What are you willing to do to fund your comic collecting hobby? 2 2

[jimbo_7071]

On 10/8/2023 at 11:57 AM, Robot Man said:

Not many of the current generation seem to be collectors…

I agree. They practically live virtually. They're always on their phones. I've known Millenials who collect tennis shoes and Pokémon cards, and I'm sure there are a few here and there who collect other things, including comic books, but the next generation—the Zoomers—aren't interested in collecting anything so far as I can tell. They only seem to care about social media (watching TikTok videos, etc.). The concept of collecting could be an anachronism fifty years from now.

[B2D327]

On 10/8/2023 at 5:41 PM, Phicks said:

I am so obsessed with comic collecting that to fund it I have worked 40 hours a week, every week, for the past 30 years.  At a really dull office job.  

Immediately came to mind

[B2D327]

On 10/8/2023 at 5:00 PM, BigLeagueCHEW said:

At first glance, it looked like an albino bat.

This scene from the Lost Boys might be why:

[B2D327]

On 10/8/2023 at 8:21 PM, jimbo_7071 said:

I agree. They practically live virtually. They're always on their phones. I've known Millenials who collect tennis shoes and Pokémon cards, and I'm sure there are a few here and there who collect other things, including comic books, but the next generation—the Zoomers—aren't interested in collecting anything so far as I can tell. They only seem to care about social media (watching TikTok videos, etc.). The concept of collecting could be an anachronism fifty years from now.

They collect “followers” nowadays

…and the funny thing is they may trade or buy/sell them the same way we do comics eventually 

Edited October 9, 2023 by B2D327

[Ryan.]

My 7 year old and many of his friends collect and trade Pokémon cards. 

[Buzzetta]

This reminds me that I have to list the flip flops I wore all summer on eBay. 

[MattTheDuck]

On 10/8/2023 at 5:55 PM, Buzzetta said:

This reminds me that I have to list the flip flops I wore all summer on eBay. 

[KCOComics]

On 10/8/2023 at 12:03 PM, Robot Man said:

I have collected comics for over 50 years. For the most part, the big players in the hobby were funded by trust funds or born with a silver spoon in their mouth. Not many folks with the big books are totally “self made”. Can’t think of many who have gotton rich selling comics. There are some but not many. 

That's interesting.  I never really knew the background of those early collectors.

I guess I always assumed they collected something 99% of the world viewed as a child's play thing and that created opportunities to buy before the rest of the world caught on.

So you had guys like "The Dentist" who were buying the biggest keys in the best condition, but it took an element of courage. Because outside of a small minority of people, no one was jumping up and down saying "this is a safe and stable place to put your money."  You had to have the attitude that "its worth it to me and I don't care if it's not worth it to anyone else" 

I've taken that same attitude with bigger comics I've purchased, but I'm not swimming in the same waters as guys like David Anderson

[justafan]

On 10/8/2023 at 1:07 AM, unclezebo said:

I know what a ZJ is and I still can't afford it.

[justafan]

I stopped buying moderns and, recently, thanks to Bry's store variant, I've also stopped collecting ASM store variants. Now I have so much more money to spend on GA/SA/BA books.

[Krismusic]

On 10/8/2023 at 11:03 AM, Readcomix said:

If he gets embalmed does he get a purple label?

Green incomplete? 

[Robot Man]

On 10/8/2023 at 6:27 PM, KCOComics said:

That's interesting.  I never really knew the background of those early collectors.

I guess I always assumed they collected something 99% of the world viewed as a child's play thing and that created opportunities to buy before the rest of the world caught on.

So you had guys like "The Dentist" who were buying the biggest keys in the best condition, but it took an element of courage. Because outside of a small minority of people, no one was jumping up and down saying "this is a safe and stable place to put your money."  You had to have the attitude that "its worth it to me and I don't care if it's not worth it to anyone else" 

I've taken that same attitude with bigger comics I've purchased, but I'm not swimming in the same waters as guys like David Anderson

Back then in addition to DA, you can add in Fishler, Redbeard, Snyder, the Carters, Geppi (one of the few who was self made) and several others that were funded by others. Comics were less by today’s standards, but at the time insane. Prices just kept rising and other collectors and investors kept jumping in and propping them up. And yes, it took a lot of guts back then. No one had any idea of what was to come. Now the prices have risen to the point where there are a lot of folks who have no love or emotion for them but a lot of money to spread around. 

[Buzzetta]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:04 PM, MattTheDuck said:

Someone in Los Angeles follows my eBay account and usually always buys or bids on them. 

[AceHazard]

If you know. You know. 

[MattTheDuck]

On 10/10/2023 at 3:29 AM, Buzzetta said:

Someone in Los Angeles follows my eBay account and usually always buys or bids on them. 

Probably this guy

 

[Hamlet]

On 10/8/2023 at 11:10 AM, Stefan_W said:

I think ease of re-selling is an important part of investing in collectables.

So you’re saying my strategy of buying long boxes of books for 3/$1 in the hopes of selling them someday as dollar books is a bad “investing” strategy?

[ExNihilo]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:10 AM, Stefan_W said:

When I invest in comics I am very aware that if I pass away tomorrow the boxes of raws sitting in my basement will fetch very little for my family - some local dealer will come along and offer my wife 50-100 bucks a box and she will likely take it because it is easy for her to get rid of them that way. I did make an instruction sheet of who to contact and where to send the slabs so they can be sold off, and I asked a trusted friend to help her out with this. I have also tried to invest in comics with good re-sale potential to help avoid negative surprises where the comics sent in for auction only bring in a small fraction of what I said they are worth. Maybe it is just because I am older now, but these conversations about the estate (in this case the comic part of it) are important. 

This is exactly what I've done.  Instructed my family that slabs are worth the most and should be kept.  Books double bagged in mylar and archive (or toploader) are next most valuable bunch and should also be kept.  My dad's books in a short box should be passed down for sentimental reasons.  The other 99% of my collection can just be sold to the local comic shop for pennies on the dollar.

To answer the question, I work the aforementioned 40+ hour week like Milton.  It covers my retirement, my mortgage, my vacation money, and god willing, the ability to buy some big books every now and then.

[Terry JSA]

I’m willing to find a sugar mama for my hobby needs. I’m a young 21-year-old. 

[Gaard]

[Robot Man]