Mass Delusion and Comic Collecting?

[Davenport]

Listening to a snippet of this last night I thought, 'Holy , he could be talking about today's comic collecting'.

Begins at minute-mark 12:50 and ends at 32:00 minutes.

 

It's an author discussing a new book The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute. The stories are insane and a lot of the elements that make up a 'speculative craze' are undeniably present with today's comic books.

Well worth the time to take a listen, a quick 'school of hard knocks' in depth eye-opener. Really good stuff.

 

[The-Collector]

Pockets of the comic market definitely seem like this. Hopefully any eventual crash doesn't destroy the wider more mature market for established keys.

[kav]

The difference is beanies were a short term phenomenon as opposed to comics also they were purchased solely because of the hype whereas comic collectors mostly love comics.

[SquareChaos]

Listening to a snippet of this last night I thought, 'Holy , he could be talking about today's comic collecting'.

Begins at minute-mark 12:50 and ends at 32:00 minutes.

 

It's an author discussing a new book The Great Beanie Baby Bubble: Mass Delusion and the Dark Side of Cute. The stories are insane and a lot of the elements that make up a 'speculative craze' are undeniably present with today's comic books.

Well worth the time to take a listen, a quick 'school of hard knocks' in depth eye-opener. Really good stuff.

 

 

 

Is this that show that has people on who are convinced Lizard People are secretly ruling the world?

[oakman29]

I thought comic collecting,and delusional go hand in hand.

[kav]

Not if you're collecting caps

[oakman29]

Not if you're collecting caps

 

I need me some Caps!

[spidrvacc]

[quote=

 

Is this that show that has people on who are convinced Lizard People are secretly ruling the world?

 

Yup thats the show. Used to be hosted by Art Bell who was always afraid that the government was after him and the UFO's were watching him. He used to broadcast from an unknown location in the desert. Very cool show to listen to , More serious show since Bell left and Noory took over. been a listener for 20+ years. . One night its about US -Soviet relations and another its about alien abductions then the next night its about crop circles and time travel.

[kav]

Art Bell ended his show after Heaven's Gate took him a bit too seriously.

[SquareChaos]

I have vague memories of listening to it 15 or so years ago when I had a job that kept me up all night working.

 

I remember lots of talk about Lizard people and giants.

[Davenport]

Pockets of the comic market definitely seem like this. Hopefully any eventual crash doesn't destroy the wider more mature market for established keys.

The elements of a "speculative craze" that jumped out at me were:

 

*Media hype (comic book movies on fire, he-got-rich articles, new tv shows, etc.)

*Manipulated Scarcity (dozens of variant covers, commons rare if "in grade" applied, etc.)

*A focus on future-wealth by acquiring newly produces items (latest hot item breakouts and chase, etc.)

 

To point out a few. And I don't think I'm imagining those things. They're going on, full throttle.

[spidrvacc]

I remember the Beanie Craze. There was a girl in my office who was huge into "Investing" in them. I think she lost thousands. Reminds me more of the Image/Valiant days then now. Artificially created collectibles which there are tens of thousands of so are not the slightest bit rare.

[kav]

I agree with you about moderns

GA and SA, no

[kav]

When something is made to be collectible it always crashes. GA and SA comics are a different story.

[SquareChaos]

Pockets of the comic market definitely seem like this. Hopefully any eventual crash doesn't destroy the wider more mature market for established keys.

The elements of a "speculative craze" that jumped out at me were:

 

*Media hype (comic book movies on fire, he-got-rich articles, new tv shows, etc.)

*Manipulated Scarcity (dozens of variant covers, commons rare if "in grade" applied, etc.)

*A focus on future-wealth by acquiring newly produces items (latest hot item breakout and chase, etc.)

 

To point out a few. And I don't think I'm imagining those things. They're going on, full throttle.

 

I think all of this is pretty clear with regard to modern comics... I don't think anyone informed could argue it. It is often a topic of conversation.

[1950's war comics]

Please I beg of everyone,,, do not commit financial suicide by slabbing moderns

[Shadow Images]

Not if you're collecting caps

 

I need me some Caps!

 

 

Who collects Caps

 

 

 

[spidrvacc]

I have vague memories of listening to it 15 or so years ago when I had a job that kept me up all night working.

 

I remember lots of talk about Lizard people and giants.

 

The Lizard people are still around and they they still come up.

 

These shows are cool if unbelievable Just interesting to listen to. Problem is they come on way too late , like 2AM. Conspiracy radio shows also are interesting. Here in Nj used to get the Clyde Lewis show Ground Zero . All about the Illuminati etc.

[SquareChaos]

Please I beg of everyone,,, do not commit financial suicide by slabbing moderns

 

While I agree it is a crazy, speculator heavy modern comic market... I completely disagree with this sort of thinking.

 

Slab what you want - I have many slabbed moderns. Not because I think they're worth something, but because I love them.

 

The argument could even be made for slabbing moderns for financial purposes... some people make a great deal of money doing so.

[kav]

Pretty sure the lizard people are behind the modern slabbing.