Are prices still climbing or have they eased up a bit??? 43 43

[lou_fine]

On 4/10/2023 at 11:32 AM, grendel013 said:

On 4/10/2023 at 11:28 AM, buttock said:

Is it the corduroy shirt?

Yes. But only because of the buttons.

The fact that it's still buttoned up as you were hoping to see even so much more of the REAL BIG MAN himself if it was unbottomed?    

Edited April 10, 2023 by lou_fine

[Sweet Lou 14]

On 4/10/2023 at 2:25 PM, grendel013 said:

I cringe every time I see Rifleman 10.

A couple of serious historical questions:

• How soon after the 1962 publication date are there documented examples of readers / collectors taking a special interest in this cover?
• Has anyone involved with the taking of the photo, or the publication of the book, ever said anything on the record as to whether anyone was in on the joke from the start?

Edited April 10, 2023 by Sweet Lou 14

[grendel013]

On 4/10/2023 at 5:28 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

A couple of serious historical questions:

• How soon after the 1962 publication date are there documented examples of readers / collectors taking a special interest in this cover?
• Has anyone involved with the taking of the photo, or the publication of the book, ever said anything on the record as to whether anyone was in on the joke from the start?

The story I made up in my head was that these were like joke photos taken kind of tongue in cheek. Then tossed aside only for Dell to come rummaging through stock photos to use for comic covers. They either had limited access or were running low on quality pix. But I daydream a lot so I don't know.

[Microchip]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:28 AM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

A couple of serious historical questions:

• How soon after the 1962 publication date are there documented examples of readers / collectors taking a special interest in this cover?
• Has anyone involved with the taking of the photo, or the publication of the book, ever said anything on the record as to whether anyone was in on the joke from the start?

The cover has been around on the boards for years and years, as an easy go-to for a questionable cover.  It piggybacks off of the Archie innuendo covers.   How solid is the tradition of trying to put questionable innuendo on covers in the conservative ages, I've no idea, but they are certainly out there.

[Norrin_Radd]

Strong bids on every golden age comic auction listing I'm interested in.

Don't you people know there's a recession coming?! 

[JollyComics]

1945 - This recession lasted eight months, from February to October. It was a natural result of the demobilization from World War II.

1949 - This 11-month recession began in November 1948 and lasted until October 1949, when unemployment peaked at 7.9%.1921 It was caused by the Fed raising interest rates too quickly

GDP Growth	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
1949	-5.4%	-1.4%	4.2%	-3.3%

1953 - This recession lasted 10 months, from July 1953 to May 1954.19 It resulted from tightened monetary policy following the Korean War. Unemployment didn't reach its peak of 6.1% until September 1954, four months after the recession ended. In 1953, GDP contracted by 2.2% in the third quarter and by 5.9% in Q4. In 1954, it contracted by 1.9% in the first quarter.

1957 - In this recession, which took place from August 1957 to April 1958,19 GDP fell 4.1% in Q4 1957, then contracted to a low of 10.0% in Q1 1958. Unemployment didn't reach its peak of 7.5% until July 1958.25 The Fed's contractionary monetary policy caused this economic slowdown.

1960 - Starting in April 1960, this recession lasted 10 months until February 1961.19 GDP was -2.1% in Q2 1960, rose by 2.0% in Q3, but was down by 5.0% in Q4. Unemployment reached a peak of 7.1% in May 1961.

Note - President John F. Kennedy ended the 1960 recession with stimulus spending. His opponent, Richard Nixon, blamed the recession for costing him the election.

1970 - This recession was relatively mild, lasting 11 months—from December 1969 to November 1970. Unemployment peaked at 6.1% in December 1970.30 The economy contracted by 1.9% in Q4 1969 and by 0.6% in Q1 1970. GDP rose by 0.6% in Q2 1970 and 3.7% in Q3 but fell by 4.2% in Q4. The economy recovered in Q1 1971, increasing by 11.3%.

1973-75 - This recession lasted 16 months, from November 1973 to March 1975. The OPEC oil embargo is blamed for quadrupling oil prices, but actions taken by President Richard Nixon also contributed to the recession.

First, Nixon instituted wage-price controls. They kept prices too high, reducing demand. Wage controls made salaries too high and forced businesses to lay off workers. Second, Nixon took the United States off the gold standard in response to a run on the gold held at Fort Knox, which led to inflation. The price of gold skyrocketed while the dollar's value plummeted.

 

The result was stagflation and five quarters of negative GDP growth: 1973 Q3, -2.1%; 1974 Q1, -3.4%; Q3, -3.7%; Q4, -1.5%; and 1975 Q1, -4.8%. Unemployment reached a peak of 9.0% in May 1975, two months after the recession ended.

1980-82 - The economy suffered a double whammy of two recessions in this period. There was one during the first six months of 1980. The second lasted 16 months, from July 1981 to November 1982. The Fed caused this recession by raising interest rates to combat inflation. That reduced business spending. The Iranian oil embargo aggravated economic conditions by reducing U.S. oil supplies, which drove prices up.

GDP was negative for six of the 12 quarters. The worst was Q2 1980 at -8.0%. Unemployment rose to 10.8% in November and December 1982. It was above 10% for 10 months.

GDP Growth	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
1980	1.3%	-8.0%	-0.5%	7.7%
1981	8.1%	-2.9%	4.9%	-4.3%
1982	-6.1%	1.8%	-1.5%	0.2%

1990-91 - This recession ran for nine months, from July 1990 to March 1991. It was caused by the 1989 savings and loan crisis, higher interest rates, and Iraq's invasion of Kuwait. GDP was -3.6% in Q4 1990 and -1.9% in Q1 1991. Unemployment peaked at 7.8% in June 1992.

Note

Recessions are easier tracked in hindsight. The Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) makes initial projections about Gross Domestic Product (GDP) early each quarter and then revises its GDP estimates as it receives new data, a process that usually takes place in July. It can be difficult to correct a recession once it's already started.

21st-Century Recessions

In its first decade, the 21st century experienced three recessions. Each was worse than the one before it, but for different reasons.

2001 - The 2001 recession lasted eight months, from March to November. It was caused by a boom and subsequent bust in dot-com businesses. The Y2K scare had partially created the boom in 2000. Companies bought billions of dollars worth of new software because they were afraid the old systems weren't designed to transition from the 1900s to the 2000s. Many dot-com businesses were significantly overvalued and failed.

The 9/11 attack worsened the recession. The economy contracted in two quarters: Q1 by -1.3% and Q3 by -1.6%. Unemployment continued rising until it peaked at 6.3% in June 2003.

2008–09 - The Great Recession lasted from December 2007 to June 2009, the longest contraction since the Great Depression. The subprime mortgage crisis triggered a global bank credit crisis in 2007. By 2008, the damage had spread to the general economy through the widespread use of derivatives.

GDP in 2008 shrank in three quarters, including an 8.5% drop in Q4. The unemployment rate rose to 10% in October 2009, lagging behind the recession that caused it.

Year	Q1	Q2	Q3	Q4
2008	-1.6	2.3	-2.1	-8.5
2009	-4.6	-0.7	1.5	4.3

The recession ended in Q3 2009, when GDP turned positive, thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

2020 Recession - The 2020 recession was the worst since the Great Depression. In March 2020, the Federal Reserve lowered the fed funds rate to basically 0%. Congress issued billions of dollars in aid.

The U.S. economy contracted a record 31.2% in the second quarter after falling 5.1% in the previous quarter.

 

In April 2020, the U.S. economy lost an astonishing 20.5 million jobs, sending the unemployment rate skyrocketing to 14.7%. It remained in the double digits until August. Uncertainty over the pandemic's impact also caused the 2020 stock market crash.

Although the economy grew 33.8% in the third quarter, it was not enough to make up for earlier losses.

Therefore, the value of comic books are still rising in those decades.

Edited April 11, 2023 by JollyComics

[EastEnd1]

On 4/10/2023 at 6:37 PM, JollyComics said:

Therefore, the value of comic books are still rising in those decades.

Just to add a little "color" to your point which I agree with...

The 1980-82 recession saw the emergence of the direct market and rapid proliferation of comic book shops across the country.

The 1990-91 recession saw exploding comic book circulation figures.

The 2001 recession saw the emergence of standardized comic book grading (ie CGC) and a surging of back issue pricing.

The 2008-09 great recession saw no significant drop in back issue pricing (though graded comic pricing had retreated in the years prior as census figures grew)

The 2020 "Covid" recession saw a previously unheard of skyrocketing in back issue prices.

I'd also add that the comic book industry itself emerged during the ACTUAL DEPRESSION and ascended into its "golden age" during the most tragic war the world has ever seen.

 

Like the superheros it birthed, our "little" hobby has shown itself to be quite resilient and will be fine for some time to come 

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by EastEnd1

[JollyComics]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:03 AM, EastEnd1 said:

Just to add a little "color" to your point which I agree with...

The 1980-82 recession saw the emergence of the direct market and explosion of comic book shops across the country.

The 1990-91 recession saw an explosion in comic book circulation figures.

The 2001 recession saw the emergence of standardized comic book grading (ie CGC) and a skyrocketing of back issue pricing.

The 2008-09 great recession saw no significant drop in back issue pricing (though graded comic pricing had retreated in the years prior as census figures grew)

The 2020 "Covid" recession saw a previously unheard of skyrocketing in back issue prices.

I'd also add that the comic book industry itself emerged during the ACTUAL DEPRESSION and exploded into its "golden age" during the most tragic war the world has ever seen.

 

Like the superheros it birthed, our "little" hobby has shown itself to be quite resilient and will be fine for some time to come 

 

Thanks for your standpoints and highlights on those recessions upon the comic books!

[JollyComics]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:03 AM, EastEnd1 said:

Just to add a little "color" to your point which I agree with...

The 1980-82 recession saw the emergence of the direct market and rapid proliferation of comic book shops across the country.

The 1990-91 recession saw exploding comic book circulation figures.

The 2001 recession saw the emergence of standardized comic book grading (ie CGC) and a surging of back issue pricing.

The 2008-09 great recession saw no significant drop in back issue pricing (though graded comic pricing had retreated in the years prior as census figures grew)

The 2020 "Covid" recession saw a previously unheard of skyrocketing in back issue prices.

I'd also add that the comic book industry itself emerged during the ACTUAL DEPRESSION and ascended into its "golden age" during the most tragic war the world has ever seen.

 

Like the superheros it birthed, our "little" hobby has shown itself to be quite resilient and will be fine for some time to come 

 

The comic-related movies came out during those recessions:

1981 - Superman II, Flash Gordon and Heavy Metal (more superhero movies were made after 1984).
1990 - Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, The Rocketter, Darkman, Power Rangers, The Punisher and many TV superheroes aired during the after school hours i.e. Dark Knight, Darkwing, Power Rangers Teen Titans and much more.
2008-2009 - Watchmen, The Dark Knight, Iron Man, The Incredible Hulk, X-Men Origins: Wolverine and Hellboy II: The Golden Army.
2001 and 2020 - there are many superhero movies in 2000’s to 2020’s. Surprisingly, there is none that made in 2001 and 2020!

Edited April 11, 2023 by JollyComics

[Pantodude]

On 4/11/2023 at 5:47 PM, JollyComics said:

Surprisingly, there is none that made in 2001 and 2020!

We did have Blade in August 1998, with Blade 2 in March 2002.    And in 2021, we had Black Widow and Eternals, I think. 

Edited April 11, 2023 by Pantodude

[JollyComics]

On 4/11/2023 at 5:22 PM, Pantodude said:

We did have Blade in August 1998, with Blade 2 in March 2002.    And in 2021, we had Black Widow and Eternals, I think. 

Yes, but not during the recession years.  Those Blade movies were in happy years.  The year of 2021 was way out of the recession.  The year of 2020 was the worst year and suspended everything except the essential jobs like food stores and delivery services (I had to work at UPS through the pandemic).

[lou_fine]

On 4/11/2023 at 3:34 PM, JollyComics said:

On 4/11/2023 at 3:22 PM, Pantodude said:

We did have Blade in August 1998, with Blade 2 in March 2002.    And in 2021, we had Black Widow and Eternals, I think. 

Yes, but not during the recession years. 

Well, if it's movie related hype, does this mean that our pre-hero Valiant Super Mario comic books should be zooming up in value after the animation movie box office record they just set this apst weekend?  

[JollyComics]

On 4/11/2023 at 6:32 PM, lou_fine said:

Well, if it's movie related hype, does this mean that our pre-hero Valiant Super Mario comic books should be zooming up in value after the animation movie box office record they just set this apst weekend?  

I expected someone will mention something in related of the comic books.  Thanks for bringing it up here.  My both kids who are in teen years are interested in the vintage video games.  I am sure Mario theme comic books are hot right now. Blip #1 is hot too.

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 4/11/2023 at 6:58 PM, JollyComics said:

I expected someone will mention something in related of the comic books.  Thanks for bringing it up here.  My both kids who are in teen years are interested in the vintage video games.  I am sure Mario theme comic books are hot right now. Blip #1 is hot too.

Was bloodshot the movie 2019? Or 2020?

[ADAMANTIUM]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:01 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Was bloodshot the movie 2019? Or 2020?

Ya that's a valiant movie.

Came to theaters in 2020

 

Edited April 12, 2023 by ADAMANTIUM

[JollyComics]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:02 PM, ADAMANTIUM said:

Ya that's a valiant movie.

Came to theaters in 2020

Yes but it didn't do well.   $45 million budget. $37 million box office.  The pandemic just started in mid-March here and hurt the movie financially.

[lou_fine]

On 4/11/2023 at 5:08 PM, JollyComics said:

Yes but it didn't do well.   $45 million budget. $37 million box office.  The pandemic just started in mid-March here and hurt the movie financially.

Yep Bloodshot with a whopping $39.8M total global in its entire theatrical run versus Super Mario with a global box office of $377M in just its first weekend alone.  

Edited April 12, 2023 by lou_fine

[JollyComics]

On 4/11/2023 at 7:24 PM, lou_fine said:

Yep Bloodshot with a whopping $39.8M total global in its entire theatrical run versus Super Mario with a global box office of $377M in just its first weekend alone.  

I find it very interesting. Both Super Mario and Star Wars are classic cult.  First five Star Wars movies before Star Wars: The Force Awakens earned $247.2M total on 1st weekends only.  The Force Awakens earned $248M to beat all first five Star Wars Movies included Star Wars Special Edition on its first weekend. Just Amazing.  Super Mario's record is unbreakable.

Edited April 12, 2023 by JollyComics

[DC#]

No record is unbreakable (except maybe Nolan Ryan’s career strikeouts).   And comparing all these box office stats across decades is really tough.   Force Awakens was $248M domestic but $529M global opening weekend.   Super Mario at $337M was global but also across 5 days.    Based on just traditional 3 day weekend Mario domestically was under $150 which would make it third highest animated film.   Even with a 5 day global it only beat Frozen 2 at 3 days by $19M from 4 years ago so with current inflation I bet that gap is closer to $10M.   
 

And adjusted for inflation A New Hope and Empire Strikes back are both around $1.9B life to date including re-releases (but even that doesn't account for growth in screens globally and new markets for American films since the late 70s. For reference - Empire's opening weekend was on an estimated 127 domestic screens.  Mario is on 4,300 screens domestically).   Mario won’t get anywhere close to that given current multiples.    
 

That being said - as one article put it - “Mario officially says ‘game over’ to the video game movie adaptation curse.”

Edited April 12, 2023 by DC#

[lou_fine]

On 4/11/2023 at 6:41 PM, DC# said:

No record is unbreakable (except maybe Nolan Ryan’s career strikeouts).   And comparing all these box office stats across decades is really tough.  

Actually, since this is a comic book board here, all of these box office stats are meaningless, except for what is their impact going to be on the Super Mario comic book.  

Are these huge box office a possbile sign that the Super Mario related comic books might actually have some legs going forward longer term?  Or does it just mean the same old, same old when it comes to comic book related hyped movies which has a very short term spike, but then proceeds to a crash and burn now that the event (i.e. movie opening) has already taken place.