The San Diego Comic con losing its appeal to the vintage collector? 3 3

[Microchip]

On 7/13/2023 at 10:54 AM, action1kid said:

In the 90’s I picked up the rarest key books at SDCC.

 

New fun #1

motion picture funnies week #1

Jumbo #1

Adventure #40 

 

all in one trip

Those days are gone.

Back then people looked down on ASM #1 as an easy book to come across.

The hobby keeps moving on, and changing, and thats a good thing.   

 

[action1kid]

True. I did

[action1kid]

After I bought all my Golden age books , with the money I had left I bought the inexpensive stuff( lol) AF15 and a few silver age keys. This was the early 90s

[Robot Man]

On 7/12/2023 at 6:00 PM, Microchip said:

Those days are gone.

Back then people looked down on ASM #1 as an easy book to come across.

The hobby keeps moving on, and changing, and thats a good thing.   

 

ASM 1 is still an easy book to find. How many are there on the bay right now? Not to mention I can’t recall ever going to a show where there isn’t at least one.

Finding one cheap? That ship has sailed long ago. Now if you are willing to accept a real low grade one. Still doable.

So many obscure GA books are near impossible to find no matter how much you are willing to pay. 

[action1kid]

I paid $100 for a fair- complete copy unrestored for AF15 in the early 90s in Brooklyn. I think it’s easier to find today if you got the bucks. In any grade I consider it a very easy book to find. Obviously the demand is incredible.

[Microchip]

On 7/13/2023 at 11:14 AM, action1kid said:

After I bought all my Golden age books , with the money I had left I bought the inexpensive stuff( lol) AF15 and a few silver age keys. This was the early 90s

It's always interesting to see what were the big ticket books at various era's.    

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

The last time I went (don't remember the year but in the latter 2010's) it was for a day probably travelling on the train or driving to and parking at the big stadium and taking a trolley ride in to town. I decided to approach the show like it wasn't a comic show anymore and to just walk around and look at everything else and check out the comics as an after thought later.

I have to say I really enjoyed this approach and it allowed me to find and appreciate things I probably never would have spent time looking at in past years. I doubt I even bought any comics but I remember having a good time all the same.

I plan on going back one day; probably just for a day to see if I notice any further changes. I won't be looking for comics but might look for comics panels. Sometimes obscure dealers have interesting things if you look in the back of their booths. Guys selling expensive toys usually have a comics box that might be overlooked.

Fun is where you find it and SDCC can still offer it up if you give it a shot and figure out some strategies to avoid exorbitantly priced parking, food and hotels. In fact someone should write a book called, "The Cheapskates guide to SDCC, or how I shared a hotel room with fifteen people!"

[Terry JSA]

If you’re looking for vintage books, I’d recommend HeroesCon or Baltimore Comic-Con.

[Bumble Kitty]

On 7/12/2023 at 8:17 PM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

Fun is where you find it and SDCC can still offer it up if you give it a shot and figure out some strategies to avoid exorbitantly priced parking, food and hotels. In fact someone should write a book called, "The Cheapskates guide to SDCC, or how I shared a hotel room with fifteen people!"

Here's one guide tip:  If you plan on eating at the convention center, then bring plenty of Imodium with you.

[Robot Man]

On 7/12/2023 at 8:17 PM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

The last time I went (don't remember the year but in the latter 2010's) it was for a day probably travelling on the train or driving to and parking at the big stadium and taking a trolley ride in to town. I decided to approach the show like it wasn't a comic show anymore and to just walk around and look at everything else and check out the comics as an after thought later.

I have to say I really enjoyed this approach and it allowed me to find and appreciate things I probably never would have spent time looking at in past years. I doubt I even bought any comics but I remember having a good time all the same.

I plan on going back one day; probably just for a day to see if I notice any further changes. I won't be looking for comics but might look for comics panels. Sometimes obscure dealers have interesting things if you look in the back of their booths. Guys selling expensive toys usually have a comics box that might be overlooked.

Fun is where you find it and SDCC can still offer it up if you give it a shot and figure out some strategies to avoid exorbitantly priced parking, food and hotels. In fact someone should write a book called, "The Cheapskates guide to SDCC, or how I shared a hotel room with fifteen people!"

That is a great way of approaching it. As much as I am a vintage comic buyer and attendee from its beginnings, there really is no other show that comes close to the “vibe” of SDCC. Hanging with friends, making new ones, attending interesting panels and just people watching. The whole town goes “comic crazy”.

As a young comic fan and attendee, I could have easily filled a book on how to attend “on the cheap”. But that ship has long since sailed. Along with most of the great comic dealers and more old friends than I can count. But I still have great memories…

[Cat-Man_America]

The Covid pandemic was a game changer in some regards. Everything about SDCC had to reboot. For some collectors the hurdles for attending make it more complicated and less worthwhile. The auction house focus has made SDCC less of a draw for high grade collectors with so many books only being previewed now. By the time a collector jumps through hoops to buy tickets, arrange travel and hotel, and budgets for restaurants, there's less capitol to spend on those desired comics that are available.

The one thing that can't be substituted is camaraderie with fellow collectors and dealers. Those things that are the best intangible, under promoted parts of SDCC which can't be replaced. Also, the Hollywood involvement and cosplay are as much a part of the mix that makes SDCC great as the comics, parties and great nearby restaurants IMO. The SDCC experience, for all its drawbacks is still a unique and essential part of the fan community fabric whether one makes the effort to attend or not. 

[thecollectron]

I noticed on the SDCC schedule that panels for TV and movies were kind of vague about who would appear on the panels. Now that SAG-AFTRA has voted to strike I reckon most of those panels will be minimal or dropped altogether.

Maybe some unlucky studio intern or office worker will draw the short straw and have to show up to Hall H and Ballroom 20 with a PowerPoint and no actors. Hall H is not a priority for me but I feel bad for fans for whom it is.

There is plenty of other programming but it will be interesting to see how this affects the energy at the Con.    

[Cat-Man_America]

On 7/13/2023 at 4:38 PM, thecollectron said:

I noticed on the SDCC schedule that panels for TV and movies were kind of vague about who would appear on the panels. Now that SAG-AFTRA has voted to strike I reckon most of those panels will be minimal or dropped altogether.

Maybe some unlucky studio intern or office worker will draw the short straw and have to show up to Hall H and Ballroom 20 with a PowerPoint and no actors. Hall H is not a priority for me but I feel bad for fans for whom it is.

There is plenty of other programming but it will be interesting to see how this affects the energy at the Con.    

Reports coming back from this year's convention will be interesting. 

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

This is a fun listen; I believe I got the link on a FB group. The stories of the early days of this con should be fun for you early attenders. I thought it interesting in that I could sense parallels between Phil Seuling's New York cons that I attended and the SDCC. SDCC turned into the big Kahuna and Phil's show didn't take off that way.

Comic Con History Podcast

 

Edited July 14, 2023 by 50YrsCollctngCmcs

[nearmint]

I'll be attending SDCC every year until one of us dies.  Likely, that will be me.

[thecollectron]

On 7/27/2023 at 10:06 AM, nearmint said:

I'll be attending SDCC every year until one of us dies.  Likely, that will be me.

Same here!

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

Granted SDCC is the Gorilla of Comic Cons but I like variety in my life. With retirement coming up in a few years what other conventions should I consider heading out to for some good old comics fun? OafCon is one that I hear is old school fun and maybe Chicago. I did the New York circuit as a kid so that wouldn't interest me too much. Is Baltimore still a good show?

[LDarkseid1]

I thought the vintage market was solid this year, and as usual tons of people checking out books. Doesn’t feel like vintage comics has lost much appeal at SDCC to me. I bought a big pre-code horror book myself, and I never buy at conventions, much less SDCC

Edited July 28, 2023 by LDarkseid1

[jimjum12]

On 7/28/2023 at 4:28 AM, 50YrsCollctngCmcs said:

Granted SDCC is the Gorilla of Comic Cons but I like variety in my life. With retirement coming up in a few years what other conventions should I consider heading out to for some good old comics fun? OafCon is one that I hear is old school fun and maybe Chicago. I did the New York circuit as a kid so that wouldn't interest me too much. Is Baltimore still a good show?

You should go to Heroes in Charlotte, N.C. ... and a close second would be Baltimore. Both are still basically giant comic cons. They haven't morphed into the Media driven behemoths that almost get in the way of the comics. A couple of advantages to Heroes are it's being one of the first big shows of the year, lots of new stock available from over the winter. The overhead is a bit more friendly, too ... GOD BLESS ...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[nearmint]

We're pretty lucky here in Southern California.  We have Terry's show at the beginning of the year, and TorpedoCon right before SDCC.