Are key comics good investments?

[oakman29]

Of course I may be completely wrong. I am a dolt after all.

[kav]

Nope you nailed me.

I'm a joker but when trouble rears its ugly head I act fast while everyone else stands around gaping.

[kav]

What are a stupid person's favorite muscles?

His doltoids.

[oakman29]

What are a stupid person's favorite muscles?

His doltoids.

 

I think I'm going to leave you hanging on that joke! They can't all be good.

[AlexanderM]

Comics are not a "good" investment long term from this point in time on.

 

Why?

 

some of the many reasons include

!. they are not liquid,

2. they are fragile, even graded.

3. they are currently at historic highs

4.there is no interest or dividend of initial investment

5. reasons 5 through 10 are even more obvious than 1-4

 

Except that some comics are in fact good investments,they are liquid. Maybe not 50's war comics,but I think I made a pretty good investment back in 1983 when I purchased my AF15 for 500.00.What does a 5.0\5.5 going for now? 25-28K? I am pretty sure I can sell that book in a heartbeat if I needed to. Let me see....at the least I made 24,500.00 on that initial 500.00,not bad I'd say!

You need to work on your tenses, the question is ARE, not WERE. Unless you know somebody who's going to sell me a mid-grade AF 15 for $500 now.

 

Point is - we cannot know that.

 

When you bought your AF15 for $500 it was not the case that people said "now is a geat time to buy comics - this is going to skyrocket!". If people believed that - the price would not have been $500.

 

People thought that comics were already expensive. Just like today - because comics have gone up fo many years there is a tendency to think they are expensive now. Reality is, we don't know - and some book bought today for $500 might be worth 20k+ in 35 years from now - we just don't know which one(s) - or if it will happen. Just like we didn't know 35 years ago.

[oakman29]

Comics are not a "good" investment long term from this point in time on.

 

Why?

 

some of the many reasons include

!. they are not liquid,

2. they are fragile, even graded.

3. they are currently at historic highs

4.there is no interest or dividend of initial investment

5. reasons 5 through 10 are even more obvious than 1-4

 

Except that some comics are in fact good investments,they are liquid. Maybe not 50's war comics,but I think I made a pretty good investment back in 1983 when I purchased my AF15 for 500.00.What does a 5.0\5.5 going for now? 25-28K? I am pretty sure I can sell that book in a heartbeat if I needed to. Let me see....at the least I made 24,500.00 on that initial 500.00,not bad I'd say!

You need to work on your tenses, the question is ARE, not WERE. Unless you know somebody who's going to sell me a mid-grade AF 15 for $500 now.

 

Point is - we cannot know that.

 

When you bought your AF15 for $500 it was not the case that people said "now is a geat time to buy comics - this is going to skyrocket!". If people believed that - the price would not have been $500.

 

People thought that comics were already expensive. Just like today - because comics have gone up fo many years there is a tendency to think they are expensive now. Reality is, we don't know - and some book bought today for $500 might be worth 20k+ in 35 years from now - we just don't know which one(s) - or if it will happen. Just like we didn't know 35 years ago.

 

Right! Apparently the guy misunderstood my analogy,but you seem to get it. Bravo to you!

[oakman29]

My reality is just as I stated earlier. My hobby is collecting comics,not investing in them. If they become more valuable later on,or stay the same. I'm good with that.

With that said,there is no denying that comics can be a commodity just like anything else of value.

So my point earlier is don't just invest in comics alone,invest in property,401K,stocks and bonds etc. Diversify your funds,and don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Simple really!

[The-Collector]

My favs are " what kind of scanner should I use", and " comic investment" threads.

 

Personally I love B Day threads.

 

I wouldn't know. I haven't done one in quite awhile.

 

[shadroch]

ANYTHING, bought at the right price can prove to be a great investment.

Just as ANYTHING, bought at the wrong price, can be a bad investment.

 

Doesn't matter if you are talking real estate, stocks, comics or a hamburger- the key to success id buying it at the right price.

[thirdgreenham]

Comics are not a "good" investment long term from this point in time on.

 

Why?

 

some of the many reasons include

!. they are not liquid,

2. they are fragile, even graded.

3. they are currently at historic highs

4.there is no interest or dividend of initial investment

5. reasons 5 through 10 are even more obvious than 1-4

 

Except that some comics are in fact good investments,they are liquid. Maybe not 50's war comics,but I think I made a pretty good investment back in 1983 when I purchased my AF15 for 500.00.What does a 5.0\5.5 going for now? 25-28K? I am pretty sure I can sell that book in a heartbeat if I needed to. Let me see....at the least I made 24,500.00 on that initial 500.00,not bad I'd say!

Is it insured? do you have environmental controls? do you store it?

I think you grossly over-estimate your return, unless you intend to cheat the tax man as well.

 

via Imgflip Meme Maker

[kav]

ANYTHING, bought at the right price can prove to be a great investment.

Just as ANYTHING, bought at the wrong price, can be a bad investment.

 

Doesn't matter if you are talking real estate, stocks, comics or a hamburger- the key to success id buying it at the right price.

People might think how can a hamburger be an investment well lets just say you buy a hamburger then take it up to the cabin where you and some friends are staying. Well the roads get washed out and there's no food in the cabin-except that hamburger-and it's clear that will be the only food for several days-well now that hamburger might just sell for $100...

[KPR Comics]

nice friend

[Columbia Comics]

nice friend

 

[delekkerste]

Point is - we cannot know that.

 

When you bought your AF15 for $500 it was not the case that people said "now is a geat time to buy comics - this is going to skyrocket!". If people believed that - the price would not have been $500.

 

People thought that comics were already expensive. Just like today - because comics have gone up fo many years there is a tendency to think they are expensive now. Reality is, we don't know - and some book bought today for $500 might be worth 20k+ in 35 years from now - we just don't know which one(s) - or if it will happen. Just like we didn't know 35 years ago.

 

We cannot know that with certainty, true. And, yes, by definition, prices have always seemed expensive. Otherwise, as you quite correctly noted, prices would not have been where they were at the time - they'd have been constantly rocketing higher as people who thought prices were cheap would have been dog-piling in.

 

That said, I don't agree with the premise that many seem to hold that we don't know, we've been surprised in the past, and so we shouldn't try to figure it out. Prices may have always seemed expensive, but, the fact is, prices actually are more expensive now than they were in 1983:

 

AF #15 5.0/5.5 in 1983: $500

$500 adjusted for inflation would be worth $1,188 today - not $25-$28K.

 

An AF #15 5.0/5.5 cost 4.3% of the average annual disposable income per capita in the U.S. in 1983.

Even at the low-end of Oak's $25-$28K range, it now costs 60.7% of the average annual disposable income per capita to buy that book today. The book has become 14x more expensive on a relative basis since 1983. :whatthe:

 

That's not to say that % of per capita income is the only factor. Nor is there any law that says that AF #15s have to stop getting relatively more expensive vs. inflation and incomes here. But, it does suggest that looking at historical growth patterns from a minuscule base, over the course of three decades where the hobby matured from a fragmented cottage industry to a mature hobby with Internet distribution, third party grading, huge demographic and financial tailwinds, etc. is probably pretty meaningless.

 

Look forward, not backwards, my friends.

[shadroch]

It would be great to have a map to follow, but we don't. Sans a map, I am forced to use past experience as a guide. While past performance is no indication of future results, would you pick Mike Trout or Stephen Drew to pinch hit for you? The market isn't an irrational beast that is indecipherable. Learn to read charts, study and work a bit and odds are you'll have good results.

Invest early and often and you'll be fine.

[Hamlet]

One thing I would like to point out is that something can be a good investment while not being liquid. Many terrible investments are extremely liquid, and many good investments require a good deal of work to buy and sell. Real estate is a classic example of a relatively illiquid investment. It's lack of liquidity is a drawback, but it doesn't prevent real estate from being an investment.

 

Are you really serious when you are saying that real estate is illiquid? Especially when you are talking about it relative to the buying and selling of comic books.

 

Actually, I guess when it comes to real estate, it really depends on the location of the property in question. When it comes to comic books, it really depends on the investment quality of the comic book in question.

 

You think real estate in 2008 wasn't illiquid?

 

Yes, definitely not as liquid as today's real estate market where properties can sell in less than a day.

 

Yet, definitely still a much better return as compared to stock equities back in 2008.

 

How long does it take to go from deciding to sell a piece of real estate to having the sale closed with the payment in hand? It's not a day or two, it's generally at least a month, even in a hot market where properties are selling as soon as they are listed.

 

You have to list the property, someone has to make an offer. That offer is usually contingent on a home inspection, and a lender, who does an appraisal, title search, etc.

 

Real estate is not liquid like a stock that you can sell in a minute and generally have the cash in your hand within a few days, depending on your brokerage.

 

I wasn't saying that it is less liquid than comics (although I'm pretty sure I could sell a stack of Hulk 181s faster than I could sell my house). I was saying that something can be illiquid and still be a good investment.

[thunsicker]

The main difference between comics and traditional investments is that a traditional investment will have some kind of benefit to you regardless of whether the price goes up or not. If you buy the S&P 500 all the companies you are buying have profits that you are party to (whether through dividends, currently about 1.8%, or through company growth that will pay dividends in the future). If you buy real estate you can live in it or rent it out. If you buy comics you are slave to someone else wanting to pay more for it in the future. And while you wait for that person you are paying storage fees, insurance fees, etc.

 

EDIT: Noticed this is post 3999. Better come up with something good for 4000.

[wombat]

I'm still waiting on beanie babies to recover. Then I can retire.

[SuperiorSpiderMan]

How many people here lost money when the Savings And Loans went under because of their bad investments? They got away SCOTT FREE,... but you lost!

 

How many people here think the $50,000 they have built up in their 401k isn't going to go under 5 years from now because Vanguard or some other 401k institution makes bad investments?

 

These people have their bases covered,.. and you lose!

 

If I had $50,000 to drop on an investment, it would most definitely be a cherry AF15. At least I have a sure thing investment in my hands and it's not in some thieving *spoon* hole's pocket.

 

 

 

[Brock]

But, it does suggest that looking at historical growth patterns from a minuscule base, over the course of three decades where the hobby matured from a fragmented cottage industry to a mature hobby with Internet distribution, third party grading, huge demographic and financial tailwinds, etc. is probably pretty meaningless.

 

I'm interested in understanding what you mean by this, particularly the demographic part... Can you elaborate?