As the summer continues to heat up, so too does the comic convention season. In June, we were able to catch the last day of WizardWorld Philly and this month, luckily, the Atlanta Comic Convention. For those who are convention goers - you know the drill. Show up at a large convention (Any of the Wizard shows and San Diego especially) and prepare for the media onslaught that follows. Video games, dancing Storm Troopers and Kevin Smith doing his best “Where’s Waldo.”
At the smaller conventions, however, the tone can be very different. Those lucky enough to have a regional Con, that has been organized by local retailers or hobbyists, may be in for a treat. While some out there may have shows that constantly showcase the same tired sellers with the same tired stock, that is not always the case. The Atlanta Comic Convention is the perfect example of it done right. Those who show up for this seasonal event see a lot of familiar faces, but that isn’t all there is. They have a list of alternates who fill in when designated sellers drop out. This guarantees a fresh atmosphere from time to time. And I doubt that any of the dealers are not out getting new stock for the next show in-between dates.
By all means attend the San Diego Comic-Con International this weekend. Meet and support some up-and-coming artists and production houses, see your favorite stars and shop for the hottest back-issues. Just don’t forget that we have to bring that enthusiasm home to keep the hobby alive. To do that, I encourage those who don’t attend regular shows to visit
http://www.comicbookconventions.com/conventions.htm
and find out if there is a local show coming soon. And remember, take a friend!
High Grade Bronze vs. High Grade Copper
Amazing Adventures #11 vs. G.I. Joe #21
This entry has been adapted from a discussion that took place on the Personal Investments board at the Lyria Comic Exchange:
Another thing to consider about Amazing Adventures #11 is where it scores on the Risk Factor with scarcity in HG. CGC census only has 1 in 9.8, 15 in 9.6 and 26 in 9.4. If it continues to elude the 9.8 collector’s then it will join the list of books that become key due to certain challenge (in this case - a black cover).
Yeah, I was thinking about Joe21 when I wrote that, but strangely, that book falls into a different category. For the last 6-12 months there a a big push on the CGC boards to find the elusive 9.8 Joe21. There was even a pretty hefty bounty out for it: something like $1000-1500.
So, you can see that reflected in the census currently. There’s the 1 in 9.8. And that is followed by the 30 in 9.6, 39 in 9.4 and 29 in 9.2 that people scored in trying to see if they had the winning ticket.
Not only is this a newer book than AA #11, but people realized its value early on. AA #11 had years to deteriorate, before collectors started to search for HG copies. They do have similarities, such as being a black cover that easily shows damage and minor character intros (1st Furry Beast and 1st Stormshadow).
I’m confident that they will be much more prominent as keys as the years drag on (read: 20-30 years from now), but for now, the numbers of graded copies will create some drag.
The following was originally seen on the Lyria Comic Exchange Forum:
I predict the next comic boom (defined by a sharp increase in across the board prices) to take place around 2012.
I’m burying this in a thread rather than starting a new one, because I know that I’ll be taking all of this back sooner than later.
How I arrived at this:
1) We’re settling down from our most recent boom that took place from 2001-2005. So, I automatically figured there would be a 2-4 year relaxing or even bust/bear period.
2) There were quite a few investors who used Home Equity loans to do many things - buying comics was one of them. Now that the housing market is cooling we may see fewer borrowed dollars going into the hobby.
3) The Fed is losing its shyness for raising interst rates. Some see this as an early reaction to increasing inflation. If rates and inflation continue to rise it may be 5-10 years before middle and upper-class incomes reflect this. Once that happens, higher price tags on collectibles will not seem as shocking, Dealers will feel more comfortable increasing those price points and Copper Age books will be reaching an age of maturity that very well may be the catalyst for the upswing.
Mind you I’m not an economist (I did very poorly in my Econ classes in school) and I’m pretty much going on a gut feeling and a couple days worth of business news. But who knows, it may do us well to reflect on the implications of the possibility. Foremost would be the justification for increased investment in the near-term (2006-2011) for those interested in recouping in that timeframe. Personally, my strategy is to sell about 20-25 years from now, so this would tell me to lay of buying during that bull period.
The last thing that I have to say is - be on the look out for two conditions that confound my theory of even speed up the process. Those would be the creation of a new technology or a new market sector. Both happened in the guise of 3rd party grading 5 years ago and ushering in the most recent price spike. A new technology could be improved restoration techniques or preservation supplies. A new sector could appear in the form of hotly collected writers and artists or the entry of collectors who were previously uninterested in our brand of collectibles (manga readers or people who bought TPBs from Barnes and Noble).
That’s all that I’ve got for now - please let me know where I’ve miscalculated.
visit Comic Book Shopper: www.comicbookshopper.com
Well, its been a while since my last post. As it turns out, there were comments made over at lyriacomicexchange.com that touched on my previous subject of CGC-graded comics. Someone noticed that there have been decreasing sales for some sectors of that market. While High Grade Gold and Silver keys may be doing well, the overall boom my be retracting.
Does this have anything to do with Wizard and their dealings with CGC? I think it may. After all it is common for Wizard to tout products like graded books, only to have them follow the classic bell curve-over-time. Now, there hasn’t been any major research into this as yet, but anecdotal evidence is surfacing all the time. It will be interesting to see what course graded comics travel over the next decade.
Frequent readers of Wizard: The Comics Magazine may have noticed by now that what they are buying is more entertainment that critical analysis of the comic book industry. I was just looking through the April 2006 issue and came upon a piece that inspired me to write this entry. On page 65 there is an ad for Wizard World LA, in which attendees are urged to pick up some “hot” comics to have graded by Comics Guaranty LLC (CGC). The writer conveniently includes a top ten list of books that fit the bill.
The sidebar begins with the introduction: “Looking to keep your comics as an investment? Get’em graded by the fine folks at CGC (Comics Guaranty LLC) while you’re at Wizard World Los Angeles! Not sure what you should be on the lookout for? We’ve whipped up this handy-dandy list of 10 hot comics you’ll wanna keep your eyes peeled for!” They then go on to list the following issues:
1) Infinite Crisis #1 RRP Edition
2) Ultimate Extinction #1 WWLA Sketch Edition
3) Ultimate Wolverine VS. Hulk #1 1:50 Variant
4) All-Star Batman and Robin #1 Special Edition
5) Soulfire #6 WWLA VIP Edition
6) NYX#3
7) Werewolf By Night #32
8) DC Comics Present #87
9) Wolverine (Limited Series) #1
10) Cyberforce #1 WWLA VIP Edition
Now, there are a couple of points that one can take away from this. One being, that Wizard and CGC seem to work really well together. The questionable nature of the investment potential of a few of their picks is worth a look. And whether any of this affects the way that we look at the publisher, their price guides and all of their content will all be discussed in the coming days and weeks.
I think that there are quite a few of us who are worried (at least concerned) about the future of comic book collecting. I don’t think collectors as a species will die out, but I can see our numbers dwindling to the point where no one will want to buy the piles of comics that we’ve accumulated.
How do I propose we remedy this? Actually, a way that is not too unique. There are quite a few initiatives going already that are attemting to coax new readers into the fold. The hope being, that those new readers will start buying on a regular basis. Free comic book day, 10-cent, 25-cent, 50-cent and dollar issues as well as regional newspapers including a gratis copy to coincide with an event movie like Spider-man or X-men.
The thing about these attempts, which I believe to be affective, is that they bring in readers. Mainly of new comics. I love the ideas and the result, but I don’t think it does that much to help the collectors. Why? Because a kid who is starting to read comics now is a long way off from being the middle-aged adult who will track down those same issues out of a sense of nagging nostalgia.
What we have to do is create a generation of teens and twenty-somethings who love the stories that cover the entire history of comics. Therefore, I propose that all interested collectors pull their trade paper backs (TPBs) off of their shelves and start handing them out to some key prospects. If you see an open, curious mind - put a TPB in their hand. The greater the story, the better. You want to hook’em with an epic and then feed them with quality. I won’t even begin to list TPBs here, better than I have compiled some of the best collections made and maybe we’ll leave the floor open to suggestions.
Start seeding the plot with young people (boys AND girls) who love the tales we love and we’ll reap a harvest of adults willing to buy the originals once they realize their value. Get to it!
Whether it was the Simpsons episode when Bart and his friends bought a copy of Radioactive Man #1 or if your grandfather has a stash of Spider-man comics from the 60s - however you discovered comic book collecting - it has brought you here.
I have high hopes for Comic Book Shopper and the TradePaperBlog. I’m planning to hit you guys with some good facts and analysis of the the Comic Book market as it happens. Now, I realize that I won’t be able to touch on everything and that I’ll be wrong 80% of the time, but that’s where you come in. Everyone within earshot of this blog is encouraged to chime in and tell me what’s on your mind.
I plan to focus on the back issue market almost exclusively, but I imagine new stories, original art, movies, eBay, grading, conventions, and every other topic that affects the hobby will creep in here. So again, welcome and thanks for visiting.
