Is my wife right? Comics are like real estate - the more times a single book sells, the more the price inflates? 3 3

[WolverineX]

Mrs. Balls is correct. 

[707comics]

On 5/30/2022 at 1:02 PM, Dr. Balls said:

That is absolutely true - it'd be based on comps of the neighborhood - but if the houses around your parents had been flipped 6 times in the time they lived there, the comps would reflect those new prices. So your family would definitely get the price bump based on the market, but the price bump is based on repeat sales and realtor/bank/appraiser/inspector profiting, not because of a genuine increase in value.

However, houses always have, and always will increase in value for many factors, including the sale of the house by a realtor. That's just the way the world goes around. 

What is your definition of a "genuine" increase of value? I would argue the situation you just describe does.

The houses would not sell for a value greater than the last if there was not someone willing todo so. The demand dictates the price it is sold for regardless if you are making a profit or taking a loss. Sometimes folks need to cash out quickly (regardless of investment type) and sell for a loss or for a reduced profit just for a quick transaction.

Love the conversation, just my thoughts. That said you should know that according to my wife, I am normally "wrong" though 

[theCapraAegagrus]

Quote

Is my wife right?

I bet she always thinks that she is.

[Bookery]

On 5/30/2022 at 4:44 PM, Beastfeast said:

 What something is worth to you means absolutely zero to what the market values it at. 

Yep.  It really is as simple as that.

[toro]

In the case of a house extensive restoration (new furnace, new electrical and such)  increases the value of the home without being stigmatized with a purple designation.  The quick clean and press (fresh coat of paint, makes it appear nice, but the house usually has other issues)

[comicginger1789]

On 5/30/2022 at 2:37 PM, MattTheDuck said:

Yep - your copy of AF #15 in 8.0 is "worth" what the comparable sales say it's worth.  An OO copy purchased off the stands, slabbed when it could be and sold in 2022 is worth exactly the same as a book that's been sold 50 times since 2000.

I'll play devil's advocate and disagree slightly here. If such a book existed and was part of a collection and this story was attached to it, there is the potential for it to garner more on the market. Comic fans appreciate a good bit of history with their books. Not all, but a larger number than I ever would have thought. 

[MattTheDuck]

On 5/31/2022 at 9:28 AM, comicginger1789 said:

I'll play devil's advocate and disagree slightly here. If such a book existed and was part of a collection and this story was attached to it, there is the potential for it to garner more on the market. Comic fans appreciate a good bit of history with their books. Not all, but a larger number than I ever would have thought. 

I agree, although I wasn't thinking of an "identified" collection or pedigree or anything like that.  I consider those books "one of a kind" - it's like buying John Voight's 1989 LeBaron convertible. No doubt some would pay a premium for those books.

[valiantman]

On 5/31/2022 at 11:33 AM, MattTheDuck said:

I agree, although I wasn't thinking of an "identified" collection or pedigree or anything like that.  I consider those books "one of a kind" - it's like buying John Voight's 1989 LeBaron convertible. No doubt some would pay a premium for those books.

Everybody's talkin' at me...

[lizards2]

On 5/30/2022 at 2:35 PM, Wolverinex said:

Mrs. Balls is correct. 

 

[Kevin76]

She is right actually because if something is so rare, it doesn't get traded enough to price it. While rare golden age is great, pricing it is a pain cause sales data is so few and far between and you don't know what the market is willing to pay for it. 

Edited June 2, 2022 by Kevin76

[AndyFish]

She's right in that you stand a far better chance of making a profit in real estate or collectibles if you're able to hold on to something for longer than someone who is looking for a quick flip, but there are flippers and day traders who sometimes make a killing.   If I bought a house in my neighborhood in the 1970s as some of my neighbors did I now own a house worth about $450k going by recent market sales.   I bought my house seven years ago for $195k and it's valued at $400+ with this current inflated housing market.

Comics as a commodity are unique because they are rarer than houses or stocks, if I want a house in a certain neighborhood and I'm outbid by another buyer I need only wait until another one comes along.  If on the other hand I'm in the market for a 9.2 BATMAN #1 there is a much smaller number of those on the market (if at all).

IF I can stumble off topic for a second; It gets even more complicated with original art-- I laugh at the idea of price guides-- with original art you are talking about one of a kind items.  You want THIS page that I own?  You have to pay my price even if you don't think that price is fair.  That's the price.  You can settle for a different page from the same book but not THE page I have.  For example, the page from AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #124 where Jameson admits his son is the werewolf-- it's a desirable page but NO amount of money buys it, so is it worth $5 million?  It is if I own the page and I say so.