Are prices still climbing or have they eased up a bit??? 41 41

[WernerVonDoom]

With Bitcoin and GameStop going crazy again, will comic prices increase? Or was too much damage done?

[1Cool]

On 6/6/2024 at 3:52 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

With Bitcoin and GameStop going crazy again, will comic prices increase? Or was too much damage done?

[alexgross.com]

On 6/6/2024 at 12:52 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

With Bitcoin and GameStop going crazy again, will comic prices increase? Or was too much damage done?

so much has changed in the last few years since the last bubble. i'm sure that wouldn't hurt, but with interest rates still being far beyond what they were in 2020, and inflation having persistently dented everyone's bottom line, i think that if crypto and stuff like that were to really explode, it would still be a far smaller group of people that would start spending on more discretionary stuff like comics and art. i know so many people that wanted to buy a home in the last three years but cannot afford to because of mortgage rates. these people would finally buy that house if they somehow had alot of crypto or gamestop or whatever it is that explodes. 

[1Cool]

On 6/6/2024 at 3:52 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

With Bitcoin and GameStop going crazy again, will comic prices increase? Or was too much damage done?

My answer would be not a chance.  Comics exploded partly because bros were stuck at home for a long time period and they saw buying and selling comics as a way to make quick cash while they sat at home with big government stimulus checks (and Gamestock / AMC winnings).  You also had a ton of non bro buyers who where also stuck at home and buying pretty much everything they could get their grubby little hands on and comics became a hot thing to speculate on (sports cards also saw a huge jump for the same reason).  Unless that perfect storm comes back (highly doubtful for various reasons) then I don't see a similar spike coming.  Minor blip is possible but nothing like those two years.

Edited June 6 by 1Cool

[bc]

On 6/6/2024 at 3:52 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

With Bitcoin and GameStop going crazy again, will comic prices increase? Or was too much damage done?

If that's what we're hoping for to save the hobby, then it doesn't bode well for the long term.

-bc

[WernerVonDoom]

On 6/6/2024 at 3:07 PM, bc said:

If that's what we're hoping for to save the hobby, then it doesn't bode well for the long term.

-bc

Well, I was thinking of possible reasons for the 2021 peak:

1. Everyone home with nothing to do

2. Bitcoin hitting crazy highs

3. Gamestop/AMC crazy highs

4. The extra cash from #2 & #3 put some big prices on key auction books

5. Non-full time collectors seeing the high prices and trying to make a quick buck

6. Comic movies popular

Ya, I guess without #1 and #5, we might only see a slight bump, if anything.

[1Cool]

On 6/6/2024 at 9:40 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

Well, I was thinking of possible reasons for the 2021 peak:

1. Everyone home with nothing to do

2. Bitcoin hitting crazy highs

3. Gamestop/AMC crazy highs

4. The extra cash from #2 & #3 put some big prices on key auction books

5. Non-full time collectors seeing the high prices and trying to make a quick buck

6. Comic movies popular

Ya, I guess without #1 and #5, we might only see a slight bump, if anything.

You also have to factor in the mental toll the last couple years have had in terms of speculators wanting to jump back into comics.  Comics had always gone up (most don't remember or were alive during the crash of the 90s) so they were seen as a risk-free means of making bucks if you had some knowledge.  Now that the public has seen (and possibly experienced) a drop in prices of 50 - 70% on books they bought they won't be too keen on buying back into the market.  People are rushing into the oldies since it's still seen as a fool proof way to make some cash when the books go up . . until it's not.  Maybe the X-Men movies and FF4 movies will reignite the speculation madness but I'd really be shocked if they did.  Fingers crossed.

Edited June 7 by 1Cool

[Vince G]

On 6/6/2024 at 9:40 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

Well, I was thinking of possible reasons for the 2021 peak:

1. Everyone home with nothing to do

2. Bitcoin hitting crazy highs

3. Gamestop/AMC crazy highs

4. The extra cash from #2 & #3 put some big prices on key auction books

5. Non-full time collectors seeing the high prices and trying to make a quick buck

6. Comic movies popular

Ya, I guess without #1 and #5, we might only see a slight bump, if anything.

I think there was quite a bit of easy money being made among the crypto people, meme stock guys, and the market in general.  The stock market cratered early but came back like gangbusters.  Radio and TV were starting to pump up alternate investments and that exposed more people to the idea of diving into the Fine Arts and Collectibles markets.  In short, it was the perfect time to speculate.

[rsouxlja7]

On 6/6/2024 at 3:52 PM, 1Cool said:

My answer would be not a chance.  Comics exploded partly because bros were stuck at home for a long time period and they saw buying and selling comics as a way to make quick cash while they sat at home with big government stimulus checks (and Gamestock / AMC winnings).  You also had a ton of non bro buyers who where also stuck at home and buying pretty much everything they could get their grubby little hands on and comics became a hot thing to speculate on (sports cards also saw a huge jump for the same reason).  Unless that perfect storm comes back (highly doubtful for various reasons) then I don't see a similar spike coming.  Minor blip is possible but nothing like those two years.

Agreed

The S&P 500 is up over 25% over the past year and QQQ over 30%. If there was any coming back thanks to the stock market it would've already happened. 

[bc]

Think it may be even simpler - people were bored and had money.

Nothing to do but buy stuff off the internet. Pretty sure all collectibles saw the same increase as comics.

-bc

[rsouxlja7]

Can't forget the MCU fatigue factor either. The interest/outlook on the MCU was much different in 2021 vs now. 

Edited June 7 by rsouxlja7

[bc]

On 6/7/2024 at 6:07 PM, rsouxlja7 said:

Can't forget the MCU fatigue factor either. The interest/outlook on the MCU was much different in 2021 vs now. 

Agree.

But think how many new people started posting stuff on social media during the pandemic to foment the FOMO. 

It was like a perfect storm.

-bc

[rsouxlja7]

On 6/7/2024 at 4:53 PM, rsouxlja7 said:

Agreed

The S&P 500 is up over 25% over the past year and QQQ over 30%. If there was any coming back thanks to the stock market it would've already happened. 

Just to further illustrate this point I looked at my 2023 sales and compared to recent eBay sold listings. I used this money to buy S&P 500 index funds and was interested in how it would've turned out if I had held. These numbers don't include PayPal fees, shipping, taxes, dividends, etc just to make things simple. 

 

So pretty huge difference. Also, note the dates. This is after things had already declined significantly. 

Edited June 8 by rsouxlja7

[jimjum12]

On 6/6/2024 at 9:40 PM, WernerVonDoom said:

Well, I was thinking of possible reasons for the 2021 peak:

1. Everyone home with nothing to do

2. Bitcoin hitting crazy highs

3. Gamestop/AMC crazy highs

4. The extra cash from #2 & #3 put some big prices on key auction books

5. Non-full time collectors seeing the high prices and trying to make a quick buck

6. Comic movies popular

Ya, I guess without #1 and #5, we might only see a slight bump, if anything.

You might also add 60 somethings on the hill from Covid deciding to cash out 401 Ks, take early SS, and start flipping books to stay busy and flush. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[thehumantorch]

On 6/6/2024 at 4:07 PM, bc said:

If that's what we're hoping for to save the hobby, then it doesn't bode well for the long term.

-bc

I'm not sure the hobby needs saving.

[Microchip]

On 6/9/2024 at 10:30 AM, thehumantorch said:

On 6/7/2024 at 8:07 AM, bc said:

If that's what we're hoping for to save the hobby, then it doesn't bode well for the long term.

-bc

I'm not sure the hobby needs saving.

Is the right book comes to the market, we'll see the $10m barrier broken within a few years.   

The bottom, and top of the comic book market are very different.   Always have been. 

[WernerVonDoom]

On 6/8/2024 at 4:36 PM, jimjum12 said:

You might also add 60 somethings on the hill from Covid deciding to cash out 401 Ks, take early SS, and start flipping books to stay busy and flush. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Yep, that was definitely a factor.

[The Less Blob]

On 6/6/2024 at 4:52 PM, 1Cool said:

My answer would be not a chance.  Comics exploded partly because bros were stuck at home for a long time period and they saw buying and selling comics as a way to make quick cash while they sat at home with big government stimulus checks (and Gamestock / AMC winnings).  You also had a ton of non bro buyers who where also stuck at home and buying pretty much everything they could get their grubby little hands on and comics became a hot thing to speculate on (sports cards also saw a huge jump for the same reason).  Unless that perfect storm comes back (highly doubtful for various reasons) then I don't see a similar spike coming.  Minor blip is possible but nothing like those two years.

They exploded then, yes, sure, but things were pretty good for 5-8 years before then too. January 2020 was good times too. 2020-21 things were on fire in virtually every genre though with semi-keys appearing everywhere overnight even more than before.

[The Less Blob]

On 6/8/2024 at 7:36 PM, jimjum12 said:

You might also add 60 somethings on the hill from Covid deciding to cash out 401 Ks, take early SS, and start flipping books to stay busy and flush. GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

Do you have quantifiable evidence of this? 60 somethings selling off their closets of comics would drive prices down. Do you honestly think 60somethings were infusing NEW money into the hobby to buy more inventory to flip for their semi-retirement side hustles? I will admit that I absolutely bought more stuff for about 6-9 months in there on ebay because I felt more confident that I could sell it if I wanted to and expanded into stuff outside of my comfort zone (hello Elfquest)

[jimjum12]

On 6/11/2024 at 4:26 PM, the blob said:

Do you have quantifiable evidence of this? 60 somethings selling off their closets of comics would drive prices down. Do you honestly think 60somethings were infusing NEW money into the hobby to buy more inventory to flip for their semi-retirement side hustles? I will admit that I absolutely bought more stuff for about 6-9 months in there on ebay because I felt more confident that I could sell it if I wanted to and expanded into stuff outside of my comfort zone (hello Elfquest)

I'm not trying to be argumentative per se, but do you have evidence that it did not happen?  ... yes, I seriously think that happened.  GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)