• When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

Key Collector App - What's the verdict?
2 2

390 posts in this topic

I've found that the price valuations it gives to blue chip keys (not the flavour of the month variants) are more detached from reality than Overstreet is sometimes. It's just another take with a grain of salt tool in the collecting bag.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 hours ago, 500Club said:

I love the expression on his face:  'If you don't use this, you are a doofus!'

I AM a doofus, but not because I don't use the app. I have plenty of other doofus qualifications.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, F For Fake said:
19 hours ago, 500Club said:

I love the expression on his face:  'If you don't use this, you are a doofus!'

I AM a doofus, but not because I don't use the app. I have plenty of other doofus qualifications.

Likewise. (thumbsu

I suppose we could pad our resumes by using the app... hm

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So the app seems to be fueled by FOMO and stretches for reasons to call this or that book a "key" while encouraging flip...uh I mean fans to view their collection purely in terms of theoretical monetary value rather than fostering a love of the art form itself? Am i close?

Perfect. What's not to love.

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

@Callaway29 Thank you for posing the question and I apologize for the delay in response.  You're absolutely right - all feedback is great.   There seems to be a lot of misconceptions regarding Key Collector as a resource.  The word "speculation" is often associated with the app and I feel that a majority of people who define it in this way haven't really used it because speculation is such a small part of what is offered and quarantined to one section. 

The app was always meant to be an educational resource to navigate 85 years of published comics, highlighting milestone moments so that hobbyists of any experience level could have the opportunity to collect and curate what is fragile and finite. It doesn't have to be Fantastic Four #1. It could be the first appearance of Gibbon or Lady Death or Starling.  There are criteria that a character or issue must meet to make it into the database and Aunt May's mailman didn't make the cut.  Beyond speculation, there are a number of features meant to appeal to a broad spectrum of collectors: artist spotlight on Bill Sienkiewicz, Controversial Comics, 100 Modern Must Haves, Keys This Week May 22, Valuable Second Printings, Symbiotes and Future Keys (90 days of solicitations that focus on key issues thru August). 

I am a comic book collector.  I built this database because it was something I wished was available but it didn't exist. I felt other collectors would feel the same so that's why I worked with a developer to get it on an app and share it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/2/2019 at 8:31 AM, Bart Allen said:

I think it's quite brilliant ~

Though I'm in unison with you about the "Hot Keys" and "Spec Deck" as I'm curious about it, as well as the "Dollar Bin" ~

Thank you! I'm not sure what you learned between February 2 and today about the subscription so I don't want to go overboard in an explanation but I'm happy to answer any questions you have.   The categories are all intended to pay for themselves whether you are wanting to build more value into your collection or if you're buying and selling. The biggest advantage of the subscriber features is knowing what's happening in comics as it happens.   The Key Issue Alerts are push notifications that give you info on what affects the value of a comic and people really seem to like that. Again, happy to answer anything publicly or privately.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/2/2019 at 9:45 AM, DeadOne said:

I like it a lot as well. The paid features are pretty straight forward from what I can tell and you get notifications/alerts for future speculation, if you're into that sort of thing.
I've only recently subscribed, but the first "alert" I acted upon has already paid for the $20 yearly subscription,and even that was pulled from my own collection, I haven't even tried using it at a LCS yet.

You are able to separate the ages (GA, SA, BA, etc.) which I imagine is nice when you know you're looking through books of a certain era.

I appreciate all the effort that went into this app.

Here's a video where Nick (the creator) explains some of those paid features:

 

Thank you for the awesome testimonial. This picture is a little embarrassing.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/2/2019 at 2:30 PM, FineCollector said:

WTF are all those Spidey issues he says are keys?  Telling a young collector to buy the first appearance of the Gibbon is in no way helping them enjoy comic books.

I dont tell anyone to buy anything.  I offer concise information

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/2/2019 at 5:18 PM, jcjames said:

Hey now! That was also Stan Lee's last solo story in the ASM series (except for the 365 & 600 compilations). 

 

In any case, I like the App, but they are going overboard with almost every 1st appearance being a "key", though it is a nifty format, easy to navigate and use. I give it one thumbs-up.

I love little bits of info like this and I added it to the description.  Thank you.  Also, we don't add every first appearance. There are criteria but we have a lot of first appearances that might not be considered keys to certain collectors.  A majority of the keys added since launching have been requests.  To your point, we're working on filters that will allow a more personalized experience. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/2/2019 at 7:42 PM, Spidey 62 said:

I can be a nit picker but what the heck.  I like the app for what it is, but I hate that they have password parameters.  8 characters, one cap and one small.  I am sooooooo sick of passwords.  It is a comic book app...1234 will do as a password.  Sorry, can't help it. 

I hate passwords too and since getting into this mobile app game I have about 30 new sign-ins.  Its the worst.You can use Facebook if you have it to sign in so that eliminates that problem. Also you can store your password on your phone so that it auto logs you in.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/3/2019 at 7:31 AM, FineCollector said:

You made me go back and look.  The app doesnt say last Stan Lee ASM, it just says first Gibbon.

My point remains the same: experienced collectors dont need the app.  It's simply there to teach young collectors what they're supposed to buy, rather than what they might like.  Lord knows, they'll enjoy the first appearance of Aunt May's mailman far more than if they'd bought a run of insignificant Morrison Animal Mans, right?

You're right, let's keep teaching novice collectors to only buy keys.  They'll get bored with their books, they'll be disappointed the scrap keys they picked out of bins havent gone up, and they'll leave the hobby in a couple of years.  You're poisoning the people we need to develop, to continue the hobby as the older generation leaves, but as long as you pull a few $5 books out of a dollar bin, it will all have been worth it, right?

That's funny. "You made me go back and look."  Then, "experienced collectors don't need the app."  You definitely have the wrong idea about the app. I don't think collecting key issues discourages anyone from reading a comic book and I think if they're inclined to read, they're going to do it.  I can tell you that I get emails on a daily basis that express how easily Key Collector helped someone get into comics or back into comics.  An email I haven't received yet is someone saying it destroyed their love for comics.  If young collectors are using the app then its getting them more engaged in the hobby and in doing so, while being in the community or seeing something that piques their curiosity on the app, there's a better possibility they'll put the effort forth to read.  There are a lot of categories that focus on the interesting points of a run and there are plans for future features that helps to onboard readers to titles.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/3/2019 at 5:44 PM, ComicsAndCode said:

I might be in the minority with my opinion, but I think this app does a disservice to the comic hobby. It pretty  much fosters the speculator mentally of collecting and sadly it does have the ability to artificially inflate prices of “key” issues. Also there is little visibility in what goes into valuation, what is the data sample size and data sources.

Too gimmicky for me.

I appreciate your concerns.  Again, speculation is a single digit percentile of what information exists on the app.   To your point about artificially inflating prices, you're right, that is a legitimate concern which is why we don't sell comics on the app or personally on the side.  There are no conflicts of interest in providing accurate information and we never say someone should buy this or that. There is no advertising or sponsorships that occur on the app unless it is very clear why that is happening. For example, Neal Adams does a giveaway to get attention on Detective 1000 or Alex Ross does a giveaway for Immortal Hulk to create awareness of his blogpost.  

The valuation comes from ebay sold prices.  We focus only on raw books and take a sample of 8-10 recent high grade sales (more if there is a significant disparity in data, eliminating outliers) to come up with an average.  Then we pull back on that number by approximately 10%.  The app is meant to be an acquisition resource. If someone can negotiate a book for the values listed and later check to see what its sells for, realizing they got a good deal, chances are they'll be energized about the hobby.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/4/2019 at 5:58 PM, ComicConnoisseur said:

I like it.

@Key Collector Comics

Would your ever make a sportscard collectors app or videogame collecting app?

:wishluck:

Both the videogame and sportscard collecting hobbies need a app like your comicbook collecting app.

 

We're getting rooted here and then we'll decide where to go next but I've had some conversations.  I appreciate you bringing it up. I know less about the market for collectibles like sportscards but would have no trouble building the database and its good to get a feel for how many would find it useful

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/5/2019 at 12:04 PM, Aweandlorder said:

This new player is just proof how vulnerable our hobby is. If a social media page... app.. IG handle etc can impact the market with information which is conducive or not to it in certain aspects, it creates yet another speculative branch questioning the authenticity and stability of it as a whole 

 

That's reasonable conclusion to make but I would look at it from the angle that its more about what was and is missing from the hobby that is connecting with collectors of every experience level.  If you are in the group that only sees this as a speculation app then I invite you to spend some time checking it out for what it really is.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/5/2019 at 3:45 PM, 500Club said:

I love the expression on his face:  'If you don't use this, you are a doofus!'

I hope that's not what my expression comes off as but it was the only stillshot I could take that wasn't blurry. I think in the actual video I was motioning toward a Batman snowglobe

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/5/2019 at 7:47 PM, Krydel4 said:

I've found that the price valuations it gives to blue chip keys (not the flavour of the month variants) are more detached from reality than Overstreet is sometimes. It's just another take with a grain of salt tool in the collecting bag.

Pricing is a challenge and were constantly refining the values but we're working on some things that might help out with that.  I always encourage anyone to reach out if there is pricing that seems off bearing in mind that it is true price guidance, not a precise collection evaluation which I explain in another response in this thread

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 2/6/2019 at 5:33 PM, speedcake said:

So the app seems to be fueled by FOMO and stretches for reasons to call this or that book a "key" while encouraging flip...uh I mean fans to view their collection purely in terms of theoretical monetary value rather than fostering a love of the art form itself? Am i close?

Perfect. What's not to love.

 

 

Not close at all.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
2 2