For collectors only.

[ninanina]

So, the comic collecting hobby is dying, huh. And....along with that we find ourselves in a position where it's a good time to sell your comics because of the advent of e-bay and CGC. If you guys are hanging onto your comics during this "great time to sell" time we're in, why? I know I've sold part of my collection in the past and have regretted it big time. So, I for one will not sell. Gotta feeling it's just gonna cost a lot of money to replace them and also it's gonna be a lot of work.

 

Anybody out there feel the same?

[Aman619]

I do. For all the talk of impending doom, theres still a lot of life and good years left in the comics biz. And the best stuff always gets more expensive later. The only time this isnt true is when you may have paid far too much over market for a book (or if the whole market itself was in a frenzy.)

[justiceleaguer]

i agree. unless your in some serious financial jam, why sell? the enjoyment derives from the building of a collection, not the disbanding of it. comics are not dying, theyre getting better with age.....just like a fine wine.

[fantastic_four]

i agree. unless your in some serious financial jam, why sell? the enjoyment derives from the building of a collection, not the disbanding of it. comics are not dying, theyre getting better with age.....just like a fine wine.

 

Hey...you guys are enjoying your comics too much!!! We need Joe to come in here and remind us that we're flushing our money down the toilets.

[500Club]

I love building a collection, and the enjoyment of ownership. I think only financial ruin could chase books out of my collection.

[justiceleaguer]

VIVE LE COMICS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tomega]

So, the comic collecting hobby is dying, huh. And....along with that we find ourselves in a position where it's a good time to sell your comics because of the advent of e-bay and CGC

 

I have only heard that mentioned in this forum and no where else.

The back issue sales are better then ever ( at least on eBay - there are more listings then a year ago) and the hobby is not dying at all. Even though CGC has helped in many ways, I think the back issue segment of the hobby started to decline a bit because many dealers started price gouging on high grade cgc books. That made it appear unaffordable to new and the casual collector who may not have the funds to lay out 3 to 10 times guide for a comic that should be twice guide. People who are saying the hobby is dying may be dealers who no longer can get $500 for a book because it is regulary selling for half that (or less ) on eBay ( as I routinelypick issue up for.)

I think that people tend to confuse that the hobby is dying or is it changing. Is it dying for people that own comic book store fronts - yes. High overhead, $2 to $3 comic prices, video games, market saturation of popular characters, and the internet have killed them. For example, there is seller named comgeek on eBay. He owned a store on Long Island that he closed after several years. His store business end probably was in the toilet and it was reflected in the store. He probably realized " why do I need a store, I can sell more books on eBay or through shows , at a higher profit ( less overhead) and in a greater volume." Right now, I consider him one of the more successful and good dealers around. Price on new comics is going to always be an issue. When I was a kid, the price of a comic and a can of soda or candy bar were roughly the same, now it is a 2 to 3 to 1 ratio. That has happened for many reasons but price is getting ridiculous.

 

On another note, all collectibles go through changes and phases. With advent and proliferation of comic based movies, new generations are becoming aware or more aware of comic heroes. That is a whole new market segment that will be interested in the originations of characters that have become ingrained to our culture. New comics may be relegated to providing jump points for characters to move to a different medium - such as not making much money on a Spiderman comic story but anticipating a big return when the movie comes out.

 

Tomega

[aardvark88]

Sigh ... if only the general public new the Hulk movie was actually based on a comic book. They think it is a retro tribute to the 70s Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk tv show just like retro Charlie's Angels. The public never sees comics racked anywhere in Canada unless it is Archie or Disney digests.

[supapimp]

Sigh ... if only the general public new the Hulk movie was actually based on a comic book. They think it is a retro tribute to the 70s Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk tv show just like retro Charlie's Angels. The public never sees comics racked anywhere in Canada unless it is Archie or Disney digests.

 

odin,

 

the commercial for the hulk movie on TV over here in the lower 48, says it's from a comic book that's over 40 years old in the beginning of the trailer.

 

pimpy

[Darthdiesel]

The back issue sales are better then ever ( at least on eBay - there are more listings then a year ago) and the hobby is not dying at all.

 

 

I agree!

 

Even though CGC has helped in many ways, I think the back issue segment of the hobby started to decline a bit because many dealers started price gouging on high grade cgc books.

 

 

Price gouging = maintaining price integrity and lowballing = bargain hunting, depending who you ask.

 

That made it appear unaffordable to new and the casual collector who may not have the funds to lay out 3 to 10 times guide for a comic that should be twice guide.

 

Or it could have wizened them up to the harsh reality that they'll have to pay for "in grade" books...the age of the bargain is gone and pray that another flailing dealer/seller has another fire sale. If they thought those prices were high, the money they want to pay can be met with dealers of low to mid grade copies of these same issues. I don't think those are too pricey, ie - I 've been picking up 'Lois lanes and submariners (some high grade, but mostly gd-fn's) for around 30-40% guide, some were even $1 books with shipping considered... So new and casual collector still has an outlet available to meet their needs - albeit a low grade outlet - an outlet nonetheless....

 

 

When I was a kid, the price of a comic and a can of soda or candy bar were roughly the same, now it is a 2 to 3 to 1 ratio. That has happened for many reasons but price is getting ridiculous.

 

I concur on the comgeek, internet sales = less cost, more profit way to go. However, with this soda/candy bar analogy - kids nowadays with all the no smoking/crazy health nut attitudes don't really drink soda or eat candy as much as we did. today analogy may have fit better with, the cost of a comic is less than or about the same as a Mocha Caramel Macchiato chai latte skim VENTI at the local Starbucks and the high school kids must have the money for 3 or 4 of these cuz that's all who I see hanging out all day afterschool lets out around the Starbucks here in Northern VA (dorks...go play football or some sports...these geeks spend all afternoon mackin' on teenyboppin ho's and drinking coffee - man just the thought incites ideas of nationwide Wedgie programs starting)

 

Just wanted to post counterpoints, Tom...

[ninanina]

Sigh ... if only the general public new the Hulk movie was actually based on a comic book. They think it is a retro tribute to the 70s Bill Bixby Incredible Hulk tv show just like retro Charlie's Angels. The public never sees comics racked anywhere in Canada unless it is Archie or Disney digests.

 

Had a conversaton with a successfull business-man kinda about the above Odin88. What we both agreed on is when a business provides a coupon, a promo, a flyer or whatever to promote his business, people generally don't start paying any attention until after the 4th or 5th coupon. It's the repitition that finally makes them aware. Show them enough movies, and they will come around.

 

I am thinking we're only at the tip of the iceberg here. I mean there is so much they can do. And, when it explodes, like many people feel here, there will be another escalation/demand cycle. Just a matter of time. Happy to see there's a lot of hangers-on here.

 

Just a nice positive thread.

 

 

 

[LordRahl]

Back in 92 I sold my collection to a local dealer because I was going off to school and needed the money. Included a complete run of X-Men with 70% of them being in NM. O.K. maybe a bunch of those would be VF+ or VF/NM today but still. Also had a nice run of early FF and Strange Tales as well as all kinds of other random stuff. In '92 I sold them to a DEALER for 12K so that should give you some idea of what they would be worth today. I still kick myself over that daily.

[THE_BEYONDER]

You'll have to pry my comics "from my cold dead hands".....

[Tomega]

Even though CGC has helped in many ways, I think the back issue segment of the hobby started to decline a bit because many dealers started price gouging on high grade cgc books.

 

Price gouging = maintaining price integrity and lowballing = bargain hunting, depending who you ask.

 

 

Price integrity? I have to disagree with you on this on, big time- except the part of depending on who you ask. If you ask a dealer who charges 5 to 10 times guide for 9.4's and 9.6's, he will agree with you to justify his prices or go by the old stand by "my prices reflect market conditions - eBay does not." In reality, eBay does indeed reflect market conditions - its the largest market out there. My point is, why would I spend 5X guide when I always get the same thing, from just as reputable sellers, for half the price. Bear in mind I am talking about mainly silver age books - I know you deal with mainly moderns and that can be an entirely different ball game ( much more trend specific.)

 

That made it appear unaffordable to new and the casual collector who may not have the funds to lay out 3 to 10 times guide for a comic that should be twice guide.

 

Or it could have wizened them up to the harsh reality that they'll have to pay for "in grade" books...the age of the bargain is gone and pray that another flailing dealer/seller has another fire sale. If they thought those prices were high, the money they want to pay can be met with dealers of low to mid grade copies of these same issues. I don't think those are too pricey, ie - I 've been picking up 'Lois lanes and submariners (some high grade, but mostly gd-fn's) for around 30-40% guide, some were even $1 books with shipping considered... So new and casual collector still has an outlet available to meet their needs - albeit a low grade outlet - an outlet nonetheless....

 

Pretty much the same point as I wrote above. You are right about the harsh reality, some people ( if not a lot) do not have any idea of what stuff costs.

 

 

When I was a kid, the price of a comic and a can of soda or candy bar were roughly the same, now it is a 2 to 3 to 1 ratio. That has happened for many reasons but price is getting ridiculous.

 

I concur on the comgeek, internet sales = less cost, more profit way to go. However, with this soda/candy bar analogy - kids nowadays with all the no smoking/crazy health nut attitudes don't really drink soda or eat candy as much as we did. today analogy may have fit better with, the cost of a comic is less than or about the same as a Mocha Caramel Macchiato chai latte skim VENTI at the local Starbucks and the high school kids must have the money for 3 or 4 of these cuz that's all who I see hanging out all day afterschool lets out around the Starbucks here in Northern VA (dorks...go play football or some sports...these geeks spend all afternoon mackin' on teenyboppin ho's and drinking coffee - man just the thought incites ideas of nationwide Wedgie programs starting)

 

 

I agree the market segment has changed but , actually, you missed my point about the candy bar. I did not mean they would rather eat a candy bar and such, more towards the ratio of what you would get for your money. I am probably about your age or a bit older ( I'm 32) but when I was young, 50 cents could buy you a can of soda or a comic book. A can of soda today is about twice the price as it was but a comic book is 5 to 6 times as much as it was. Although it does not affect me, if a 12 year old has $30, which would he spend it on - 10 comics or a video game? I do not think that comic companies can lower prices on new comics but should work on ways of freezing prices for the next few years. This can be done by getting more advertising and trying to gain more in roads to newstand sale. Sales at newstands has declined tremendously because it was such a low prie point in the past and the newstands decided it use the wall space for something more profitable. Of course there is a lot more to it but I think you are already familiar with the nuances.

 

Just wanted to post counterpoints, Tom... .

 

I always welcome a counterpoint, althoug,h I think we mutually agreed on most points. Intelligent discourse is entertaining, unfortunately, it seems to end up just being bashing here on the forum sometimes ( no this time , of course.)

 

 

[Tomega]

BUMP

More interesting input needed.....

 

Tom

[Mister_Comics]

Well in yesterdays (SOUTHTOWN) comic section, in GASOLINE ALLY there it pretty much said comics are dead. Showed panels of Captain Marvel, Tales From The Crypt, and SPIRIT, and said something like; "to bad comics aren't around any more!"

 

I guess if its in the paper, it must be true.

 

or

 

I guess if your favorite comic isn't around any more then comics don't exist for ya.

[dillmeister]

I tended to look at the new comics in a bit different way.In the 70s minimum wage was around 5 bucks an hour and you could buy ten books for an hours work.In this new millenium minimum wage is just touching the 9 dollar mark and you would be lucky to get three books for your hours work.Kinda like the candy bar or soda pop analogy but much closer to your pocket book.

[Zonker]

I understand the reality of the candy bar, soft drink, minimum wage analogies. However, we also need to understand that comics as sold in the 1970s versus today are in fact completely different products: In the 1970s they were cheap newsprint, today we have the fancy white paper. So the better analogy might be Darth's observation about designer/boutique coffees. Compare a cupajoe from the 1970s (any ideas how we'd get a view on that price? ) to today's Starbucks $1.50 entry price for their basic (Ha!) coffee of the day.

 

Now the interesting question is do we really need the higher grade paper? (Do we really need designer coffees?). I'm in the camp of use cheap paper and lower the cover prices. (Ya can always reprint on nice paper for the TPBs). But I remember the howls of protest when Jim Lee's Batman was originally going to be printed on the standard paper-- itself much higher quality than anything that Neal Adams had to work with in the 1970s.

 

 

Z.

[dillmeister]

Plain old coffee works for me,although once in a while a specialty is nice.Why cant it be so for comics as well?I remember waiting enthusiasticaly for a number 50 or 100 to come out as I knew it would be double sized or have a special appearance of another character.Now its the norm.Every issue is supposed to be special and is priced accordingly.Lets get back to a smaller cover price and make them affordable again.Thats the only way you're going to see an increase in new sales if thats even possible to achieve again.

[fazman]

Back in 92 I sold my collection to a local dealer because I was going off to school and needed the money. Included a complete run of X-Men with 70% of them being in NM. O.K. maybe a bunch of those would be VF+ or VF/NM today but still. Also had a nice run of early FF and Strange Tales as well as all kinds of other random stuff. In '92 I sold them to a DEALER for 12K so that should give you some idea of what they would be worth today. I still kick myself over that daily.

 

That's gotta hurt !!!