Oh Man I Sure Hope the Comics Market Never Crashes as Bad as the Stamps Market 13 13

[William-James88]

On 3/21/2022 at 6:15 PM, bc said:

This is like a thread-surrection question

 

Also this:

https://www.cbr.com/comic-book-questions-answered-how-many-pages-did-jack-kirby-draw-in-a-day/#:~:text=Jack often did more than,with this in more detail.

Summary: "We have heard so many stories about how fast Kirby was, but how many pages did he actually draw a day? The one I heard the most often was about three pages a day, which is a remarkably high amount of pages."

"To find out for sure, I went to everyone's favorite Jack Kirby expert, Mark Evanier, and here's what he had to say:"

"Jack often did more than three a day. During the 1963-1967 period, he often did five or six a day. His 1970 deal with DC required fifteen a week and he sometimes did twenty."

 

This is somewhat confirmed by this post:

https://www.penciljack.com/forum/divergent-discussions/break-room/47634-

Three a day may have been his latter day output but, not his prime. Jack would've call three a day "naptime."

Picking blindly out of my Spidey box, I get ASM 21, Feb 1965. A month of no special importance, no different than any other. The letters page holds an INCOMPLETE checklist of "this months" books. Repeat: INCOMPLETE! The list held eight titles and Jack was involved in every one of them.

Fantastic Four 35 (20 + cover)
Avengers 12 (20 + cover)
X-men 9 (20 + cover)
JIM 112 - Thor+Tales of Asgard (21 + cover)
Suspense 62 - Captain America (10 + cover)
Astonish 64 (cover)
Strange Tales 129 (cover)
Sgt Fury 14 (cover)

That's 99 pages (minimum) in 22 days! 

Remember that Jack wasn't drawing art or history, he was drawing: house payments, heating oil, food for his children and shoes for their feet. Contrary to the libelous nonsense of FF 511 () where Jack shows up as god, Jack's pencils had no erasers. The reason was simple: You don't get paid to erase.

 

That amount of output is astounding to me, and to think it went on month after month for several years is just insane.

So to circle back to your original question: a good guess is at least 8 titles per month in 1965.

-bc

 

Haha. I asked because I felt I didn't get a conclusive response in my initial thread. But we were going about it in the wrong approach and I felt I could bring it up again here.

[jimbo_7071]

Reading through this thread, I found it amusing how many people said, "That could never happen to comics because . . . because . . . because comics are cooler than stamps!" (or some variation thereof).

Comics could crash (or, more likely, slowly deflate); the question is the timeframe in which that would happen. I think we're safe for some time. Most devout collectors are Boomers and Gen-Xers. The older Boomers are slowly starting to exit the hobby in one way or another, but there are enough Gen-Xers in the hobby to keep it going for quite a while. We have some Millenials and Zoomers, but I don't think that collecting comics will ever be more than a niche hobby for those generations. Even if they get into the MCU or Batman, they will be more focused on the movies; the comics will be an afterthought. If they collect anything, it will be the things they grew up coveting: video games, athletic shoes, Pokémon cards, Lego kits . . . who knows what else.

In recent years, you've seen Boomers become empty nesters with more discretionary income, access to 401Ks, etc., and comics have done very well largely thanks to that demographic. I think there could be a leveling off of prices as Boomers exit the hobby in larger numbers, but when Gen-Xers start to leave en masse, that's when you'll see the real "crash," in my opinion. I think that's about 20 years away—so if I'm right, comics will start to get cheap right around the time I'll likely be trying to divest myself of my collection (if I'm lucky enough to still be around). 

Edited January 1 by jimbo_7071

[Aman619]

When the millennials and gen xers and the rest inherit their boomer parents money it will be like 2020 covid all over again.  Free Money to burn!

[D84]

On 1/1/2024 at 10:30 AM, Aman619 said:

When the millennials and gen xers and the rest inherit their boomer parents money it will be like 2020 covid all over again.  Free Money to burn!

That will be spent on comics?

[Dr. Balls]

On 1/1/2024 at 9:30 AM, Aman619 said:

When the millennials and gen xers and the rest inherit their boomer parents money it will be like 2020 covid all over again.  Free Money to burn!

Likely spent on Hot Yoga memberships, air-cushioned Birkenstocks and fruity flavored weed. 

[WolverineX]

On 1/1/2024 at 11:30 AM, Aman619 said:

When the millennials and gen xers and the rest inherit their boomer parents money it will be like 2020 covid all over again.  Free Money to burn!

boomers will spend all their savings on healthcare....

[BA773]

On 3/1/2022 at 8:39 PM, 500Club said:

Over the last 30 years, yes.  Over the last couple of years, no.  LCSs are adding file customers in our area, and lapsed collectors are coming back into the hobby.  In addition, increased overseas buying is drawing books out of the market.

Yes you are right bro, its me the little rogue from Switzerland who steals all your books! 

Edited January 1 by BA773

[William-James88]

On 1/1/2024 at 2:15 PM, WolverineX said:

boomers will spend all their savings on healthcare....

This aint wrong. Boomers are only between 59 and 77. So up to 30 years left to live for those which get to 90. Healthcare technology will get better but also more expensive and if they want to keep living, they'll keep spending, drying up those coffers. Also, and this is just a personal thing, but I don't intend to leave any money for my kids, maybe I'm not the only one to think that way. I'll support them so that they can thrive in their career path but I do wish for them to be self sufficient. And plus, they'll inherit my comics and what I collect is the least likely stuff to be worthless later (superhero GA, early Marvel SA).

On 1/1/2024 at 11:30 AM, Aman619 said:

When the millennials and gen xers and the rest inherit their boomer parents money it will be like 2020 covid all over again.  Free Money to burn!

Big doubt on that when they can finally buy the bitcoin they've always wanted instead.

Edited January 1 by William-James88

[Patriot6]

On 1/1/2024 at 3:03 PM, William-James88 said:

This aint wrong. Boomers are only between 59 and 77. So up to 30 years left to live for those which get to 90. Healthcare technology will get better but also more expensive and if they want to keep living, they'll keep spending, drying up those coffers.

I guess this depends on where you are in the world? Also some countries impose an inheritance tax while others do not.  There is currently, with an increasing snowball effect, a transfer of wealth taking place from boomers to their children. 

[The humble Watcher lurking]

To be fair Stamps are still a very popular collectible around the world. Just not in the USA for some reason. 

[Dr. Balls]

On 1/1/2024 at 2:03 PM, William-James88 said:

This aint wrong. Boomers are only between 59 and 77. So up to 30 years left to live for those which get to 90. Healthcare technology will get better but also more expensive and if they want to keep living, they'll keep spending, drying up those coffers.

There's also the factor that Doctors and healthcare providers are actively fleecing every single patient that comes through the door. Healthcare is expensive, but not for the reasons people think. You go for your yearly and the cost is $250. The doctor asks you if you are sleeping ok? He charges you another $50 to ask that question. Are you sluggish in the morning? Another $80. And so on. Don't believe me? Ask for an itemized bill - and savor the flavor of getting bent over by your "family" doctor for more than a rectal exam.

All those prescription commercials on Hulu? Brainwashing the American public into thinking that they need to be constantly medicated - and you need to go to your doctor to get a script. Do you experience toe pain more than once a year? You need Conchivectorax! Taken once daily! See your doctor! Barf. A once-respected industry now hell bent on keeping everyone sick and promoting over-medicating yourself to be "well". I saw an ad this past week for arthritis pain targeting 20-30 years olds. That's right, those poor 20 year olds with their arthritis pain keeping them from living their best life. 

Healthcare is expensive because people have been manipulated by fear tactics of several industries to think they are going to die on the first sign of toe pain, and they rush to overload the hospital with inane requests and mild symptoms - either paying all these exorbitant fees directly with their own money, or indirectly with increased health insurance premiums.

 

[WolverineX]

On 1/1/2024 at 7:41 PM, Dr. Balls said:

There's also the factor that Doctors and healthcare providers are actively fleecing every single patient that comes through the door. 

 

False.  Cut out the middlemen, aka insurance companies,  drug companies,  healthcare administrators, venture capitalists buying up doctor practices.... they are getting richer and richer while doctors are getting blamed for the rising costs. 

[William-James88]

On 1/1/2024 at 10:56 PM, WolverineX said:

False.  Cut out the middlemen, aka insurance companies,  drug companies,  healthcare administrators, venture capitalists buying up doctor practices.... they are getting richer and richer while doctors are getting blamed for the rising costs. 

I read the inclusion of "Healthcare providers" in the post you quoted as insurance companies too since people are getting their Healthcare through them.

[WolverineX]

On 1/1/2024 at 11:00 PM, William-James88 said:

I read the inclusion of "Healthcare providers" in the post you quoted as insurance companies too since people are getting their Healthcare through them.

America is all about middlemen wanting to get their cut....Heathcare costs are only going to worsen in our for profit system.  

[Namtak]

Idk if in 50 years from now there is no more paper used ,then comics and many other things becomes artefacts of the past and is a bit more prise.

 

I mean ive been fighting for years to have my paychecks printed on papers and now i cant anymore,where i work they stoped it altogeter so idk....comics and stamps my be collected just for that reason in less than a century from now 

[Northwest]

On 1/3/2024 at 9:02 AM, Namtak said:

Idk if in 50 years from now there is no more paper used ,then comics and many other things becomes artefacts of the past and is a bit more prise.

 

I mean ive been fighting for years to have my paychecks printed on papers and now i cant anymore,where i work they stoped it altogeter so idk....comics and stamps my be collected just for that reason in less than a century from now 

Counter-point: most art is done digitally and the hand-created vintage art market has been (mostly) healthy. Also, most people pay with plastic, and vintage physical coins are (mostly) doing well. 

[AndyFish]

My

I started reading comics in the early to mid 70s, I started collecting them in the late 70s early 80s beginning with BATMAN and DETECTIVE COMICS-  first I was buying SILVER age copies in really excellent condition and at the flea market I would get them at they'd be about $1-$3 a piece.  I remember vividly the older comic book collectors who would be hanging around telling my I was throwing my money away by buying junk and I should focus solely on Golden Age Comics.   I never even saw a Golden Age Comic until about 1980 when my local shop had a BATMAN #14 in VG shape for $50-- he had it displayed behind the register and I thought it was a coloring book at first because it was so much bigger than comics I was familiar with.   He took it down and leafed through it and I recognized one of the stories from that great red Batman Treasury from 1974.   I had him put it aside and I scrambled to come up with the $50.   A few months later he had a DETECTIVE COMICS #34 in VG/F for $90 but when I tried to buy it (on a Sunday and the owner was off) the guy working the counter said "a kid like you shouldn't be spending $90 on a funny book".  But buy it I did and it became a total obsession buying Golden Age Comics.   All along the way collectors would chastise me when I'd buy a 60s comic in really nice condition.

Fast forward to the mid 80s and professors at SVA in New York were telling me not to get into comics professionally because the industry would collapse and be gone in the next ten years.

Well today I've been working full time in comics for 30 years now, my collection is worth well over 1.5 Million (mostly gold) and I continue to buy golden age comics but not for the prices I was, that's for sure.

My long way of saying naysayers and doom predictors have been a big chunk of the comics market for as long as I can remember, and if anything it means a collapse of prices would mean a Tec #27 might sell for $500k instead of $4M but I agree with all the sentiments here, comics are unique from stamps and coins because of the emotional connection we collectors have to them.

[batman_fan]

On 3/8/2022 at 10:20 PM, Krydel4 said:

The majority of them are more about the investing/speculation side of the hobby than current storylines, character studies, upcoming comics etc. The channels I've found that do talk about those aspects are hosted by older collectors. The pics are just 4 examples of the videos that came up when I typed "Comic Books" into YouTube search. 

Who is the “Jim Cramer” of comic collecting?

[october]

On 1/1/2024 at 9:56 PM, WolverineX said:

False.  Cut out the middlemen, aka insurance companies,  drug companies,  healthcare administrators, venture capitalists buying up doctor practices.... they are getting richer and richer while doctors are getting blamed for the rising costs. 

You get it. I work for a large academic medical center and the amount of staff/overhead/resources diverted to non-patient-facing units is unreal. Entire buildings full of people that do nothing but maintain the (very expensive) IT infrastructure or deal with the purposefully byzantine insurance system or consult internally with clinics to wring even more throughput out of medical staff. All of that directly contributes to the high bills....especially the insurance piece. That industry is an absolute travesty. 

[AndyFish]

On 3/21/2022 at 6:32 PM, Krydel4 said:

Then you get to today's artists who get a 6-8 week head start before publication that need a fill in by Issue 3 cause they've fallen behind. And it's the only book they work on. 🤦‍♂️

I'm not so sure about this-- I know a lot of artists, and I don't know anyone who is getting this kind of lead time unless they are working for small press.   It's common to get a script from a writer and when you look at the due date for your part of it - it's three DAYS away-- many many editors are not doing their job and allow lazy BIG name writers to send in excuses rather than scripts.   I see it over and over again.