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Beginning of Bull Market for Comic Books

Started by KPR Comics,

192 posts in this topic

ComicConnoisseur

ComicConnoisseur

Posted
Posted
Did the May 2012 Thanos reveal and subsequent mega pop in Iron Man 55 prices signal the beginning of the current bull market for back issue comics?

Interesting observation you make. I notice a lull myself, but I was thinking that was because there is no big superhero blockbuster movie due until this May with the Avengers.

 

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jools&jim

jools&jim

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Did the May 2012 Thanos reveal and subsequent mega pop in Iron Man 55 prices signal the beginning of the current bull market for back issue comics?

A current bull market for back issue comics in general? I kinda doubt it. Keys (or potential keys) are a different story...

 

 

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october

october

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Did the May 2012 Thanos reveal and subsequent mega pop in Iron Man 55 prices signal the beginning of the current bull market for key back issue comics?

 

I think that's a good starting point. I had a 9.6 white on my wall that nobody even bothered to look at during C2E2, let alone buy at $700. Two months later it sold almost instantly at $2000 after the movie scene. I had never experienced a price spike that big in so short of a time. I remember thinking that the market had gone completely crazy.

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VintageComics

VintageComics

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Changed it to "key" back issues but I'm still seeing prices rise as new keys are minted weekly.

 

There has also been a bounce back for nonkey issues after a slight depression circa about 2008-2009 or so, so I'd say it's more than one thing.

 

In general, the official concensus is that the US economy has improved since 2008 and that too would cause an increase in spending.

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VintageComics

VintageComics

Posted
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Did the May 2012 Thanos reveal and subsequent mega pop in Iron Man 55 prices signal the beginning of the current bull market for key back issue comics?

 

I think that's a good starting point. I had a 9.6 white on my wall that nobody even bothered to look at during C2E2, let alone buy at $700. Two months later it sold almost instantly at $2000 after the movie scene. I had never experienced a price spike that big in so short of a time. I remember thinking that the market had gone completely crazy.

 

Batman market went crazy in 1989. I don't know if you were old enough to remember it hut I was 19 and Batmania was literally everywhere.

 

Spiderman/Green Goblin market went crazy in 2001/2/3 (can't remember exactly)

 

Venom market went crazy with his app in ASM movie

 

It's grown into a very cyclical thing.

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Gatsby77

Gatsby77

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I don't think it was the Thanos cameo, but the success of Guardians of the Galaxy this year.

 

While Batman (1989) was a game changer, the hype around X-Men, Spider-Man and even Iron Man could have been predicted as those are known characters.

 

Guardians of the Galaxy went beyond this by making an entertaining and insanely popular movie out of a 4th-tier comic and characters with zero non-collector name recognition.

 

Since this summer, literally every 3rd-tier 70s appearance is now fair game (Fear 19, Shazam 28, Nova 1, Ms. Marvel 1, Detective 474) on the barest movie rumor news.

 

Stock up on your Morbius keys now, folks. It's only a matter of time. And Bullseye, for the inevitable Daredevil Season 2.

 

 

 

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october

october

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Did the May 2012 Thanos reveal and subsequent mega pop in Iron Man 55 prices signal the beginning of the current bull market for key back issue comics?

 

I think that's a good starting point. I had a 9.6 white on my wall that nobody even bothered to look at during C2E2, let alone buy at $700. Two months later it sold almost instantly at $2000 after the movie scene. I had never experienced a price spike that big in so short of a time. I remember thinking that the market had gone completely crazy.

 

Batman market went crazy in 1989. I don't know if you were old enough to remember it hut I was 19 and Batmania was literally everywhere.

 

Spiderman/Green Goblin market went crazy in 2001/2/3 (can't remember exactly)

 

Venom market went crazy with his app in ASM movie

 

It's grown into a very cyclical thing.

 

I was too young for Batman. You are right about the Spidey stuff, but those seemed to be isolated incidents. A few books would go through the roof, then gradually drop. This has been two and a half years of almost any key first appearance going absolutely crazy. Dozens and dozens and dozens of issues have gained 50%, 100%, 200%, 1000% in the span of weeks, sometimes for very little reason. Hype has spread well beyond the core of issues directly touched by movies.

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1Cool

1Cool

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Over the last year the amount of people hunting for only keys has skyrocketed. With those people only looking for keys the price of those keys has already skyrocked. I'd say 2012 is when I'd start this current trend. Electro and Rhino shot up after ASM but I'd say the IM 55 skyrocket was the first I can remember which was overnight after his brief appearance in Avengers trailers.

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jimjum12

jimjum12

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I wasn't trying to find the cause (Thanos vs GoTG or otherwise), just a time frame. Keys have been spiking since before 2014/GoTG havent they?

 

...... since 1938............................GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

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jsilverjanet

jsilverjanet

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Enjoy it while it lasts if you are a seller. Buyer beware, this can't last forever.

 

very true. Looking at some prices on some books, I can only imagine that it's coming sooner than later

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zosocane

zosocane

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I think Avengers (2012) caused an upward spike not just in long-established keys but particularly in B-list characters' 1st appearances (e.g., Thanos) which I'll call semi-keys. GOTG gets the credit for blowing the door open on all C-list characters' 1st appearances (e.g., Gamora -- pretty much any character where you respond, "who???"). So I think you have 2012 as the start of the bull market for semi-keys, and 2014 as the start of the bull market for non-key/non-semi-key 1st appearances. Keys (I mean mega-keys) have been strong for several years.

 

Non-keys, non-first apperances continue to be flat and in some cases lose value because purchasing power is flowing to keys, semi-keys, 1st appeances.

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1Cool

1Cool

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I think Avengers (2012) caused an upward spike not just in long-established keys but particularly in B-list characters' 1st appearances (e.g., Thanos) which I'll call semi-keys. GOTG gets the credit for blowing the door open on all C-list characters' 1st appearances (e.g., Gamora -- pretty much any character where you respond, "who???"). So I think you have 2012 as the start of the bull market for semi-keys, and 2014 as the start of the bull market for non-key/non-semi-key 1st appearances. Keys (I mean mega-keys) have been strong for several years.

 

Non-keys, non-first apperances continue to be flat and in some cases lose value because purchasing power is flowing to keys, semi-keys, 1st appeances.

 

Well said.

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fmaz

fmaz

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There is always a market correction...

 

However I think those who predict a crash similar to what happened at the end of the market correction in the 90s' are missing a key distinction:

 

At that time, the inflation of sales was due to people being harangued into buying "shiny" things. Hologram covers, bagged, silver foil, lenticular, nonsense. You'd buy six copies of the same book and they'd all be sealed in a bag.

 

It has nothing to do with comics, it was really an off-shoot of trading cards. The outsiders who came in for a buck didn't read the books or learn about the characters or anything.

 

This time it's a lot more about the comics. It's about key books. First appearance of characters. Big storylines, etc.

 

Yes, people are still speculating, flipping, etc. But I think with the movies and all, I think that this wave is also creating a lot of new fans of the characters.

 

So will the market correct when the movies inevitably dry up for a decade and there's nothing left to speculate upon? Sure. But I think the number of people who will be willing to return to the characters at a later date, or who might stay with them even after they're not hot, will make it a softer landing.

 

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