How To Spend Thirty Bucks

[backtomarvel]

Still feeling my way back into collecting ... finding my way, as it were, since crossing back over in January.

 

My half-price book store has a steady supply of comics coming through. I stop by a couple times a week and usually spend five to ten bucks on NM only comics with cover prices of $1.25 or less which go for 50 cents to two bucks.

 

Those I buy to stash as I also purchase both collectors and reader grade silver age and a few bronze age titles which I read more often than the newer stuff.

 

Here's my question: If you were thinking strictly payback in 20 years -- investment, not enjoyment -- and had thirty bucks, would you spend it on a VF twelve-cent Fantastic Four or on 15-20 NM books with no guarantee of future demand?

 

 

 

 

[sfilosa]

On as many NM books as you can get.

 

VF books never have and probably never will increase as much as NM books.

 

There is no guarantee either book(s) will be worth more than $30, 20 years from now, but I would be surprised if the FF in VF was worth two to three times as much. But you might get lucky on NM's, they all might be worth $10 which would be a nice return.

 

 

[DiceX]

I'd save the $30.

Then a few weeks later, save up another $30.

Then a few weeks later, save up another $30.

Then go buy a NM 12 cent FF.

 

Or you could just buy something you wanted to read.

[uclapeterg]

Buy what you want to READ... more comics means more reading .. don't worry about the investment potential.

[blowout]

Don't buy Fantastic Four, buy Amazing Spider-Man.

Bottom line, buy what you like and don't consciously 'invest' in comic books. That way, you can't lose.

[backtomarvel]

I'm getting reader copies of Amazing Spiderman, the comic I most enjoy. Also buying Strange Tales for the Nick Fury stories and Tales of Suspense for both Iron Man and Captain America.

 

With those I'm wondering if it's wiser to go for VG -- which I've read on these boards seems to sell more readily -- or try for the F or VF, which seems to move more slowly and have less of a market, according to many on these boards.

 

That's part of my question. Buy VG of the silver stuff I like, and get NM stuff now cheap -- all less than the cost of a current comic -- for hopes of making a buck or two off my time down the line?

 

I am buying others that I want to read, including one new title and sifting through others to find more that I like.

 

I do hope to build some books so, in 10-15 years, I can (hopefully) have a flea market table with my son on Saturday mornings at this spot close to our home.

 

Just a pipe dream, probably

[Aman619]

we all have our opinions on this...so here's mine. For reading and enjoying the stories and building a "collection" of runs, go for VGs and pay as little as you can. And dont think of it as investing. Maybe down the lineyou will be able to sell the runs to newer collectors and will do okay since they will pay a premium for your efforst in assembling the run. Low grade comics wont increase in value, however.

 

On the other hand, if resale and investment are REALLY your goals here, buy the best copies you see for as little as you can. The BEST condition book swill always (hopefully) be in demand and increase in value.

 

fines and VFs, the in-betweener grades, will cost you more than reading copies, but will not net you more in the long run. You will pay more to assemble the books, but getting your money out will be much harder than with the high grade copies, and maybe harder than th elow grades.....and its not a straight scale. That is, Fines will be worth 30% of NMs (depending on the book) . As the NM price doubles, the Fine price WON'T!!! And the Good price will hardly budge at all.

 

for instance, heres a typical book in this years guide compared to last years"

2002: G 20 F 60 NM 180

2003: G 20 F 62 NM 210

 

The spread increases, and NM price increases....but lower grades inch up in lower proportions.

[Warlord]

I'd buy the 12-center FF in VF condition on the assumption that the NM comics are just common stuff.

 

Go to a convention and shop the quarter/fifty cent type boxes and buy the NM common stuff and you'll get three or four times as many NM comics with "no future" demand for the same money as you will wherever you're doing your weekly shopping.