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Are we at a peak of back issue worth/sales?
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388 posts in this topic

I doubt it. New comics kinda suck. I've mentioned, ad nauseam, how Marvel (in particular) has failed to put good artists and writers on the same title.

I think there's still growth in the back-issue market. I agree that the medium as a whole will start to downturn some point relatively soon, though. That will be a consequence of both the cinematic universes losing interest and younger generations not favoring the weight of physical property.

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there has been many threads on this issue and debates... but the future is not certain and who knows maybe they might get a appreciation for the characters and the origins of the superhero's they follow.. I don't think the superhero industry will go away anytime soon we as a society love superhero's they envision qualities that we love and wish on to ourselves. I think there will always be a appreciation for superhero's and comics helped birth this. So I think the comic industry will chug along and new and more collectors might enter the market it have hit its peak or it might grow for awhile who knows.. I guess enjoy the stuff you like and share those moments with your loved ones, friends and family. They might not see it through the rose coloured glasses collectors see it through but one day they might.. 

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The Digital Age has created children that don't collect anything like we did when we were kids.  Video games are downloaded or streamed with no thought of having a hard copy.  

Somebody told me to collect old Apple iPhones because that's the only memories this current generation will have of their childhood.  :insane:

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11 minutes ago, Broke as a Joke said:

The Digital Age has created children that don't collect anything like we did when we were kids.  Video games are downloaded or streamed with no thought of having a hard copy.  

Somebody told me to collect old Apple iPhones because that's the only memories this current generation will have of their childhood.  :insane:

1. My friend actually recently bought Spider-Man (PS4) hard copy. I've been procrastinating buying it, and luckily, I'll be able to borrow it from him when he's done. Advantage there! You are right, though. He normally doesn't buy discs. He says it's because he "loses things easily". I love having hard copies of everything (I'm only 2 years older than him).

2. :signfunny:

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7 minutes ago, Broke as a Joke said:

The Digital Age has created children that don't collect anything like we did when we were kids.  Video games are downloaded or streamed with no thought of having a hard copy.  

Somebody told me to collect old Apple iPhones because that's the only memories this current generation will have of their childhood.  :insane:

It's pretty much any form of entertainment that is delivered digitally - books/magazines/comics, movies, music, video games and other media. Even educational & training materials are going the route of the streaming delivery model. Religious institutions are streaming content to expand their message. The more internet bandwidth available to your house, the more they can deliver digitally or streamed with a quality experience.  Even certain medical services are being pushed this way.

While kids (and many adults for that matter) don't collect a tangible object, they certainly have a digital collection of content (seems like my playlists take just as much time to maintain as my record collection).

Is this the peak of back issue value? Likely not for certain genres. Have been to several conventions this year and was pleasantly surprised to see the crowd ranged from children to senior citizens (all buying comics). Also there was decent demographic representation among the comic buyers. As long as this trend continues and people have disposable income (more as their career advances over time), the back issue market will likely remain positive for at least several more decades.

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6 hours ago, marvelmaniac said:

Nostalgia always brings things back, look at turntables and vinyl records and there are numerous other examples.

 

Excellent points and I love your insight!  I think this sentence kind of summarizes the point I'm trying to make :) 

Right now, I would argue these Golden/Silver/and Bronze age books are doing well in the market because those of us old enough to have disposable income are finally able to spend it on what is nostalgic for us.  

But, if "kids these days" aren't buying comics (new or old), there will be no nostalgia left for them in comics by the time they are our age.  Without the market support, the values will plummet.  

I'm certainly okay with change and realize I have a different value in these books than any of my friends or family, but my passion for these heroes and this format really makes me want to help it survive for generations to come.  

Since the passing of Stan Lee, I feel comic books have lost the single brightest torch-bearer and mouthpiece for this market.

Edited by XxSpideyxX
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1 hour ago, XxSpideyxX said:

In other words, when my 11 year old and others of his generation are my age, will they care (and thus value) as much as we do about older comics?  

I go to local shows and post the pictures I take.  I revisited a Con Report thread I made and found these photos below, showing young kids buying comics.   I see a lot of people under 25 buying comics at shows.   Doesn't everyone? 

Spoiler

 

IMG_20190518_110519491.thumb.jpg.d588e25

IMG_20190623_130316667.thumb.jpg.e14f32f

 

 

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48 minutes ago, Broke as a Joke said:

Somebody told me to collect old Apple iPhones because that's the only memories this current generation will have of their childhood.  :insane:

Technology doesn't really work that way. Nobody is spending big money on old VHS tapes and VCRs just because that's how they used to watch movies.

That doesn't mean that all obsolete tech is worthless, but the vast majority is.

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1 hour ago, marvelmaniac said:

right now the books that are in demand are Gold/Silver/Early Bronze

lol

1 hour ago, marvelmaniac said:

Nostalgia always brings things back, look at turntables and vinyl records

Nostalgia isn't the reason for the (relative) resurgence of vinyl, which is still a tiny niche in an ever-shrinking music market.

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16 minutes ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

I go to local shows and post the pictures I take.  I revisited a Con Report thread I made and found these photos below, showing young kids buying comics.   I see a lot of people under 25 buying comics at shows.   Doesn't everyone? 

  Hide contents

 

IMG_20190518_110519491.thumb.jpg.d588e25

IMG_20190623_130316667.thumb.jpg.e14f32f

 

 

Actually physically buying a comic?  I see very, very few people under 25 who buy comics at the cons I go to.  They may look thru boxes - they may stare at the high priced books - they may wander around in costumes but I'd guess you could count the number of comic books in bags leaving the con on two hands.  I give away free comics at Halloween and most kids would rather get an extra bar of candy over the comic book. 

OP - I'd not be too worried since there is a ton of us 40 - 50 year olds who were comic book collectors who will keep this ship afloat for quite a bit. 

 

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56 minutes ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

I go to local shows and post the pictures I take.  I revisited a Con Report thread I made and found these photos below, showing young kids buying comics.   I see a lot of people under 25 buying comics at shows.   Doesn't everyone? 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

IMG_20190518_110519491.thumb.jpg.d588e25

IMG_20190623_130316667.thumb.jpg.e14f32f

 

 

I've seen a few early 20's people and teens buying books and even some 8-10 year old's asking dad to buy some bronze age spidey not sure if they are picking it up cause the covers look cool of what but their dad bought them for him. So I guess its the venue and stuff that brings in the variations in crowds.

I think if we want the comic industry to evolve and continue we need to evolve with the market and cons need to evolve as to bring in more variations of customers through other means such as cosplay, celebrities, activities, gaming etc.. its like bait and switch lol (not really) but you bait them with something they like and sell 'em on comics lol :acclaim:

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41 minutes ago, 1Cool said:
1 hour ago, BlowUpTheMoon said:

I go to local shows and post the pictures I take.  I revisited a Con Report thread I made and found these photos below, showing young kids buying comics.   I see a lot of people under 25 buying comics at shows.   Doesn't everyone? 

  Reveal hidden contents

 

IMG_20190518_110519491.thumb.jpg.d588e25

IMG_20190623_130316667.thumb.jpg.e14f32f

 

 

Actually physically buying a comic? 

Yes, actually physically buying comics. 

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As someone said before the last 20 years have been a boon for comics with four factors vastly increasing their value.  

  1. The rule of 25 with people who grew up in the 70's and 80's becoming higher paid.
  2. The auction houses allowing people to sell to each other rather than to sell back to stores at a very low percentage of value
  3. CGC allowing people to sell over the internet with some standards on grade
  4. Disney/Marvel putting out the wildly popular films that got those people for whom factor 1 was relevant focused on comics from their youth.

This led to a huge increase in prices over the last 20 years that I'm not sure we'll see again.  We may see some increases over the next 5 to 15 years but I'm bearish on much longer than that.  If I was a gambler I would guess Video Games or Trading Card Games (Pokemon, MTG, etc.) would outperform comics in the medium term.  Though even those I don't think will see the same increases that we've seen in comics over the last 20 years.

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