Modern Growth

[carter3175]

Just wanted to toss something out there to spark conversation. Will modern comics ever reach the same level as the gold and silver era of comics. I mean this from the standpoint of value and being highly sought after collectables. My next question is do you think creator own companies such as Image as an example can or will put out a book that spans generations/era like Marvel and DC? In 30 or 40 years will there be a market for Walking Dead 1 or Saga RRP?

[Jackhartmann]

Just wanted to toss something out there to spark conversation. Will modern comics ever reach the same level as the gold and silver era of comics. I mean this from the standpoint of value and being highly sought after collectables. My next question is do you think creator own companies such as Image as an example can or will put out a book that spans generations/era like Marvel and DC? In 30 or 40 years will there be a market for Walking Dead 1 or Saga RRP?

 

No. I see today as the 1990's. There are winners, but many will be below cover. In the 1960s, the comics were never an investment and I remember buying the X-men at a high 50 cent an issue. Other I bought at covers and they appreciated 100-500x. Supply was limited and It paid dividends 30-40 years later.

 

There might 0.1% of the comics that can appreciate 100x now.

[Oakland Pride]

Will modern comics ever reach the same level as the gold and silver era of comics.

 

Probably not in our lifetime. Due to advances in paper & preservation, modern comics will never reach the rarity of gold- or silver-era comics. Today there are only 8 of Action Comics #1 graded higher than 8.5. There probably will be at least 100 9.8 Saga RRPs in existence 70 years from now.

 

Do you think creator own companies such as Image as an example can or will put out a book that spans generations/era like Marvel and DC? In 30 or 40 years will there be a market for Walking Dead 1 or Saga RRP?

 

Absolutely. When people are passionate for properties like Walking Dead or Saga, imbedded is a nostalgia that doesn't easily go away. Nostalgia = market.

[SquareChaos]

I think the power of creator owned is the often unique, story / character driven plots. With the Big Two you get a pretty much never ending story where, give or take a little, not a whole lot changes.

 

Therefore, you can run Spider-Man or Superman for 50, 60, 70+ years. You can shuffle talent in and out. The IP lives on.

 

With creator owned, you rarely ever get 5 years in before calling it quits, let alone hundreds and hundreds of issues that span multiple generations growing up with the characters and events.

 

So... long story short, no, today's comics will never see the same growth potential, but I don't think it is solely linked to rarity though that is of course important.

 

Having said that... something like Invincible could run forever.

[Aweandlorder]

No.

Today, Comic books are bought by collectors. Back then they were bought by readers.

[ItsJustRyan]

So hard to say. I think "collectibility" applies to a wide range of things. Some people collect bottles, some collect toilet plungers, some McDonalds happy meal toys, and some collect vintage lamps. I don't think moderns will every be as sought after or HTF as vintage keys, mainly because we now have the tools to properly care for books while a kid (or even adult collector) from the 60s might not have access to B&Bs, mylars, and such.

 

That being said... I think we can't dismiss the modern comic market as being solely devoted to collectors/speculators and not readers as well. I hear all kinds of mixed messages on this topic. Some say readership is in decline but I know a lot of readers (but in fairness I hang in comic circles). We could say that comic sales are due (in part) to speculation, but that doesn't tell the whole story. Comixology has opened another avenue to read comics and has removed the collectibility element. I like to keep books/comics I read so I only do digital on a "as needed/can't wait" basis.

 

So, to answer the OPs question... I don't think moderns will ever rival GA SA BA keys, mainly because of (1) the ability to maintain condition, (2) greater awareness of collectibility, and (3) print run numbers. However, in a short 30 years the stuff we have now will be "retro" so who knows

[Aweandlorder]

Thats exactly right. Collectors purchase comics while readers buy the digitals. Not to say that collectors couldnt be readers as well..

This is no big news. This happened to music long before comics. More so with vinyl.

Vinyl sales have INCREASED steadily in the past 7 years, whereas digital downloads have DECREASED. Its sure as heck not because music lovers play their LPs on a turntable. Comic book intellectual properties have developed dramatically and are now bigger than life and that just means that collectors take their passion more seriously than before. Back in the golden silver age and even bronze people bought comics with the mindset of reading them only. Now theres an increased awareness of collecting them.

 

Which is why we're here sorta kinda

[SquareChaos]

A large part of the digital purchases (piracy is not really included in those numbers) declining in music almost certainly have to be people fed up with restrictive practices and pricing.

 

I'm sure digital comics will / already is facing the same problem. Their problem is compounded by the fact that they charge the exact same rate in most instances for a physical copy or a digital copy.

[the authority]

I agree. If digital comics were 75 cents to $1 each, I would buy lots of them but they aren't. In fact, it is usually cheaper for me to preorder a print comic than I can buy it for my ipad. One I can resale for as much or more than I paid for it and the other is intangible and of little resale value. No way does that make sense to me.

 

I think Ryan hit the nail on the head as for future collectability and values. (thumbs u

[ygogolak]

A large part of the digital purchases (piracy is not really included in those numbers) declining in music almost certainly have to be people fed up with restrictive practices and pricing.

 

I'm sure digital comics will / already is facing the same problem. Their problem is compounded by the fact that they charge the exact same rate in most instances for a physical copy or a digital copy.

 

I just saw on the news this morning that digital comics are up since 2011, so is paper as well.

 

I agree. If digital comics were 75 cents to $1 each, I would buy lots of them but they aren't. In fact, it is usually cheaper for me to preorder a print comic than I can buy it for my ipad. One I can resale for as much or more than I paid for it and the other is intangible and of little resale value. No way does that make sense to me.

 

I think Ryan hit the nail on the head as for future collectability and values. (thumbs u

 

How fast can you read?

http://marvel.com/comics/unlimited

[the authority]

Fast ! Thanks (thumbs u

[BizarroChuck]

I feel like the only way for a book these days to truly rise is if the book creates a new franchise (toys, TV, movies, cartoons, merchandise, etc...). I know it's not a modern and it had a tiny print run, but TNMT is a prime example of how this raises the value of a book. Walking Dead is another example. Now that I've typed it, I've noticed that both of these books have a small print run, so maybe that is a big contributor too.

 

It seems like the combo of scarcity + marketability is the magic formula for $$$$$

 

The quality of the art and the writing just don't increase the value these days (unfortunately IMO).

 

 

[dupont2005]

I think a lot of "hot modern comics" people are banking on paying off their mortgage in 20 years will be worth nearly as much as a copy of Spawn #1 20 years after release.

 

But there will be comic collectors. What they collect, what they pay, all that is anyone's guess. I just figure if it was as easy a guess as some people seem to think it is everyone would be rich and nobody would waste their time in stocks and IRA's when there's always a new Image #1.

[dupont2005]

I feel like the only way for a book these days to truly rise is if the book creates a new franchise (toys, TV, movies, cartoons, merchandise, etc...). I know it's not a modern and it had a tiny print run, but TNMT is a prime example of how this raises the value of a book. Walking Dead is another example. Now that I've typed it, I've noticed that both of these books have a small print run, so maybe that is a big contributor too.

 

It seems like the combo of scarcity + marketability is the magic formula for $$$$$

 

The quality of the art and the writing just don't increase the value these days (unfortunately IMO).

 

TMNT was a smash hit long before any toys or cartoons. Those came four years after the comic was released. Pretty sure they were in their fifth print of #1 by then. This comic was selling for $100 a week after it was released. It had already created a new genre of comics that had peaked and crashed before the first episode of the cartoon had even aired.

[BizarroChuck]

I feel like the only way for a book these days to truly rise is if the book creates a new franchise (toys, TV, movies, cartoons, merchandise, etc...). I know it's not a modern and it had a tiny print run, but TNMT is a prime example of how this raises the value of a book. Walking Dead is another example. Now that I've typed it, I've noticed that both of these books have a small print run, so maybe that is a big contributor too.

 

It seems like the combo of scarcity + marketability is the magic formula for $$$$$

 

The quality of the art and the writing just don't increase the value these days (unfortunately IMO).

 

TMNT was a smash hit long before any toys or cartoons. Those came four years after the comic was released. Pretty sure they were in their fifth print of #1 by then. This comic was selling for $100 a week after it was released. It had already created a new genre of comics that had peaked and crashed before the first episode of the cartoon had even aired.

 

Believe me I'm not taking anything away from the books mentioned above.

 

Do you think it would be worth thousands of $$ if it was only a comic book series and nothing else? In my honest opinion it would not. Of course we will never know...

 

 

[dupont2005]

I feel like the only way for a book these days to truly rise is if the book creates a new franchise (toys, TV, movies, cartoons, merchandise, etc...). I know it's not a modern and it had a tiny print run, but TNMT is a prime example of how this raises the value of a book. Walking Dead is another example. Now that I've typed it, I've noticed that both of these books have a small print run, so maybe that is a big contributor too.

 

It seems like the combo of scarcity + marketability is the magic formula for $$$$$

 

The quality of the art and the writing just don't increase the value these days (unfortunately IMO).

 

TMNT was a smash hit long before any toys or cartoons. Those came four years after the comic was released. Pretty sure they were in their fifth print of #1 by then. This comic was selling for $100 a week after it was released. It had already created a new genre of comics that had peaked and crashed before the first episode of the cartoon had even aired.

 

Believe me I'm not taking anything away from the books mentioned above.

 

Do you think it would be worth thousands of $$ if it was only a comic book series and nothing else? In my honest opinion it would not. Of course we will never know...

 

There's a Fish Police cartoon. What's that comic worth?

[BizarroChuck]

I feel like the only way for a book these days to truly rise is if the book creates a new franchise (toys, TV, movies, cartoons, merchandise, etc...). I know it's not a modern and it had a tiny print run, but TNMT is a prime example of how this raises the value of a book. Walking Dead is another example. Now that I've typed it, I've noticed that both of these books have a small print run, so maybe that is a big contributor too.

 

It seems like the combo of scarcity + marketability is the magic formula for $$$$$

 

The quality of the art and the writing just don't increase the value these days (unfortunately IMO).

 

TMNT was a smash hit long before any toys or cartoons. Those came four years after the comic was released. Pretty sure they were in their fifth print of #1 by then. This comic was selling for $100 a week after it was released. It had already created a new genre of comics that had peaked and crashed before the first episode of the cartoon had even aired.

 

Believe me I'm not taking anything away from the books mentioned above.

 

Do you think it would be worth thousands of $$ if it was only a comic book series and nothing else? In my honest opinion it would not. Of course we will never know...

 

There's a Fish Police cartoon. What's that comic worth?

 

Well that's one way of not answering my question I suppose

[Rip]

I believe there will always be something new in the hobby where people will want to invest and enjoy. So yes something will come along, you just need a continual demand that is much higher than the supply. So rarity will make a difference.

 

[Vikingreed]

TMNT is obviously more popular because of the cartoon and movies.

 

It was the #1 toy and cartoon for a generation of kids.

 

There is no way that hasn't effected the prices and demand of the original comic series.

 

It would be a "key" obviously without all that, but those other forms of media made it THE #1 Copper Age book.

 

It is a once in a generation series. Maybe even more rare than that. Nothing really compares to TMNT that I can think of.

 

WD kinda, I suppose, but not really.

[BizarroChuck]

TMNT is obviously more popular because of the cartoon and movies.

 

It was the #1 toy and cartoon for a generation of kids.

 

There is no way that hasn't effected the prices and demand of the original comic series.

 

It would be a "key" obviously without all that, but those other forms of media made it THE #1 Copper Age book.

 

It is a once in a generation series. Maybe even more rare than that. Nothing really compares to TMNT that I can think of.

 

WD kinda, I suppose, but not really.

 

Thank you for that. I really don't know why there is a reluctance in the comic book community to accept the fact that exposure in other media (TV/movies) is what primarily drives the value of comic books.