke collectibles from the 1960s and 1970s to comic book keys of the same era. We will find the superhero keys are far more in demand from that era. In this case investing in Coke stock would be a better bet then investing in Coke collectibles. Just my opinion. Coke collectibles are cool, as my grandfather and grandmother use to collect Coke stuff. I remember all those Coke trays and drinking glasses they had. They loved the stuff. (thumbs u

 

 

 

Yes, Some of the key rare items of Coke have gone up, but overall the majority of the manufactured common stuff has dropped.

 

Your original statement as noted below contradicts this. Fact is the most recent guide you portrayed was published in the year 2008 and even the most common vintage advertising Coca-Cola collectibles have yielded gains across the board since that time making this version obsolete due to auction gains on most pre-1960's material. It is the newer items produced from the 1980's on that is a horrible investment, but you stated all.

I also was looking at COCA-COLA collectibles comparing price guides from 15 years ago to today`s prices, and the prices on all these COCA-COLA collectibles have dropped significantly like 50 percent or more. A perfect example of what was popular with one generation might not be popular with a future generation.

 

Also compare a group of key Coke collectibles from the 1960s and 1970s to comic book keys of the same era. We will find the superhero keys are far more in demand from that era.

 

I absolutely agree because this is a trick statement. Vintage advertising from the late 1960's and onward is extremely plentiful. It was actually saved en masse and modern era Coca Cola collectibles (quite different from vintage advertising) are horrid investments. Now if you want to compare comic books from the 1960's and 1970's to say vintage Coca-Cola advertising from the 1920's to 1940's I think you would see similar spikes in prices and they are still going strong. Keep in mind that you would also see spikes in prices with 1960's and 1970's comic books; including a disastrous performance for ultra high grade graded copies that consumed the market just a few years ago. Vintage Coca Cola advertising has had similar price fluctuations, but it has not dropped and fallen out of favor with the younger generation as incorrectly stated in your original post. Vintage comic books have had a great upswing, but they are not the be all end all panacea you make them out to be...nor is any other antique or collectibles one can state.

 

In conclusion, I would urge you to study the greater antiques and collectibles market without bias and do your own research. I collect comic books and truly love the art form in which they are part of. My obsession ends there.

 

 

 

 

I just don`t see Coke collectibles being the real thing for future collectors.

Sure there will some die-hards that will collect Coke collectibles like there is in every hobby, but like most stuff that was highly collected from that era we will find that the majority of the Coca-Cola collectibles fan base is aging and dying off!

This leads to mass exodus of stuff getting sold off at lower prices. I would say the Coke collectibles field will have a shorter window of opportunity then the key comic books.

Just my opinion. I am sure there are a few highly prized Coke collectibles that will always be sought after, but the majority of them will be sold at a loss in the future. I would be very interested to see what the prices of stuff you showed to me in the latest auction results will sell for in 5 years. Very interested.

 

 

 

 

Once again please do your research before making blanket statements. I have been on this forum since 2008 and since that time several statements made in reference to the greater antiques and collectibles market have been proven to be extremely wrong.

 

If you seriously think that vintage advertising prices are going to drop over the next five years you are sorely mistaken. I invest heavily in this category and vintage advertising remains one of the top ten categories of antiques and collectibles year after year with vintage Coca-Cola leading the charge. I have a waiting list of ready and willing clients eager to pay record breaking prices for this stuff.

 

In 2008 to 2009 you used to be able get porcelain Coca-Cola buttons from the 1950's for about $500-$600. Those same sixteen inch buttons will cost you between $900-$1000 today in near mint condition. Signs prior to 1965 continue to set new auction records on a monthly basis.

 

American Pickers has helped create massive demand for vintage advertising. If you read the 2015 Antique Trader guide on antiques and collectibles you will find that vintage advertising is one of the hottest categories listed.

 

 

[delekkerste]

If you seriously think that vintage advertising prices are going to drop over the next five years you are sorely mistaken. I invest heavily in this category and vintage advertising remains one of the top ten categories of antiques and collectibles year after year with vintage Coca-Cola leading the charge. I have a waiting list of ready and willing clients eager to pay record breaking prices for this stuff.

 

In 2008 to 2009 you used to be able get porcelain Coca-Cola buttons from the 1950's for about $500-$600. Those same sixteen inch buttons will cost you between $900-$1000 today in near mint condition. Signs prior to 1965 continue to set new auction records on a monthly basis.

 

American Pickers has helped create massive demand for vintage advertising. If you read the 2015 Antique Trader guide on antiques and collectibles you will find that vintage advertising is one of the hottest categories listed.

 

Sure, but couldn't a lot of the same/similar positive arguments be made for the vintage comic book market? While some art/collectibles markets never really recovered from the 2008-2009 swoon, others have soared to new highs over the past 5 years (like your Coca-Cola buttons/signs and SA Marvel keys), fueled by macro fundamentals like near-zero percent interest rates and micro-fundamentals like bullish reinforcement from superhero movies for comics and from reality shows like American Pickers for Coca-Cola collectibles. I'm not sure that the experience of the past 5 years necessarily portends a rosy long-term future for either market, though; the overwhelming majority of assets out there have been on a cyclical upswing since 2009, even those with arguably lousy long-term secular fundamentals.

 

I don't think ComicConnoisseur is insinuating that the Coca-Cola collectibles market is necessarily going to drop over the next 5 years, but, fast forwarding, say, 20 to 30 years ahead, I don't think it's a huge stretch to imagine the late Millennials and especially the generation coming up after them are going to have less interest in them (as well as a great many other things, including comics).

[Jaydogrules]

If you seriously think that vintage advertising prices are going to drop over the next five years you are sorely mistaken. I invest heavily in this category and vintage advertising remains one of the top ten categories of antiques and collectibles year after year with vintage Coca-Cola leading the charge. I have a waiting list of ready and willing clients eager to pay record breaking prices for this stuff.

 

In 2008 to 2009 you used to be able get porcelain Coca-Cola buttons from the 1950's for about $500-$600. Those same sixteen inch buttons will cost you between $900-$1000 today in near mint condition. Signs prior to 1965 continue to set new auction records on a monthly basis.

 

American Pickers has helped create massive demand for vintage advertising. If you read the 2015 Antique Trader guide on antiques and collectibles you will find that vintage advertising is one of the hottest categories listed.

 

Sure, but couldn't a lot of the same/similar positive arguments be made for the vintage comic book market? While some art/collectibles markets never really recovered from the 2008-2009 swoon, others have soared to new highs over the past 5 years (like your Coca-Cola buttons/signs and SA Marvel keys), fueled by macro fundamentals like near-zero percent interest rates and micro-fundamentals like bullish reinforcement from superhero movies for comics and from reality shows like American Pickers for Coca-Cola collectibles. I'm not sure that the experience of the past 5 years necessarily portends a rosy long-term future for either market, though; the overwhelming majority of assets out there have been on a cyclical upswing since 2009, even those with arguably lousy long-term secular fundamentals.

 

I don't think ComicConnoisseur is insinuating that the Coca-Cola collectibles market is necessarily going to drop over the next 5 years, but, fast forwarding, say, 20 to 30 years ahead, I don't think it's a huge stretch to imagine the late Millennials and especially the generation coming up after them are going to have less interest in them (as well as a great many other things, including comics).

 

Coke collectibles? yes, I agree. Comic books? no, I believe you are severely mistaken.

 

-J.