Soon Every Marvel Comic Book Will Be a Key

[paperheart]

I hope every Marvel Comic will become a key.

 

I have been on the other side of still needing issues and movies came out quite a few times. But after years of buying comics and finishing sets of stuff no one really collected....anything can happen in any book from 1959 to 1980, and now I can look in my inventory book to see what grade I have it in.

 

Happened the other day when I saw Fear #19 was moving. I have owned a complete Fear set for at least 15 years. And not many were interested in that series 15 years minutes ago.

 

edited

[CatskillMike]

How long before people are looking for the first appearance of the Human Fly???

 

"Got it"

[Boboset]

How long before people are looking for the first appearance of the Human Fly???

9.8 copies of that have at least doubled over the last two years.

[Mark 1]

This is the best time to be a comic collector and fan. I don't have any issue with movies raising awareness and hype about first appearances, etc.

 

It's fun and exciting.

[*Bronze age fan*]

This is the best time to be a comic collector and fan. I don't have any issue with movies raising awareness and hype about first appearances, etc.

 

It's fun and exciting.

 

 

 

I agree. But we might be the few people who have loved these comics for years. Bought them cause we liked them....and now everyone wants them just because they appear to be hot. Which is the wrong reason to want these in the first place.

 

But I vote for the fun and exciting statement!

 

It's good for the over all hobby. Might make people buy back issues. And discover how cool all those comics were. Or it may just bring in a bunch of people who wanna make a quick buck. Which is lame.

[Unca Ben]

Before Spider-man even existed we have a slew of super-heroes which very popular but which get no love now. Spectre super important... Buck Rogers.... and so on.

 

Is this a case of "I want everything the way it used to be"... because then Spider-man, Wolverine, Iron-man... and many others should not be anybody.

 

Things change... so annoying!

 

In my case, it's probably more a case of self-centered envy.

 

I confess that it sometimes bugs me when someone owns a "key" - now too valuable for me to obtain - and they don't even really know what it's about; they get the villain wrong, they don't seem to know or care about the story, they mistake one of the heroes for someone else.

 

And here I am, loving the book for the story, art, and characters that I know by heart, a book that I've desired since childhood only through reprints, and all they see is that it's a key - "the first appearance of Spider-Monkey... or Spider-Ape, or somethin' like that. I don't know what's inside, it's just desired and valuable."

 

I know it's wrong of me to be jealous that way and rationalize that I deserve it more because I appreciate it on a different ("better" ) level. Yet I find myself thinking along these lines sometimes.

 

"Whew" ! Now I feel better. Maybe confession is good for the soul?

 

 

[FineCollector]

This is the best time to be a comic collector and fan. I don't have any issue with movies raising awareness and hype about first appearances, etc.

 

It's fun and exciting.

 

 

 

I agree. But we might be the few people who have loved these comics for years. Bought them cause we liked them....and now everyone wants them just because they appear to be hot. Which is the wrong reason to want these in the first place.

 

But I vote for the fun and exciting statement!

 

It's good for the over all hobby. Might make people buy back issues. And discover how cool all those comics were. Or it may just bring in a bunch of people who wanna make a quick buck. Which is lame.

 

As a pure collector (i.e. no resale), I want what I'm missing as cheaply as possible. I'm not concerned with future value, hoard copies, or investments, I'm a run collector. When I start a title, I want one of everything, from the golden age mega-keys down to the lowliest drek. If the market bottomed out, and everything was worthless, I'd still be crawling around under tables looking for comics to complete my runs.

 

When the speculators find greener pastures, and the quick buck is no longer viable, I'll be a happier guy. Howard the Duck? Gimme a break...

[techtre2003]

This is the best time to be a comic collector and fan. I don't have any issue with movies raising awareness and hype about first appearances, etc.

 

It's fun and exciting.

 

 

 

I agree. But we might be the few people who have loved these comics for years. Bought them cause we liked them....and now everyone wants them just because they appear to be hot. Which is the wrong reason to want these in the first place.

 

But I vote for the fun and exciting statement!

 

It's good for the over all hobby. Might make people buy back issues. And discover how cool all those comics were. Or it may just bring in a bunch of people who wanna make a quick buck. Which is lame.

 

As a pure collector (i.e. no resale), I want what I'm missing as cheaply as possible. I'm not concerned with future value, hoard copies, or investments, I'm a run collector. When I start a title, I want one of everything, from the golden age mega-keys down to the lowliest drek. If the market bottomed out, and everything was worthless, I'd still be crawling around under tables looking for comics to complete my runs.

 

When the speculators find greener pastures, and the quick buck is no longer viable, I'll be a happier guy. Howard the Duck? Gimme a break...

 

Agree 100%

[davidpg]

It's also fun to be able to go over and pull out all these books that are now in demand and popular...that have been sitting in our collections in obscurity for two or three decades. My friends and son actually find it cool that I can show them where all these characters and stories began.

[spidrvacc]

Unfortunatly I dont think anything will change any time soon. Marvel movies will be around for the nest 10-20 years and so will the prices of these books and more. Sure maybe one day this will change but I cant see it happening any time soon. They mentioned the Thunderbolts movie possible last week and I fully expect the Hulk issue with the first app to jump on that news. part of the issue is not just speculators. its the collectors who want to try to grab the book before the speculators. You have a vicious cycle going on. I am part of that. As soon as I heard that there was a Guardians movie i grabbed the first App of the main characters so I can get them before the speculators drive up the price but in the process I added to the price going up.

 

As for the Human fly. I loved that series , was one of my personal favorites when I was a kid. You cant get them cheap either anymore.

[That Ron Dude]

I would like to see a market correction back to the early 1960s where people collected due to interest and not speculation.

 

I never bought a book because of speculation. I buy books, or extra copies of books, because I enjoy (or enjoyed) reading them.

 

Now, that doesn't mean that I don't have plenty of books that I didn't enjoy - I kept buying Marvels through the '90s up 'till 2004 just to keep the runs complete.

I could get rid of many of those and still be happy.

 

I never bought for speculation either. There are many advantages in this approach including that I don't have to be concerned about the way market values affect the worth of my pile of comics. When I hear someone say, "They can only go up," I think of Noah watching it rain for 40 days and 40 nights and then the sky clearing. I think of all the old guys I know getting rid of their collections.

 

Granted though, high grade comics from certain eras have gone up dramatically in recent years and those with foresight or good luck have made a killing.

 

When I read that Guardians of the Galaxy is a hit, I checked my list. Yes, I have the first appearance. But I haven't checked ebay to see what it is selling at. I haven't checked to see the condition of it either. I am happy to have it. Those comics made a big difference (mostly for the better) in my life. It would take a lot more than a hit movie for me to get rid of any of them.

[prez]

It's no fun collecting books you don't enjoy reading just because it contains a first appearance of a character.

 

I went through the phase of buying cheap copper and Bronze Age DC and Marvel for speculative reasons and it's no fun - just took up space in my closet. Maybe 3 out of 10 of the stuff I bought could turn into something of value in the next 5 to 10 yrs.

[Jeffro.]

This is the best time to be a comic collector and fan. I don't have any issue with movies raising awareness and hype about first appearances, etc.

 

It's fun and exciting.

 

But is that raised awareness translating into new readers? Not so sure.

[prez]

This is the best time to be a comic collector and fan. I don't have any issue with movies raising awareness and hype about first appearances, etc.

 

It's fun and exciting.

 

But is that raised awareness translating into new readers? Not so sure.

 

In some cases, yes (ie Walking Dead). For example, my mom and was so into the TV show that she started downloading comics on her iPhone. This is the reason why I believe TWD could be a long term hit.

 

On the other hand, my brother in-law, who is a huge fan of super heroe movies will not spend $1 to get the actual book. He's more into the modern story lines in the movies.

 

 

[jools&jim]

 

For the past 18 years or so, I've (slowly) been putting together a mid-grade collection of EVERY Marvel comic book published from 1970 through the end of 1980. This is strictly a reader's collection, assembled both for fun and for its nostalgic value.

 

Got all of the "traditional" BA keys--ASM 121-122, 129, Conan 1, IH 181, GSX 1, UXM 94, etc., etc.--out of the way a long time ago, but I also neglected many 2nd tier books and series. The bare fact that nearly ALL '70s Marvels are common & readily available in a wide-variety of grades meant that I had plenty of time, that the books would always be there, and that they would always be cheap.

 

More the fool me.

 

The problem from my collecting perspective is that speculation fever isn't necessarily confined to high grade material. When a dirt-common book like this is selling for > $60, you know we've entered the Twilight Zone:

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Howard-the-Duck-1-Jan-1976-Marvel-/301259335079?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item462474a5a7&nma=true&si=FF5r3BfnqTeL1EaCSX%252Fm3DDU1fM%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

 

So what's a poor boy to do? Well, for starters, it means that I've put my set-building on hold indefinitely. What's the point of buying common run fillers if some oddball movie-hyped "keys" from those runs--with more popping up every day, it seems--are suddenly selling for A LOT more than I'm willing to pay?

 

There is no doubt in my mind that, over the past decade, I have been paying more than just about any other like-minded collector for common, low/mid-grade, non-key, non-Spidey, non-X-Men, BA Marvels: $1 - $3 per book, on average. I'm interested in completing the set -- not in spending ten years or more box-diving for a Fine+ copy of Man-Thing #17 for 50-cents, when a perfectly serviceable VG copy is in front of me at a show or an LCS for a buck or two.

 

As negative economic impacts go, the loss of my paltry spending is more than offset in the marketplace, I know, by the influx of quick speculator cash. I don't know if other mid-grade/low-grade run builders feel this way, but if they do, it's probably not a good thing for the hobby's long-term health...

 

 

 

[Goldeneye]

He bought 2 copies so he could put em in a stereopticon and read em in 3D

no he bought 8294464 copies so he can watch in 4k ultra HD with Dolby Atmos sound

[shadroch]

To no one inparticular

 

You've had thirty years to get these books. Now they are expensive and you are complaining?

[delekkerste]

This is the best time to be a comic collector and fan. I don't have any issue with movies raising awareness and hype about first appearances, etc.

 

It's fun and exciting.

 

But is that raised awareness translating into new readers? Not so sure.

 

I don't think the movies and merchandising have created a lot of new readers - I think they've largely served to energize the existing fan base and have brought lapsed readers/collectors back into the fold. Which is fine for now, but I do think there is a long-term demographic time bomb ticking and that there is little to no chance that the Millennials will have the aggregate interest, numbers or buying power in the future to clear the market from Gen X sellers at ever-increasing prices.

 

But, for now, while the hobby is largely a big Gen X nostalgic circle jerk, it's all good. (thumbs u

[vaillant]

To no one inparticular

 

You've had thirty years to get these books. Now they are expensive and you are complaining?

 

Don’t be silly – you can’t have all at once, unless you are Bill Gates.

 

Personally, when I started collecting, I really had to see where I put my money. Not that it has changed much, anyway. If you go by what you like and try to avoid what you can’t afford, it’s not linear, so very likely you can’t have everything.

 

They have all the reasons to complain…

[zuulioso]

I would like to see a market correction back to the early 1960s where people collected due to interest and not speculation.

 

I never bought a book because of speculation. I buy books, or extra copies of books, because I enjoy (or enjoyed) reading them.

 

Now, that doesn't mean that I don't have plenty of books that I didn't enjoy - I kept buying Marvels through the '90s up 'till 2004 just to keep the runs complete.

I could get rid of many of those and still be happy.

 

I have bought books out of speculation and have sold books because of speculation. I have also bought books because I like them and then have not sold them because I like them. You know what else is really great? Selling a book because of speculation and then using the funds to pick up the Marvel Masterworks hard copy containing that book because then I can then read the stories and enjoy the art without fear of bending a page or creasing the spine. It's awesome that everyone likes to do different things with their collection.