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

[Robot Man]

On 10/8/2023 at 8:15 AM, B2D327 said:

My attitude towards collecting is I buy it because I want it not because I NEED it and have always funded my love of the hobby the same way. If I have the disposable income to pick up a few books here and there, great. If it’s something on the higher end pricewise, I have less expensive books I can sell or trade that can be more easily replaced at a later date. I can also accept there are books that are just beyond my reach and doing without has always been pretty normal for me. I’ve also come across “opportunities” but having a conscience is a good way to keep the hobby fun for me.

Exactly, and well said.

I have always sold stuff to buy stuff. I have a completely self funded collection.

Then, I have never looked at my collection as an “investment”. Just dumb luck. But, because I loved my books and hung on to them, I could do VERY well if I decided to sell them.

At the end of the day it has always been merely a hobby. One, I love and has given me so much pleasure. 

[MattTheDuck]

My son was a giant Pokemon kid (still has tons of cards) and I can tell you that as late as 2015 I had kids in the Scout troop who always wanted to talk to me about Pokemon.  If future value has any relation to youthful popularity, I'd suggest when these guys get to be our age those cards will have been at least a good investment.

[Robot Man]

On 10/8/2023 at 7:37 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

I went without health insurance for 9 years in order to continue collecting comics. I finally caved in and bought health insurance in 2021 after COVID hit. (I've been to the doctor twice in the past three years, so I often think ruefully about the extra comics I could have purchased if only I hadn't caved in and bought health insurance. I may have a problem.)

A bad decision my friend. What if something catastrophic and unexpected happened to you or your family?

I am very healthy and rarely get sick. I recently ended up spending 9 days in the hospital. The bill would have been catastrophic if I didn’t have health insurance.

At the end of the day, comics are just things you can’t take with you anyway. 

[Robot Man]

On 10/8/2023 at 8:45 AM, MattTheDuck said:

My son was a giant Pokemon kid (still has tons of cards) and I can tell you that as late as 2015 I had kids in the Scout troop who always wanted to talk to me about Pokemon.  If future value has any relation to youthful popularity, I'd suggest when these guys get to be our age those cards will have been at least a good investment.

Maybe, or maybe go the way of Beanie Baby’s. Just because people of my generation wanted to chase their childhood, the kids of tomorrow might not. Not many of the current generation seem to be collectors…

[Robot Man]

On 10/7/2023 at 8:34 PM, jpepx78 said:

What are you willing to do to fund your comic collecting hobby?
An interesting article was recommended to me by my comic related newsfeed. There has been much discussion about who is paying large sums for collectible comics. Speculation ranged from Russian oligarchs, rich comic dealers, trust fund kids or wealthy individuals seeking alternative investments from high tech, business, sports and  entertainment fields. This guy with a famous dad funded his $100K purchases of 2 Pokemon cards and an Amazing Fantasy 15 from his inheritance, wife’s salary and income from his OnlyFans account. He intends to flip the cards and comic for profit later. I was not familiar with OnlyFans until I looked it up on Google.

I won’t judge this guy’s life choices but could someone tell me the investment potential of Pokemon cards? I think there may be some interesting comments…

https://pagesix.com/2023/09/28/marston-hefner-spent-100k-onlyfans-check-on-pokemon-cards-comic-books/

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. 

[Stefan_W]

I think ease of re-selling is an important part of investing in collectables. In the OP's example, the AF15 will always be in demand although he will likely have to take it to auction when it is time to sell (very few locals will have a pile of cash that big sitting around) so the commissions and selling fees would eat into the appreciation of the book over time. I cant speak to the Pokemon cards. 

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. 

Edited October 8, 2023 by Stefan_W

[NP_Gresham]

After liquidating my collection a few years back, I have very carefully budgeted 5% of my pay (after taxes and 401k max). It’s not much and I took an idea from @jimjum12 who told me he has a keeper box. One in one out. I have my keeper pile, 1 in has to be one out. Keeps me in line…. Mostly

[NP_Gresham]

On 10/7/2023 at 8:34 PM, jpepx78 said:There has been much discussion about who is paying large sums for collectible comics. Speculation ranged from Russian oligarchs, rich comic dealers, trust fund kids or wealthy individuals seeking alternative investments from high tech, business, sports and  entertainment fields. 

Then there is This guy laundering his drug money

Always thought there was more of this than anyone wants to admit

[KCOComics]

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

Maybe, or maybe go the way of Beanie Baby’s. Just because people of my generation wanted to chase their childhood, the kids of tomorrow might not. Not many of the current generation seem to be collectors…

But Pokemon have been popular for 30 years now. When I was in high school,  the younger kids were really into Pokemon.  Today,  all the kids are into Pokemon. 

I'm not saying they'll turn into what comic book collecting became.  But they proven to have much greater relevance and longevity than Beenie Babies and other flashes in the pan. 

[shadroch]

On 10/8/2023 at 11:35 AM, KCOComics said:

But Pokemon have been popular for 30 years now. When I was in high school,  the younger kids were really into Pokemon.  Today,  all the kids are into Pokemon. 

I'm not saying they'll turn into what comic book collecting became.  But they proven to have much greater relevance and longevity than Beenie Babies and other flashes in the pan. 

Raggedy Ann has been popular with kids for well over a hundred years.  Only a tiny subsection of the adult community has any interest in collecting them.

There is a chance Pokeman might be very popular in thirty years, but betting a large part of your money on it would be foolish, to me.  

[Artboy99]

curious what that guy does on Onlyfans that he earned $100,000 that he could spend on collectibles. 

[KirbyJack]

On 10/8/2023 at 2:39 PM, Artboy99 said:

curious what that guy does on Onlyfans that he earned $100,000 that he could spend on collectibles. 

Conversely, I don’t want to think about it.

[BigLeagueCHEW]

On 10/8/2023 at 8:38 AM, B2D327 said:

There’s a fetish for everything {so I’m told) 

At first glance, it looked like an albino bat.

[AJD]

[Phicks]

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.  

[D84]

How I fund my comic collection.

[Telegan]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:40 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

I'm still not familiar with OnlyFans (and I'm not going to bother Googling it) so I don't get what's funny.

 

On 10/8/2023 at 10:38 AM, B2D327 said:

There’s a fetish for everything {so I’m told) 

I've got to remember not to eat while reading forums.

[Telegan]

On 10/8/2023 at 9:37 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

I went without health insurance for 9 years in order to continue collecting comics. I finally caved in and bought health insurance in 2021 after COVID hit. (I've been to the doctor twice in the past three years, so I often think ruefully about the extra comics I could have purchased if only I hadn't caved in and bought health insurance. I may have a problem.)

Yikes.  I'd never let it come to that.  One unexpected hospital stay and you may wonder how many more comics you may have been able to buy had you only had health insurance.

 

On 10/8/2023 at 9:40 AM, jimbo_7071 said:

I'm still not familiar with OnlyFans (and I'm not going to bother Googling it) so I don't get what's funny.

You really aren't missing anything other than it's basically where the desperate for money meet the desperate for... stuff.

[Robot Man]

[jimbo_7071]

On 10/8/2023 at 6:09 PM, Telegan said:

You really aren't missing anything other than it's basically where the desperate for money meet the desperate for... stuff.

I get the picture. I think I'll pass.

Edited October 8, 2023 by jimbo_7071