Just how rare are comics

[JAM_NYC]

I have a rare winnie the pooh 22 that was only available in whitman pre-packs. I'd probably have to pay someone to take it.

 

I'll pay you for it.

you can pay me to take it

See, there's plenty of people that would let you dump your pooh on them.

[Junkdrawer]

The title could be changed to how knowledgable are comic buyers. Some new to the game just won't understand watching a book in an auction sell for 2x, 5x and even over 10 times Overstreet. You would only know by years of experience. GPA isn't going to help much for a book that shows last sold in 2007. Nobody is gonna understand it all. There are smaller pools/groups that know from experience. Some with mathematically try to equate the current value. Some just want a book so bad they bid the moon and get pushed right on up there by someone just a little less hard up for that book that don't ever see the light of day. The CGC census isn't every thing that's out there obviously, but how do whe really know all that exists. How many books just vaporize over recent years in fires and floods that you'll just never get to factor. You can only imagine with the old stuff, the numbers can only go down even though the census could go up. Keeping your finger on the pulse in this hobby from GA thru Modern is a full time job and you still won't catch it all. If you see a book you think you got to have, check the guide, check GPA,check the census, check eBay, check HA archives, see if Metro has one for sale, and understand the reason it's going 5 times guide is cause HA sold one copy ever, there are a handful on the census, none on eBay etc etc. Figure you like it and then factor in two other deep pockets and you're in a gunfight and about to set a new GPA high.

[MustEatBrains]

Supply and demand are affected by:

 

Significance

rarity

Condition

Desirability

 

Any three = not worth much. Eg a sgnificant book that is desired and in good condition but not rare, won't be worth much. Rare means more demand than supply. There's a range of rarity. Hulk 181 are not rare per se but the demand far outstrips the supply.

 

Respectfully PIF Killer, Rare <> more demand than supply. Rare or scare to me means limited supply only. It may seem like splitting hairs but it's an important distinction.

 

I would also take any 3 of the above you listed in any combination so long as Desirability is one of the 3 as that is the only component that will ultimately drive the value in the marketplace IMO.

What about a book that is desired, rare, significant, but completely shredded and soaked?

What about a book that is desired, Mint, Significant but every store has longboxes of em?

 

I say you need all 4

 

I would equate desirablilty with demand. The first scenario you outlined can be any number of GA or SA gems, Action 1, Tec 27, AF15, Hulk 1, Showcase 4 etc. (some would say not all of these are rare in the true sense either)

 

The second is a little trickier granted but I'd say NM 98 probably had a pretty large print run but because it is a desirable book the price is consistently high(some would say overvalued).

 

 

[kav]

[1950's war comics]

If you bought a bunch of modern age drek on-line and then in the mail received a box filled with just newspapers, you would be better off financially in 99.9% of the time

[bababooey]

[Brock]

I have a rare winnie the pooh 22 that was only available in whitman pre-packs. I'd probably have to pay someone to take it.

 

I'll pay you for it.

you can pay me to take it

 

Dibs.

 

Don't fight guys... It's best if the two of you just shake hands and walk away.

 

And then I'll buy it.

[tv horror]

Thank you for the replies I have found them very interesting. On another note, if a golden age collector wanted to complete either his Batman or Superman runs I'm betting that there are rarer copies of the remaining issues from number 2 upwards. Yet desirability for the number ones dictates the high values whereas the rarer issues cost less.

[fiendish]

The title could be changed to how knowledgable are comic buyers. Some new to the game just won't understand watching a book in an auction sell for 2x, 5x and even over 10 times Overstreet. You would only know by years of experience. GPA isn't going to help much for a book that shows last sold in 2007. Nobody is gonna understand it all. There are smaller pools/groups that know from experience. Some with mathematically try to equate the current value. Some just want a book so bad they bid the moon and get pushed right on up there by someone just a little less hard up for that book that don't ever see the light of day. The CGC census isn't every thing that's out there obviously, but how do whe really know all that exists. How many books just vaporize over recent years in fires and floods that you'll just never get to factor. You can only imagine with the old stuff, the numbers can only go down even though the census could go up. Keeping your finger on the pulse in this hobby from GA thru Modern is a full time job and you still won't catch it all. If you see a book you think you got to have, check the guide, check GPA,check the census, check eBay, check HA archives, see if Metro has one for sale, and understand the reason it's going 5 times guide is cause HA sold one copy ever, there are a handful on the census, none on eBay etc etc. Figure you like it and then factor in two other deep pockets and you're in a gunfight and about to set a new GPA high.

 

/Agree with @Junkdrawer. What makes comics more fun (and frustrating) to collect, invest in, etc. is that with even a lifetime of knowledge, experience (and love) in your head, the market will always surprise you. So sheer mathematical rarity is but one of several vectors you have to assess when you're evaluating a book.

 

Look at it from a different perspective: sports cards, specifically T206 Honus Wagner. Beloved? Yes he was, but that's incidental to the fascinating story of him pulling the rights to his likeness, which choked supply down to a tiny handful relative to other cards in the same series. Is there a direct analog in comics? Maybe not. (Or maybe Motion Picture Funnies Weekly?)

[PBK78]

I love the hobby, always have even when I walked away from it for years. a lot of what goes on today doesn't make sense to me but I've learned to accept. I do believe comic collectors in large part manufacture heat today where as 20-30 years ago the book created heat. Maybe I'm wrong, doesn't matter I enjoy collecting and think people can buy or sell how they want.

 

That said, I agree with the op.

[BarryAllen]

Supply and Demand drive market pricing.

 

Books being hot, popular art or artists, speculators, new characters, first appearances, deaths, whatever. It calls comes down to the number of people who want a comic relative to the number of copies available.

 

"Popular" things have gone in and out of fashion for hundreds of years. One day comics will be worthless but the human race will survive. Or not.

[kav]

I think comics will be popular long after humans are gone

[Kystix]

Supply and demand are affected by:

 

Significance

rarity

Condition

Desirability

 

Any three = not worth much. Eg a sgnificant book that is desired and in good condition but not rare, won't be worth much. Rare means more demand than supply. There's a range of rarity. Hulk 181 are not rare per se but the demand far outstrips the supply.

 

Great explanation!

[BarryAllen]

I think comics will be popular long after humans are gone

 

Makes sense. I bet they will sell for a whole lot more too!

[kav]

[BarryAllen]

Comics aren't rare silly, steaks are!

[WilliamG.Staggers]

Rarity and demand are two of the biggest factors. Some people look at simpsons comics as worthless but in the right grade, I would bid up to no limit on the right ones and yet these books aren't rare. There are hardly any on the census for lack of demand, and I still hoard them because I have such a strong interest. I'm really surprised that GA books don't command more though in a lot of cases. Modern only collectors need to open their eyes.

[BarryAllen]

Rarity and demand are two of the biggest factors. Some people look at simpsons comics as worthless but in the right grade, I would bid up to no limit on the right ones and yet these books aren't rare. There are hardly any on the census for lack of demand, and I still hoard them because I have such a strong interest. I'm really surprised that GA books don't command more though in a lot of cases. Modern only collectors need to open their eyes.

 

I think you have rarity and supply confused. Also, a demand of "one" doesn't drive prices. :shrug:

 

Modern collectors may not be interested in Gold books just like Gold collectors scoff at Modern variants. I wouldn't judge anyone, many may think you are crazy for collecting Simpsons books.

 

People collect what they like and the more people collecting similar things the higher market pricing will go.

[Owls Head]

Rarity and demand are two of the biggest factors. Some people look at simpsons comics as worthless but in the right grade, I would bid up to no limit on the right ones and yet these books aren't rare. There are hardly any on the census for lack of demand, and I still hoard them because I have such a strong interest. I'm really surprised that GA books don't command more though in a lot of cases. Modern only collectors need to open their eyes.

 

 

i concur

[WilliamG.Staggers]

Rarity and demand are two of the biggest factors. Some people look at simpsons comics as worthless but in the right grade, I would bid up to no limit on the right ones and yet these books aren't rare. There are hardly any on the census for lack of demand, and I still hoard them because I have such a strong interest. I'm really surprised that GA books don't command more though in a lot of cases. Modern only collectors need to open their eyes.

 

I think you have rarity and supply confused. Also, a demand of "one" doesn't drive prices. :shrug:

 

Modern collectors may not be interested in Gold books just like Gold collectors scoff at Modern variants. I wouldn't judge anyone, many may think you are crazy for collecting Simpsons books.

 

People collect what they like and the more people collecting similar things the higher market pricing will go.

 

I can understand how everyone goes for what they want to collect. I don't actually collect hardly any GA books yet I still put them in a higher regard than moderns just because of their significance and increasing rarity.