Why are people buying this book?

[lizards2]

I think you're all high . . .

 

$500 for a funny book? Out-freakin-rageous!

 

 

I think they are nuts, and agree with the reprint comment.

 

On the bright side, at least they're not using that money to compete against when I'm buying truly good stuff.

[valiantman]

Plus, it's a reprint. I'll never understand this idea that a modern reprint with an alt cover should command such prices. It's just nuts. Although, today's alt covers are infintely better than the alt covers of the 90s, imo.

 

If the book was different in content, changing it from pure reprint status to a true "variant" type book, then I could see people wanting it. As it stands now, It's only the shiney chromium cover that's got people paying silly money for it and that's something that I just don't understand. Guess, I never will.

 

In 1993, Topps Baseball Cards issued "refractor cards" that were shiny and limited.

That year, the "refractor" Nolan Ryan card was selling for around $1,000.

The 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan ROOKIE card was also selling for around $1,000.

 

"Shiny, happy people holding hands" (and riding the little bus...)

[tilleycs]

I don't know why they're paying that kind of money for a modern reprint, but that's just me. People can do what they want w/ their own money, but I don't see any of mine ever being spent for something like this. I wouldn't even have spent $15 for it, but I don't collect Spider-Man, so it doesn't mean anything to me.

[Aman619]

Plus, it's a reprint. I'll never understand this idea that a modern reprint with an alt cover should command such prices. It's just nuts. Although, today's alt covers are infintely better than the alt covers of the 90s, imo.

 

If the book was different in content, changing it from pure reprint status to a true "variant" type book, then I could see people wanting it. As it stands now, It's only the shiney chromium cover that's got people paying silly money for it and that's something that I just don't understand. Guess, I never will.

 

In 1993, Topps Baseball Cards issued "refractor cards" that were shiny and limited.

That year, the "refractor" Nolan Ryan card was selling for around $1,000.

The 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan ROOKIE card was also selling for around $1,000.

 

"Shiny, happy people holding hands" (and riding the little bus...)

 

I remember that hooplah! Topps had "reinvented" cards (and card pricing) with that set.

What are they worth today?

[carcrawfordfan]

Plus, it's a reprint. I'll never understand this idea that a modern reprint with an alt cover should command such prices. It's just nuts. Although, today's alt covers are infintely better than the alt covers of the 90s, imo.

 

If the book was different in content, changing it from pure reprint status to a true "variant" type book, then I could see people wanting it. As it stands now, It's only the shiney chromium cover that's got people paying silly money for it and that's something that I just don't understand. Guess, I never will.

 

In 1993, Topps Baseball Cards issued "refractor cards" that were shiny and limited.

That year, the "refractor" Nolan Ryan card was selling for around $1,000.

The 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan ROOKIE card was also selling for around $1,000.

 

"Shiny, happy people holding hands" (and riding the little bus...)

 

I remember that hooplah! Topps had "reinvented" cards (and card pricing) with that set.

What are they worth today?

 

The REFRACTOR version still sells for that amount. Topps only made 241 of each of these shiny refractors instead of the millions of each card they made in the 60s. A high grade Nolan RC is worth a lot more than a high grade refractor, so that seems about right.

[valiantman]

Plus, it's a reprint. I'll never understand this idea that a modern reprint with an alt cover should command such prices. It's just nuts. Although, today's alt covers are infintely better than the alt covers of the 90s, imo.

 

If the book was different in content, changing it from pure reprint status to a true "variant" type book, then I could see people wanting it. As it stands now, It's only the shiney chromium cover that's got people paying silly money for it and that's something that I just don't understand. Guess, I never will.

 

In 1993, Topps Baseball Cards issued "refractor cards" that were shiny and limited.

That year, the "refractor" Nolan Ryan card was selling for around $1,000.

The 1968 Topps Nolan Ryan ROOKIE card was also selling for around $1,000.

 

"Shiny, happy people holding hands" (and riding the little bus...)

 

I remember that hooplah! Topps had "reinvented" cards (and card pricing) with that set.

What are they worth today?

 

The 1968 Ryan is still worth about $1,000-$1,500 (in PSA 8 condition)

There's an unsold 1993 refractor Ryan in PSA 8 on Ebay for a BIN of $399.

[carcrawfordfan]

Yeah, a PSA 8. PSA 8 Ryans are not easy and the average raw card is probably a 4 or so. PSA 10 Ryan Refractors were getting about $1500-$2500 of late and it is not that hard of a 10. A PSA 8 Refractor is on the lower end of the grading scale.

[valiantman]

Yeah, a PSA 8. PSA 8 Ryans are not easy and the average raw card is probably a 4 or so. PSA 10 Ryan Refractors were getting about $1500-$2500 of late and it is not that hard of a 10. A PSA 8 Refractor is on the lower end of the grading scale.

 

In 1993, there were no grading companies... and people were paying the same amount

for a 1993 "refractor" of Nolan Ryan that they would pay for a 1968 ROOKIE of Nolan Ryan.

 

"Limited" does not equal "Better"

 

If these 1999 reprints of Amazing Spider-man #300 are worth so much because there are only 10,000 copies,

then Marvel can just reprint it again in 2009, and limit it to 1,000 copies,

because that will be even "10 times better" than the 1999 reprint...

Then, in 2019, they can reprint it again, limited to 100 copies,

and that will be the "best Venom ever".

 

"First" should be more important than "fewest"...

because "fewest" can always be re-defined,

but "first" is what it is.

[Issa]

"First" should be more important than "fewest"...

because "fewest" can always be re-defined,

but "first" is what it is.

 

This is exactly why I have an original ASM#300 CGC 9.6 SS Stan Lee.

 

-Issa

[carcrawfordfan]

The moral of the story is that a RAW Ryan Refractor in average condition is worth a lot more than a RAW Ryan RC in the condition it is normally found in. It does not mean it is better or anything else. It is just a fact and scarcity has a lot to do with it. Baseball cards are a lot different than comic books in this regard. Scarce inserts and parallels of cards are worth a lot more than regular rcs in most instances and this is because so many buyers are player collectors/set collectors/regional collectors and speculators. I think you are using the wrong market in your model.

[valiantman]

The moral of the story is that a RAW Ryan Refractor in average condition is worth a lot more than a RAW Ryan RC in the condition it is normally found in. It does not mean it is better or anything else. It is just a fact and scarcity has a lot to do with it. Baseball cards are a lot different than comic books in this regard. Scarce inserts and parallels of cards are worth a lot more than regular rcs in most instances and this is because so many buyers are player collectors/set collectors/regional collectors and speculators. I think you are using the wrong market in your model.

 

No, I think comics just haven't "caught up" with the trend toward "extremely limited"...

There are 'hints' at it... such as the RRP programs...

But the extremes of "scarce inserts" are just starting... 1:50 variants, 1:100, etc.

 

It is getting worse for comics, and it will never end. (For proof, see baseball cards.)

 

It is probably only a matter of time before comic books are "regional"...

using different covers in different parts of the country.

To "collect them all", you will be FORCED to buy them online,

because your local shop will only get the cover for your region.

 

(It's pretty common for magazines, so it's probably 'coming soon' for comics.)

[carcrawfordfan]

The moral of the story is that a RAW Ryan Refractor in average condition is worth a lot more than a RAW Ryan RC in the condition it is normally found in. It does not mean it is better or anything else. It is just a fact and scarcity has a lot to do with it. Baseball cards are a lot different than comic books in this regard. Scarce inserts and parallels of cards are worth a lot more than regular rcs in most instances and this is because so many buyers are player collectors/set collectors/regional collectors and speculators. I think you are using the wrong market in your model.

 

No, I think comics just haven't "caught up" with the trend toward "extremely limited"...

There are 'hints' at it... such as the RRP programs...

But the extremes of "scarce inserts" are just starting... 1:50 variants, 1:100, etc.

 

It is getting worse for comics, and it will never end. (For proof, see baseball cards.)

 

I do agree with you on this trend, however I do not think it is necessarily a matter of getting "worse". I do not personally collect RRP or things of that nature, but I understand how they can be considered valuable and scarce. I see why people would want to collect them.

[valiantman]

It is getting worse for comics, and it will never end. (For proof, see baseball cards.)

 

I do agree with you on this trend, however I do not think it is necessarily a matter of getting "worse". I do not personally collect RRP or things of that nature, but I understand how they can be considered valuable and scarce. I see why people would want to collect them.

 

When I collected baseball cards, it was the "goal" to get the rookie card of the best players.

This was pretty simple to determine, everyone knew what the best rookie cards were...

there was basically only possible rookie card for decades.

 

In the 1980s, there were usually 3 different 'rookie' cards... Topps, Fleer, Donruss...

and depending on the year, you could still decide which rookie card was 'best to have'.

 

In the 1990s, all of the sudden a player had about a dozen 'rookie' cards, if not dozens,

but it was still all about that "first appearance".

 

Later in the 1990s, the "special edition" cards of players 25 years after their rookie year

were suddenly worth as much or more than the rookie. (1968 Ryan vs. 1993 Ryan refractor)

 

Instead of having the "simple concept" that "rookies rule"... for any sport, baseball, football, basketball, etc.

...suddenly it became "shiniest card rules", and "more limited = more important".

 

It basically became a joke.

 

Do you think you have a limited card? How limited? 5,000? That's nothing, I've got "1 out of 1,000"...

No big deal, here's "1 out of 500".... so what here's "1 of 10"... even "1 of 1", etc., etc., etc.

 

Right now, I bet you can't answer the question, what is LeBron James' rookie card?

(There are probably HUNDREDS of different cards that qualify.)

 

That "trend" strangled the industry. I have 25,000 sportscards. I haven't bought any in 15 years.

The people who kept it going year-after-year are the core market... they've been driven away in droves.

 

Now, for comics, instead of importance being about the FIRST appearance of Venom...

This chromium reprint is about the "shiniest, most limited reprint" of the first appearance of Venom.

 

Luckily, the first appearance of Venom can still hold its own... ASM #300, the original.

But it's only a matter of time before Marvel creates some "refractor" of a Venom book

that's limited to 100 copies and sells for $10,000.

 

It's not a good trend. It just gets worse... and eventually, collectors will just give up.

[Lazyboy]

The difference is that Marvel Collectible Classics: Spider-Man 1 didn't hit insane prices (for whatever reason) until many years after it came out. The stupid sportscards were hot as soon as they came out. There's a big difference between demand growing over time and immediate demand. There's also a big difference between buying something directly and searching through sealed boxes of *spoon* to get it.

[valiantman]

That's the difference this time, the trend will follow.