2022 GOLDEN AGE COMIC BOOK MARKET REPORT 8 8

[comicnoir]

On 1/8/2022 at 12:21 PM, GermanFan said:

Was it in the David Lynch documentary "Crumb" when Crumb told that he collected old Blues records (from the 20s and 30s) and went to homes were Blacks lived and asked them if they had old Blues records? Thats the way of the hardcore collector.

Except the documentary was by Crumb's old friend Terry Zwigoff. Terry also directed Ghost World.

[BraveDave]

On 1/6/2022 at 10:04 PM, october said:

Been waiting for this to happen for the last 20 years. I bet I will wait 20 more.

Believe what you will but I expect the test to come soon.

With central banks’ hands forced to raise rates we will finally see an unwind of more speculative, high supply assets. Collectibles as a whole will likely take a hit BUT the more spec driven categories with tons of supply (ie Marvel books) will get slammed hardest along with modern variants.

DC GA and SA books have real scarcity behind them (and of course other early GA titles). There will be a flight to quality/scarcity (quality of issue, not specific grade). Rarity will reign supreme - vs. speculative demand driven purchasing.

The mass /pop media side looks likely to shift back to DC as the MCU will self-exhaust from saturation. Remember that 70s-90s pop media was led by DC, not Marvel. Things don’t remain the same forever.

A little company called Apple was losing to Microsoft for 20+ years. Things change and relying on past performance for future returns is … silly.

 

 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by BraveDave
Clarity

[Flex Mentallo]

On 1/9/2022 at 2:19 AM, Book Guy said:

A real fun read!

I found a lengthy quote - rings a lot of bells!

 

Petrusich writes -

The first day we met, John Heneghan was careful to establish a disconnect between 78 collectors and the folks who stockpile LPs or 45s—for Heneghan, the distinction is acute, comparable to collecting pebbles versus collecting diamonds. But his own collection began with an LP—a reissue of a Charley Patton record, which he acquired when he was sixteen years old. Heneghan can still describe, in remarkable detail, the subsequent epiphany: picking up the record, feeling its heft in his hands, squinting at the photograph on the cover, flipping it over to read the date printed on the back, placing it on his turntable and releasing the needle into the groove, feeling transported, feeling changed.

“I’m not even sure that I liked it at first,” he admitted. “I liked the idea of it. It was really hard to listen to. But I was a guitar player—I had played the guitar since I was a kid—and I thought, ‘What is this? What is he doing?’ It was only a matter of time before I started seeking out the original records, the 78s. I resisted it for a long time because I knew it would be nearly impossible, and I knew it would be a financial burden beyond what any rational mind would consider a wise decision.”

The price of a 78 ranges from a few cents to a fair amount of cents—in some cases, up to $40,000—depending on the cachet of the artist, the condition of the record, the rarity of the pressing, and the fervency of a collector’s desire. Because 78s are objectively worthless and because collectors are so particular about what they want, a record’s archival value often trumps its monetary value. But that archival value can still be astonishing. Because they weren’t produced in huge quantities (although a CD or MP3 player is a fairly common accessory in most American homes now, gramophones were hardly standard in the early 1920s) and because for so long, so few people were interested in salvaging them, a good portion of the world’s remaining 78s—and it’s impossible to say how many are even left—were also singular representations. Often, no metal masters of these recording sessions survived, meaning that if the records themselves were to break, or be crammed into a flood-prone basement, or tossed into a Dumpster, then that particular song is gone, forever.

Most of Heneghan’s collecting peers, including the famed illustrator Robert Crumb, are the types who went door-to-door in the 1960s, asking people if they had records in their attics and snatching up 78s for a quarter apiece. When I asked Heneghan where he scored the bulk of his collection, he looked at me as if I’d commanded him to disrobe. “You don’t expect me to answer that question, do you? I’m not sure I should answer any of these questions,” he guffawed, his voice incredulous. “Do you realize how limited.These aren’t LPs! All it takes is a dozen more people interested and.” He trailed off again. “It amazes me. It’s American musical history and it’s forgotten about, and there are only a handful of people out there preserving it.”

Heneghan wasn’t being particularly hyperbolic. He and his pals are often uncovering and heralding artists who were previously unknown, and who would have remained that way had a collector not bothered to listen and share his finds. “The amazing thing about 78s is that so much of the music is one hundred percent undiscovered,” he said. “There are still so many records out there that are so rare there are only one or two copies, or no copies—you’ve never heard it. I’m still often discovering things. You find some weird band name, you don’t know what it is, and you take a chance on it, put it on, and it’s some incredible masterpiece.”

John Heneghan was glib and, at times, aggressively self-deprecating about his fanaticism, but his collection was, independent of its personal worth, an extraordinary cultural document. Collectors of 78s, maybe more than any other curators of music or music memorabilia, are doing essential preservationist work, chasing after tiny bits of art that would otherwise be lost. Even though their pursuits are inherently selfish, fueled by the same untempered obsession that drives all collectors, without Heneghan and his peers a good slice of musical history would be absent from the contemporary canon. And while academics, anthropologists, archivists, and reissue labels all assume roles in the preservation and diffusion of early songbooks, the bulk of the material being released or reissued is still being sourced from the original 78s—which are found, almost exclusively, in the cramped basements and bedrooms of 78 collectors.

Still, the historical heft of his effort didn’t mean Heneghan was free from the neuroses that characterize so many collectors: his collection was historically significant, but it was also deeply personal, even pathological. Collectors, like everyone, get seduced by the chase.
 

[Flex Mentallo]

On 1/9/2022 at 4:38 AM, damonwad said:

Thanks RM, looking forward to reading it.

Your description reminded me of a book I read (and loved) 15 or so years ago about rare book collectors called A Gentle Madness.

..and there is a recent documentary in a similar vein...

The Booksellers

 

[Cat-Man_America]

On 1/9/2022 at 10:06 AM, Flex Mentallo said:

I found a lengthy quote - rings a lot of bells!

 

Petrusich writes -

The first day we met, John Heneghan was careful to establish a disconnect between 78 collectors and the folks who stockpile LPs or 45s—for Heneghan, the distinction is acute, comparable to collecting pebbles versus collecting diamonds. But his own collection began with an LP—a reissue of a Charley Patton record, which he acquired when he was sixteen years old. Heneghan can still describe, in remarkable detail, the subsequent epiphany: picking up the record, feeling its heft in his hands, squinting at the photograph on the cover, flipping it over to read the date printed on the back, placing it on his turntable and releasing the needle into the groove, feeling transported, feeling changed.

“I’m not even sure that I liked it at first,” he admitted. “I liked the idea of it. It was really hard to listen to. But I was a guitar player—I had played the guitar since I was a kid—and I thought, ‘What is this? What is he doing?’ It was only a matter of time before I started seeking out the original records, the 78s. I resisted it for a long time because I knew it would be nearly impossible, and I knew it would be a financial burden beyond what any rational mind would consider a wise decision.”

The price of a 78 ranges from a few cents to a fair amount of cents—in some cases, up to $40,000—depending on the cachet of the artist, the condition of the record, the rarity of the pressing, and the fervency of a collector’s desire. Because 78s are objectively worthless and because collectors are so particular about what they want, a record’s archival value often trumps its monetary value. But that archival value can still be astonishing. Because they weren’t produced in huge quantities (although a CD or MP3 player is a fairly common accessory in most American homes now, gramophones were hardly standard in the early 1920s) and because for so long, so few people were interested in salvaging them, a good portion of the world’s remaining 78s—and it’s impossible to say how many are even left—were also singular representations. Often, no metal masters of these recording sessions survived, meaning that if the records themselves were to break, or be crammed into a flood-prone basement, or tossed into a Dumpster, then that particular song is gone, forever.

Most of Heneghan’s collecting peers, including the famed illustrator Robert Crumb, are the types who went door-to-door in the 1960s, asking people if they had records in their attics and snatching up 78s for a quarter apiece. When I asked Heneghan where he scored the bulk of his collection, he looked at me as if I’d commanded him to disrobe. “You don’t expect me to answer that question, do you? I’m not sure I should answer any of these questions,” he guffawed, his voice incredulous. “Do you realize how limited.These aren’t LPs! All it takes is a dozen more people interested and.” He trailed off again. “It amazes me. It’s American musical history and it’s forgotten about, and there are only a handful of people out there preserving it.”

Heneghan wasn’t being particularly hyperbolic. He and his pals are often uncovering and heralding artists who were previously unknown, and who would have remained that way had a collector not bothered to listen and share his finds. “The amazing thing about 78s is that so much of the music is one hundred percent undiscovered,” he said. “There are still so many records out there that are so rare there are only one or two copies, or no copies—you’ve never heard it. I’m still often discovering things. You find some weird band name, you don’t know what it is, and you take a chance on it, put it on, and it’s some incredible masterpiece.”

John Heneghan was glib and, at times, aggressively self-deprecating about his fanaticism, but his collection was, independent of its personal worth, an extraordinary cultural document. Collectors of 78s, maybe more than any other curators of music or music memorabilia, are doing essential preservationist work, chasing after tiny bits of art that would otherwise be lost. Even though their pursuits are inherently selfish, fueled by the same untempered obsession that drives all collectors, without Heneghan and his peers a good slice of musical history would be absent from the contemporary canon. And while academics, anthropologists, archivists, and reissue labels all assume roles in the preservation and diffusion of early songbooks, the bulk of the material being released or reissued is still being sourced from the original 78s—which are found, almost exclusively, in the cramped basements and bedrooms of 78 collectors.

Still, the historical heft of his effort didn’t mean Heneghan was free from the neuroses that characterize so many collectors: his collection was historically significant, but it was also deeply personal, even pathological. Collectors, like everyone, get seduced by the chase.
 

As a discerning collector, I'm just the opposite, ...the closer I get to 78 the more tempted I am by 45s or even 33 1/3s.

[october]

On 1/9/2022 at 9:47 AM, BraveDave said:

 relying on past performance for future returns is … silly.

Not nearly as silly as thinking inflection points in comics can be predicted with any degree of accuracy. 

I'll bet (I actually don't bet on comics, but for the sake of argument) on the company with a proven track record of translating their properties into successful films and TV. You go ahead and bet on the company that has mostly just produced a dumpster fire.

Edited January 9, 2022 by october

[Tri-Color Brian]

On 1/9/2022 at 3:27 PM, october said:

 

You go ahead and bet on the company that has mostly just produced a dumpster fire.

I searched and searched, but I can't find any books in my collection that have a dumpster fire on the cover...

[fifties]

On 1/9/2022 at 5:44 PM, Tri-ColorBrian said:

I searched and searched, but I can't find any books in my collection that have a dumpster fire on the cover...

Damn near any post code book would qualify...

[Bandelier]

On 1/6/2022 at 6:27 PM, tabcom said:

2021 was the year I sold off my 70+ raw flash comics collection (avg. VG) on eBay, over a four week period in October/November.

My pre-sale collection estimate was about half of what the collection sold for. Anticipating eBay policy of ‘the buyer is always right’, I got pinched only one time. Having navigated eBay waters for eons, I chalked it up to ‘cost of doing business’.

I feel fortunate that my WWII, Korean War, PCH, Romance bingo card had been fulfilled years ago.

Thanks for the #29!

[Mmehdy]

The  GA market has never been stronger and the  predictions for  2022 coming true...$3,180,000. ROCKET A1 is STUNNING. 3.3+million plus for a Spiderman page....wow

Edited January 13, 2022 by Mmehdy

[Mmehdy]

Det #27 $1,140,000...a 4.5  .another price barrier broken..the keys have exploded..Marvel 1 4.5 360,000 a lot of price barriers broken today under 6.0 and 5.0 GA grade levels...96K for a 0.5 no back  cover Superman 1...and a solid 192K for a MF #73 under 5.0...Bob Dylan said it best " the (GA)  times are a changing". Now the real question is WHY so  big..your thoughts....

 no back

Edited January 13, 2022 by Mmehdy

[sfcityduck]

On 1/13/2022 at 11:18 AM, Mmehdy said:

Det #27 $1,140,000...a 4.5  .another price barrier broken..the keys have exploded..Marvel 1 4.5 360,000 a lot of price barriers broken today under 6.0 and 5.0 GA grade levels...96K for a 0.5 no back  cover Superman 1...and a solid 192K for a MF #73 under 5.0...Bob Dylan said it best " the (GA)  times are a changing". Now the real question is WHY so  big..your thoughts....

 no back

The big question is:  Is there going to be long term price support?  

Seems like a lot of new money has come in.  Out of love of comics or lust for profit?  Love can be eternal, lust is fleeting.  

[Flex Mentallo]

On 1/13/2022 at 9:04 PM, sfcityduck said:

The big question is:  Is there going to be long term price support?  

Seems like a lot of new money has come in.  Out of love of comics or lust for profit?  Love can be eternal, lust is fleeting.  

Lust means never having to say you're sorry.

[fifties]

On 1/13/2022 at 11:18 AM, Mmehdy said:

Det #27 $1,140,000...a 4.5  .another price barrier broken..the keys have exploded..Marvel 1 4.5 360,000 a lot of price barriers broken today under 6.0 and 5.0 GA grade levels...96K for a 0.5 no back  cover Superman 1...and a solid 192K for a MF #73 under 5.0...Bob Dylan said it best " the (GA)  times are a changing". Now the real question is WHY so  big..your thoughts....

 no back

You said it yourself, "the times they are a changing".  This inflationary cycle is bigger than encompassing just collectibles, such as comic books.  PPL are flocking to "save havens"; Crypto currency, Real Estate, and the best examples in our hobby, the increases of which will just naturally pull up the lesser grades as well.  There will be an end in sight, we just don't know when.

[fishbone]

On 1/13/2022 at 2:05 PM, Mmehdy said:

The  GA market has never been stronger and the  predictions for  2022 coming true...$3,180,000. ROCKET A1 is STUNNING. 3.3+million plus for a Spiderman page....wow

what 3.3 million spiderman page !!???  you mean the $336,000 Spidey splash page ?  What u talkin' bout Willis ?

[fishbone]

On 1/9/2022 at 11:06 AM, Flex Mentallo said:

I found a lengthy quote - rings a lot of bells!

 

Petrusich writes -

The first day we met, John Heneghan was careful to establish a disconnect between 78 collectors and the folks who stockpile LPs or 45s—for Heneghan, the distinction is acute, comparable to collecting pebbles versus collecting diamonds. But his own collection began with an LP—a reissue of a Charley Patton record, which he acquired when he was sixteen years old. Heneghan can still describe, in remarkable detail, the subsequent epiphany: picking up the record, feeling its heft in his hands, squinting at the photograph on the cover, flipping it over to read the date printed on the back, placing it on his turntable and releasing the needle into the groove, feeling transported, feeling changed.

“I’m not even sure that I liked it at first,” he admitted. “I liked the idea of it. It was really hard to listen to. But I was a guitar player—I had played the guitar since I was a kid—and I thought, ‘What is this? What is he doing?’ It was only a matter of time before I started seeking out the original records, the 78s. I resisted it for a long time because I knew it would be nearly impossible, and I knew it would be a financial burden beyond what any rational mind would consider a wise decision.”

The price of a 78 ranges from a few cents to a fair amount of cents—in some cases, up to $40,000—depending on the cachet of the artist, the condition of the record, the rarity of the pressing, and the fervency of a collector’s desire. Because 78s are objectively worthless and because collectors are so particular about what they want, a record’s archival value often trumps its monetary value. But that archival value can still be astonishing. Because they weren’t produced in huge quantities (although a CD or MP3 player is a fairly common accessory in most American homes now, gramophones were hardly standard in the early 1920s) and because for so long, so few people were interested in salvaging them, a good portion of the world’s remaining 78s—and it’s impossible to say how many are even left—were also singular representations. Often, no metal masters of these recording sessions survived, meaning that if the records themselves were to break, or be crammed into a flood-prone basement, or tossed into a Dumpster, then that particular song is gone, forever.

Most of Heneghan’s collecting peers, including the famed illustrator Robert Crumb, are the types who went door-to-door in the 1960s, asking people if they had records in their attics and snatching up 78s for a quarter apiece. When I asked Heneghan where he scored the bulk of his collection, he looked at me as if I’d commanded him to disrobe. “You don’t expect me to answer that question, do you? I’m not sure I should answer any of these questions,” he guffawed, his voice incredulous. “Do you realize how limited.These aren’t LPs! All it takes is a dozen more people interested and.” He trailed off again. “It amazes me. It’s American musical history and it’s forgotten about, and there are only a handful of people out there preserving it.”

Heneghan wasn’t being particularly hyperbolic. He and his pals are often uncovering and heralding artists who were previously unknown, and who would have remained that way had a collector not bothered to listen and share his finds. “The amazing thing about 78s is that so much of the music is one hundred percent undiscovered,” he said. “There are still so many records out there that are so rare there are only one or two copies, or no copies—you’ve never heard it. I’m still often discovering things. You find some weird band name, you don’t know what it is, and you take a chance on it, put it on, and it’s some incredible masterpiece.”

John Heneghan was glib and, at times, aggressively self-deprecating about his fanaticism, but his collection was, independent of its personal worth, an extraordinary cultural document. Collectors of 78s, maybe more than any other curators of music or music memorabilia, are doing essential preservationist work, chasing after tiny bits of art that would otherwise be lost. Even though their pursuits are inherently selfish, fueled by the same untempered obsession that drives all collectors, without Heneghan and his peers a good slice of musical history would be absent from the contemporary canon. And while academics, anthropologists, archivists, and reissue labels all assume roles in the preservation and diffusion of early songbooks, the bulk of the material being released or reissued is still being sourced from the original 78s—which are found, almost exclusively, in the cramped basements and bedrooms of 78 collectors.

Still, the historical heft of his effort didn’t mean Heneghan was free from the neuroses that characterize so many collectors: his collection was historically significant, but it was also deeply personal, even pathological. Collectors, like everyone, get seduced by the chase.
 

I am now 3/4 of the way thru this book, on recommendation here on the Boards, and it is a fascinating read !!

[Terry JSA]

On 1/13/2022 at 4:51 PM, fishbone said:

what 3.3 million spiderman page !!???  you mean the $336,000 Spidey splash page ?  What u talkin' bout Willis ?

 

[Dark Knight]

Tons of new money coming in whether new collectors, investors, speculators, what have you.  I've been seeing such a huge surge in collectors from different avenues in collectibles coming into the comic book market. Whether they are card collectors, watch collectors, art, video games, etc.  Times a changing right now so strap on your seatbelt.  Who knows if this will last...

[Aman619]

Well the rate of increase won’t last, but the values of these things are on the table, attracting interest like never before.  Just got to back into normal fiscal policies and avoid a crash.  Easy -peasy.

[fishbone]

On 1/13/2022 at 4:59 PM, Terry JSA said:

 

What the actual F ********* !!??!!!!!!!!

my lord