Comic Book Collecting

[horrorhunter]

Yes. First Appearance of Blade. It sells for more than Number 1 does now.

Here's a mid grade copy (5.5) which sold recently for $618 with 23 bids. VF (8.0) copies are selling for around $1500.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Tomb-of-Dracula-10-CGC-5-5-WHITE-PAGES-1st-Appearance-Of-BLADE-1973-/114585396670?epid=85444589&hash=item1aadd265be%3Ag%3Ao4QAAOSwfw5f32Bf&nma=true&si=ukEZmjEG65byrAISQlk25gnSMJ8%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557



Cashing in is an option these days. I'll keep my run intact because I know if I sell key issues it would be difficult to get them back.

The MCU started with Iron Man (2008), and for the last decade prices have been steadily on the rise for key issues in particular, and related non-keys in general. The indirect effects of these never before seen prices is that all comic back issues have risen in price on the average over the last few years. Some genres are still in low demand, like Funny Animals, and prices are still relatively low on those. But, Super Hero, Horror, War, even Romance, have gotten steadily more expensive. And, in some cases prices have gotten so high as to be unrecognizable compared to a decade ago. There are always price fluctuations depending on the timing of trailers, movies, and such. But, when a comic increases in price four times and then later drops to half that it's still twice as expensive as it was when the increases started...then months or years later it goes through the same pricing cycle and ends up several times more expensive than before. If this keeps up more and more books will be out of reach of average collectors. The new normal.

[horrorhunter]

With increasing rumblings of Ghost Rider showing up in the MCU, prices for Marvel Spotlight #5 are very high. Here's an eBay listing for a CGC (8.0) that sold recently for $1,930 with 28 bids.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/MARVEL-SPOTLIGHT-5-CGC-8-0-1st-Appearance-of-GHOST-RIDER-Johnny-Blaze-cover-/164640868409?hash=item26555c4839%3Ag%3AkckAAOSwRFlf%7EiTB&nma=true&si=ukEZmjEG65byrAISQlk25gnSMJ8%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557



When the Marvel supernatural characters show up later in the MCU many of these books will be unattainable for most collectors. It seems strange that so many collectors are now interested in books at much higher prices than they could be bought for before just because so many other collectors want a copy, but that seems to be one of the things driving the crazy prices...the dreaded FOMO (fear of missing out). There's a lot of competition on You Tube now with so many collectors showing off big books. Another thing driving the crazy prices is the crazy prices, more collectors think if they don't get a copy ASAP they won't be able to afford one later. Ironically, that attitude is one of the factors making them so hard to afford in the first place. That's the extreme state of the market now for really popular books. Many long time collectors are rewarded for having bought the books years ago for a fraction of what they cost now. Some of us bought them to complete title runs because we like the characters and enjoy reading the books. What a concept.

BTW, the Marvel Spotlight #5 posted above has to be one of the crappiest looking slabbed 8.0s I've seen. It looks like about a FN (6.0) by strict Overstreet grading. I know CGC has gotten more and more lax in their grading standards the last few years, but that looks like a PGX debacle. When I see that level of inaccurate grading it makes me happy I don't patronize 3rd party grading companies.

[Hepcat]

It seems strange that so many collectors are now interested in books at much higher prices than they could be bought for before just because so many other collectors want a copy, but that seems to be one of the things driving the crazy prices...the dreaded FOMO (fear of missing out).

Yes, that would be strange indeed. But I really don't think any/many more collectors are interested in adding said comic to their collections. The surge in demand is from investors/speculators/flippers all hoping to sell it to later buyers at higher prices. But without an increased number of collectors, where will these later buyers be found? 

[horrorhunter]

Yes, that would be strange indeed. But I really don't think any/many more collectors are interested in adding said comic to their collections. The surge in demand is from investors/speculators/flippers all hoping to sell it to later buyers at higher prices. But without an increased number of collectors, where will these later buyers be found? 

The lines between investors, speculators, flippers, dealers, and collectors, have become blurred over the years. Most members of the comic book collecting community that post videos on You Tube also speculate and flip, in addition to dealing and collecting. Whatever they're labelled as these days they're driving the market and the crazy prices. This has been going on for the last several years and it looks like at this point it's here to stay for awhile.

Also, over the last few years there has been a large increase in collectors (or flippers, speculators, ...whatever, anyway it's the people buying the books). This increase of interest in back issues is largely due to the popularity of movies and TV shows. The comic book market has changed in the last decade. I wish I had bought some of the books I want before these price increases became the new normal. I've had to tap out on some of these issues because they've exceeded my comfortable budget for buying collectibles. I'm just glad I already had most of the books I want. The thing to do now, for me anyway, is not give in to the temptation to cash in and thus not be able to replace the book(s) later.

[horrorhunter]

Evidently, in this day of slabbing and crazy prices it's become a thing to slab single pages for resale.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Fantastic-Four-49-CGC-PG-1st-app-Galactus-magnet/254836656280?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649



And, if you spring for over hundred bucks (including shipping and tax) for the single page of the first appearance of Galactus they generously throw in a free fridge magnet. What's next, slabbing and offering for sale a panel or piece of a panel? I know Galactus is a big deal, and has been for decades... but a page?

I know parts of expensive books have legit value such as coverless books, covers, centerfolds, and even Marvel Value Stamps, but the goal there is to marry the parts and assemble the entire book. Who wants to show off a slabbed page? Maybe the page of the first appearance of a mega character like Superman, Batman, or Spider-Man...nah, I'd still pass unless it was really cheap...definitely less than this listing for the Galactus page. Am I a comic book curmudgeon, or does this strike anyone else as over-priced silliness?

[Hepcat]

Evidently, in this day of slabbing and crazy prices it's become a thing to slab single pages for resale.

Am I a comic book curmudgeon, or does this strike anyone else as over-priced silliness?

I'm not sure whether you're a comic book curmudgeon, but I certainly am. And we're agreed that it's ridiculous over-priced silliness. A pox on everyone involved.

[The Cantankerous Collector]

WTF??

[John Pertwee]

Unless you have the first page that Superman appeared on in Action Comics 1, of the equivalent page for any other popular hero, this is a waste of time and resources. There will never be a  market for these, but then again I said that about Pop figures and Beanie Babies so...

[marsattacks666]

I've seen copies of the Incredible HULK 181 go for     exorbitant  mounts of money, in poor condition. Nothing surprises me in the collecting world.

[horrorhunter]

I've seen copies of the Incredible HULK 181 go for     exorbitant  mounts of money, in poor condition. Nothing surprises me in the collecting world.

Yep. It's like slipping into a parallel dimension where prices for collectibles went absolutely batsh!t crazy. I guess it's good for collectors who already have most of what they want with duplicates for resale, but for many of us it just means that for the foreseeable future there will be several collectibles well beyond our budget. Makes you even happier for what you do have, and more determined to hang onto it.

[Hepcat]

...but for many of us it just means that for the foreseeable future there will be several collectibles well beyond our budget. Makes you even happier for what you do have, and more determined to hang onto it.

Truth.

[horrorhunter]

More lunacy.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/FANTASTIC-FOUR-48-CGC-1-8-1966-1ST-APPEARANCE-OF-SILVER-SURFER-AND-GALACTUS-/254709928484?hash=item3b4de51224%3Ag%3AbcUAAOSwEj9fUvmO&nma=true&si=ukEZmjEG65byrAISQlk25gnSMJ8%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557



This copy of FF#48 in CGC 1.8 sold for over $800 recently (figuring in shipping and tax). A few years ago you could get a nice looking FN (6.0) copy of this book for less than that. As discussed before, prices have gotten crazy for certain key books, but this trend of ultra low grade books selling for such high percentages of what mid grade copies bring is something that seems to be most prevalent in the last few years. 30-40 years ago it would be hard to get 1/2 GOOD (2.0) price out of a copy in this condition (and by Overstreet this book is in FAIR (1.0) condition with that big chunk out of the front cover. CGC likes to fudge up grades but even they were probably ashamed to go past 1.8 ). Nowadays, crap copies sell for about the same as legit GOOD copies do, or even more sometimes. I guess many current collectors just want an original in any condition, and don't mind paying through the nose to have one.

Before I would buy an original in very low grade for hundreds of dollars I'd just buy a cheap reprint and be done. These days I would be hard pressed to even buy a nice copy for hundreds of dollars, let alone something I wouldn't want to display. I'm glad I bought many of these books back when the prices for back issue comics were much more reasonable. I love the characters and having the original books, but I just wouldn't pay current prices for popular books. I know there are many collectors who will pay those high prices though. Check eBay for prices and the number of Watchers after some of those books. It's like a feeding frenzy in a pool of piranha.

[Doh!]

I collect things and am a comic book fan, but would never want to pay such high prices for an older book, no matter how rare. They're so fragile, you're basically collecting a sealed object you won't be able to remove and enjoy at the risk of damaging it.

The only time I paid for an out-of-print book was some anniversary issue of Batman back in the 80s. I was at a small comic convention, and this kid (even back then I was older than he) was looking at it but balked at the $5 asking price (the original price was less than $3 as I recall). I was thinking to myself, "Make up your mind! If you don't buy it, I will." The kid then turns to me as asks my opinion: "Does this look worth 5 bucks to you?" I said, "Nah. That's way overpriced."

He put it back on the seller's table and walked away. I immediately bought it.

[horrorhunter]

They're so fragile, you're basically collecting a sealed object you won't be able to remove and enjoy at the risk of damaging it.

I have hundreds of comics and mags from the '50s and '60s that aren't fragile at all. It depends on whether the paper is brittle or not. Older comics/mags with supple paper are safe to handle if you wash your hands to remove skin oil and hold the book so there's no stress on the cover or spine. I usually lay my books on the bagged backing board and carefully turn the pages to safely read 50-60 year old books. The "sealed object" stuff is for slabbed copies. What few I've owned slabbed (2) I've cracked out and put them with my other books in Mylar and acid-free backing boards. Slabbers want people to think it's not safe to handle older books so they can cash in on more sheeple, er...people. 3rd party graders love the herd mentality.

[Doh!]

Never heard of slabbing comics before. This article was quite helpful:

https://comicspectrum.com/slabbing-comics

Collecting this way reminds me of that trend in the late 80s (or was it early 90s?) of collecting bagged comics. I believe you were never supposed to open them, so at that point, you're collecting bags! There could be copies of the Yellow Pages inside for all you know. Like when sellers on eBay sell unopened Hot Toys as "never been opened / still in shipper." How do they know if the product is in good shape? Breakage happens.