Why are almost all Golden and Silver Age comics going for over book price??

[Porter1977]

I made a couple mistakes when I started this thread. One was that I didn't state that I was talking about Golden and Silver age superhero comics and not all Golden and silver age comics. The other is that when I listed a couple examples, they where key or semi key comics. Those where just the ones that came to mind. I should have started the thread as " Why are some many more Golden and Silver age superhero comics going for over guide prices?" Thanks again to everyone who posted in this thread. It's like a crash course 101 on collecting comics.

[grayzr]

The marvel cinematic universe, its one of the biggest contributing factors. Many people have started collecting and speculating on books because of it. Just look at the attendance at comic conventions lately, many of the people that go aren't going for comics they are going because super heroes are the in thing now. I have heard people talking to dealers at shows asking things like "which characters are going to be popular soon"

 

I think by 2018-2019 when infinity wars is in full swing we will see the pinnacle of the age of comic price madness. Its going to take an economic collapse at this point to bring book prices back to normal. Remember when werewolf by night 32 was a 120$ book in 8.0, good times. Anyways hopefully those of us who have been collecting for 20+ years will be able to get those book we forgot about 3-5 years ago before all this madness started

[Ken Aldred]

I used to use the OSPG primarily for information on artists, writers, character appearances (not necessarily first ones), but now better sources exist, such as Grand Comics Database and Comic Book Database, of course.

[Robot Man]

I love the doom and gloom about how the comic market is falling or about to fall.

 

There are a LOT of younger people entering the market eager to by my collection and not just the superhero stuff.

 

I have always said that for every one or two people who want and will pay for a high grade book, there are often hundreds of other collectors who eagerly pay multiples of guide for a low grade copy because that is the only way they will ever be able to get one.

 

My beaters will all go to good homes when I tire of them...

[comicjack]

I made a couple mistakes when I started this thread. One was that I didn't state that I was talking about Golden and Silver age superhero comics and not all Golden and silver age comics. The other is that when I listed a couple examples, they where key or semi key comics. Those where just the ones that came to mind. I should have started the thread as " Why are some many more Golden and Silver age superhero comics going for over guide prices?" Thanks again to everyone who posted in this thread. It's like a crash course 101 on collecting comics.

 

The rare books are going crazy along with keys and classic covers which are

being fueled by media and hype.The movie business has helped to move prices up which is good for sellers bad for buyers.

[grebal]

I love the doom and gloom about how the comic market is falling or about to fall.

 

There are a LOT of younger people entering the market eager to by my collection and not just the superhero stuff.

 

I have always said that for every one or two people who want and will pay for a high grade book, there are often hundreds of other collectors who eagerly pay multiples of guide for a low grade copy because that is the only way they will ever be able to get one.

 

My beaters will all go to good homes when I tire of them...

 

Having watched from sidelines mostly as two bubbles formed, then burst [one each in 80s -Deathlok in AT25 and Killraven still haven't returned to 80s levels- and 90s, the latter following death of Supes], I find your confidence refreshing, and am encouraged that the days of greatest froth are still ahead of us.

 

But like you, I mostly play in the more shallow end of the grade pool, and so I find the lower risks and rewards are a good deal less concerning.

[thecopperagekids]

I am no expert, but I know what you mean.

 

When there is an actual auction the prices tend to me much lower than the BIN prices.

 

And the auctions are few.

 

I would say that the business plan of most people selling on Ebay is to troll for suckers. The ads on eBay don't cost anything unless the items sells so there is no incentive, like make back the money you spent on the ad, to sell something. But when the comics do sell, which is rare, the profits are considerable.

 

That's how it seems to me.

 

The cost of listing books on eBay is low, though most sellers do pay 13% in eBay and PP fees, when items sell.

 

That is somewhat besides the point aaand what makes you think the profits are "considerable"?

 

You have no idea what a seller originally paid for a raw book.

 

You are overlooking the time and money that sellers have invested in the original cost of a book.......then paying for grading (and pressing fees, as needed)....having to cover add'l fees for fast track grading & fast tracked pressing....shipping to and from the grading company/pressing company....and then, the weight of having the cost of the collected expenses outlined above, for what is usually about 2-3 months...from the time you ship a book out to be pressed & graded, the average time it will take to get your book back is close to about 2-3 months.

 

 

 

[Porter1977]

Not to change the topic. But does anyone know a thread that I can post an old back cover on to see if anyone knows what it goes to? I've looked and looked on here and have not come up with anything. I've been trying for 5 yrs to figure it out!! It's on my Detective Comics 38 but definitely not the right one. Thanks for any help.

[grebal]

Start your own new thread w/pics, in Golden Age, probably.

[Cat-Man_America]

I love the doom and gloom about how the comic market is falling or about to fall.

 

There are a LOT of younger people entering the market eager to by my collection and not just the superhero stuff.

 

I have always said that for every one or two people who want and will pay for a high grade book, there are often hundreds of other collectors who eagerly pay multiples of guide for a low grade copy because that is the only way they will ever be able to get one.

 

My beaters will all go to good homes when I tire of them...

 

Having watched from sidelines mostly as two bubbles formed, then burst [one each in 80s -Deathlok in AT25 and Killraven still haven't returned to 80s levels- and 90s, the latter following death of Supes], I find your confidence refreshing, and am encouraged that the days of greatest froth are still ahead of us.

 

But like you, I mostly play in the more shallow end of the grade pool, and so I find the lower risks and rewards are a good deal less concerning.

 

Farting in a bathtub would produce bigger bubbles.

 

Bubbles are produced by real world economic factors. With comics factors include superhero film popularity, portfolio investment considerations, major auction sales analysis (prices realized), etc. There is nothing shallow about the shallow end as a healthy market sustains collectible interest at all levels.

[grebal]

Bubbles are produced by real world economic factors. With comics factors include superhero film popularity, portfolio investment considerations, major auction sales analysis (prices realized), etc. There is nothing shallow about the shallow end as a healthy market sustains collectible interest at all levels.

 

Will agree to disagree, then. Also, if your shoeshine guy ever gives you tips on hot comics, it might be time to re-think the suggestion that this time the particular circumstance are different.

 

The froth I think I've observed is e.g. the details-about-new-movie hype that drives certain books like first appearances of villains, etc., which imo is likely not sustainable a few years after the movie is forgotten. [but I've been wrong before and will certainly be wrong again.] And other e.g., merely anecdotal: Marvel Spotlight 5 strikes me as a once-hot key that's cooled.

[Topnotchman]

The marvel cinematic universe, its one of the biggest contributing factors. Many people have started collecting and speculating on books because of it. Just look at the attendance at comic conventions lately, many of the people that go aren't going for comics they are going because super heroes are the in thing now. I have heard people talking to dealers at shows asking things like "which characters are going to be popular soon"

 

I think by 2018-2019 when infinity wars is in full swing we will see the pinnacle of the age of comic price madness. Its going to take an economic collapse at this point to bring book prices back to normal. Remember when werewolf by night 32 was a 120$ book in 8.0, good times. Anyways hopefully those of us who have been collecting for 20+ years will be able to get those book we forgot about 3-5 years ago before all this madness started

 

Werewolf by Night 32 is an excellent example of a hot first appearance which has double or tripled in value over Overstreet in the past few years. However try finding a buyer for Werewolf by Night 2-31 in VF grade. You would be lucky to get half guide out of those books. So many titles and so many comics which bring such a sad fraction of guide. Many are blinded by the spotlight shown on the ultra hot keys which have exploded in value.

[grebal]

^ Agreed, there's a much larger population of collectors of keys than collectors of runs. Or at least a much larger demand that implies underlying collectors, though it could be speculator/dealer/agents etc.

[Topnotchman]

Its gotten to the point of where I have seen booths at shows which exclusively have boxes only first appearances and #'1's from many eras. They say why bring the commons, they don't sell and they just take up space. The tip of the iceberg is red hot, below sea level is just a bunch of bulk which has little collector value. Comprehension in todays market is critical to its future, one must see the light through the forest of tree's.

[path4play]

I love the doom and gloom about how the comic market is falling or about to fall.

 

There are a LOT of younger people entering the market eager to by my collection and not just the superhero stuff.

 

I have always said that for every one or two people who want and will pay for a high grade book, there are often hundreds of other collectors who eagerly pay multiples of guide for a low grade copy because that is the only way they will ever be able to get one.

 

My beaters will all go to good homes when I tire of them...

 

Here are a few you can start with RobotMan, PM me

 

All-American Men of War 3

America's Best Comics (1942) 26

Babe 4

Black Cat (Comics, Mystery, Mystic, Western) 1

Captain America Comics 26

Captain America Comics 28

Captain America Comics 29

Captain America Comics 32

Captain America Comics 33

Captain America Comics 41

Captain America Comics 50

Cow Puncher 7

Detective Comics 16

Down With Crime 7

Ernie 5

Gangsters Can't Win 3

Margie Comics 49

Modern Comics 98

Official True Crime Cases 24

Oscar Comics 10

Ozark Ike 20

Pep Comics (Archie) 64

Popular Comics 54

Prize Comics 39

Shadow Comics (Vol. 8) 6

Sub-Mariner Comics 11

Tessie the Typist 23

Top-Notch Comics 31

United Comics 26

USA Comics 16

Zip Comics 19

 

 

[valiantman]

Its gotten to the point of where I have seen booths at shows which exclusively have boxes only first appearances and #'1's from many eras. They say why bring the commons, they don't sell and they just take up space. The tip of the iceberg is red hot, below sea level is just a bunch of bulk which has little collector value. Comprehension in todays market is critical to its future, one must see the light through the forest of tree's.

With millions of different comic books in existence, and 99% of it worthless, how does anyone decide which worthless books to put on a table at a convention?

 

The forest is too thick to see any light through it. Slash and burn.

[The_Investor]

ComicConnect sales do not show up on the GPA sales site.... at least not the books I'm following. The last two copies of All Star Comics 8 (CGC 5.0 c/ow) and (CGC 5.5c/ow) sold for less than the GPA average within the last 30 days! Neither of these two sales were reported. Just pointing out a fact here.

[Buzzetta]

Do I throw in my two cents... of course I will...

 

Here is the problem... everyone is a dealer these days.

 

Why should I sell my books to a dealer at less than the price than I could get for them myself? The internet has made it VERY easy for anyone and everyone to sell a book at what is that moment fair market value +/- some $.

 

Now, the dealers and store owners have to pay a higher amount for their inventory. This causes them to raise their prices if they want to make some money.

 

Let's look at that Batman 181. A 6.0 sold on June 25th (according to GPA) $400. Another 6.0 sold January 23rd for $425 so that seems to be about the market right now.

 

What dealer is giving the seller 90% of that $400 to put the book in his store? The dealer is not going to hand someone $360 hoping to mark it up 10% to sell somewhere down the line. That dealer / store owner is going to offer much less.

 

Now, knowing this? Why would I ever take it to the store? To get store credit to buy modern garbage that I can get later on in the $1 bins? That is insane. If I am the owner of that Batman 181 in a 6.0, I am selling it on eBay where I will sell it for $400 and take home $360 of that sale which is more than the LCS or dealer will give me.

 

Now... if the dealer or store owner are willing to pay 90% of that current retail value of that book because it is a key then so be it. However they are not marking it up to $400. They are marking it up higher than that to make more of a profit.

 

This is how the books increase in value.

 

Overstreet, other than looking up non important filler issues or as a source of knowledge is becoming a relic as a reflection of the current market. Overstreet was the tool for regional mail order of days gone by in my opinion. If you want to see what something is currently worth go check out eBay... everyone else is.

 

[grebal]

Overstreet, other than looking up non important filler issues or as a source of knowledge is becoming a relic as a reflection of the current market. Overstreet was the tool for regional mail order of days gone by in my opinion. If you want to see what something is currently worth go check out eBay... everyone else is.

 

But what are the ebay bidders consulting to determine how much they want to bid? Can't be solely prior ebay trades. I think Overstreet is still used for the filler, at a substantial discount of course.

[blazingbob]

Why would I use Ebay for a market gauge of raw books?

 

Very few Ebay sellers are accurate graders of raw books.

 

I can understand Ebay CGC sale references but then GPA would be the tool to use.