GA COMIC BOOK Collecting in the Financial crisis of 2020 3 3

[Mmehdy]

Just now, Tri-ColorBrian said:

Now you changed them from "great" to good...     

Got you...LOL but I have always thought that the "Murder" book is a classic...Cong on the buys

[Tri-Color Brian]

4 minutes ago, Mmehdy said:

Got you...LOL but I have always thought that the "Murder" book is a classic...Cong on the buys

Took me a second to figure out that Cong was not the ape...LOL  Thanks. 

[tabcom]

On 4/1/2020 at 2:17 PM, Mmehdy said:

The previous depression  lasted 10 years and it took a WWII to get our attention out of that mental and physical downturn. Since that time, everything has increased in s terms of speed in our lives.

If I understand you correctly, WW3 should arrive sooner, rather than later?

[Mmehdy]

16 minutes ago, tabcom said:

If I understand you correctly, WW3 should arrive sooner, rather than later?

I hope we never see that day, but we should be able to get out of this mess without WW3. I hope we have gained  more humanity, or more intelligence since 1939-1945 to find another solution. Hopefully we can overcome this soon and keep out GA/SA comic book collections intact.

Edited April 3, 2020 by Mmehdy

[batman_fan]

5 hours ago, Tri-ColorBrian said:

CGC seems to be an "essential" service... but mycomicshop.com has shut down temporarily due to COVID 19.  Go figure...

No one wants to see us fanboys rioting in the streets

[gino2paulus2]

FINALLY landed this rarity during these strange times...GA STRONG 4 LIFE!!

[batman_fan]

I do think we will start to see a decrease in prices but I am not sure when.  There are several books I am watching and prices are getting close to where I would expect them to close.  The last CLINK auction seemed to have some incredibly strong prices but a few that seemed to under perform (GA Batman's).  I am also watching a piece of artwork that is currently at 1/5 where it should hammer but it is still 3 weeks away from closing and these items usually do their big run-up at the last day.

[lou_fine]

Is this a copy and paste from a post you made just prior to the end of the recent CL auction since I seem to remember the same sentiment from that post at the time?  

[batman_fan]

1 hour ago, lou_fine said:

Is this a copy and paste from a post you made just prior to the end of the recent CL auction since I seem to remember the same sentiment from that post at the time?  

No, its new but similar sentiment.  Seems like maybe some weakness but not across the board yet.

[bluechip]

On 4/3/2020 at 2:26 PM, Mmehdy said:

" The US coin market held reasonably firm through the depression" as people filled in holes in penny boards during the 1930's.I do not believe that GA/SA comic book collecting especially in the GCG era of collecting/speculating can really compare to that.. It is a good question to ask however, the last great depression hit us hard for 10 years. This depression is gonna hit harder in terms of unemployment but in quicker amount of time. It might even be called when we get out this a "Flash Crash" and I hope it turns out this way. I saw something interesting today as I went to my bank and that branch and I went to another and that was closed...no signs directing a branch was open...this could be the way things are gonna be for a while, if any GA collectors do not know how use that ATM or the banks website I would learn now. By going ATM it limits a bank run. In the prior depression, there was a" bank holiday". It just seemed to me a bit different out there, today.

 In terms of selling, we might revert to the old days of comic book collecting. Trading...which is not a bad thing at all...you could value the books pretty easy and you are not limited to a buyers ability to pay. If things get really tough out there, this might be the way to go to get rid of  your dupes and material you can live without. The best way to do this is trade up as I think quality material will not decrease as much and will come back sooner price wise. Again, as a member above just posted 4 good GA books that he purchased from a dealer at a very attractive price...I would contact them...We have Bedrock, Gator and a whole host of other members who have AMAZING stock and besides being cool they have always been very reasonable and fair to deal with. Given these uncertain times, I have no doubt  they would continue to do so.

Remember that GA is "GOLD".

 

 

On 4/3/2020 at 2:26 PM, Mmehdy said:

" The US coin market held reasonably firm through the depression" as people filled in holes in penny boards during the 1930's.I do not believe that GA/SA comic book collecting especially in the GCG era of collecting/speculating can really compare to that.. It is a good question to ask however, the last great depression hit us hard for 10 years. This depression is gonna hit harder in terms of unemployment but in quicker amount of time. It might even be called when we get out this a "Flash Crash" and I hope it turns out this way. I saw something interesting today as I went to my bank and that branch and I went to another and that was closed...no signs directing a branch was open...this could be the way things are gonna be for a while, if any GA collectors do not know how use that ATM or the banks website I would learn now. By going ATM it limits a bank run. In the prior depression, there was a" bank holiday". It just seemed to me a bit different out there, today.

 In terms of selling, we might revert to the old days of comic book collecting. Trading...which is not a bad thing at all...you could value the books pretty easy and you are not limited to a buyers ability to pay. If things get really tough out there, this might be the way to go to get rid of  your dupes and material you can live without. The best way to do this is trade up as I think quality material will not decrease as much and will come back sooner price wise. Again, as a member above just posted 4 good GA books that he purchased from a dealer at a very attractive price...I would contact them...We have Bedrock, Gator and a whole host of other members who have AMAZING stock and besides being cool they have always been very reasonable and fair to deal with. Given these uncertain times, I have no doubt  they would continue to do so.

Remember that GA is "GOLD".

 

"Flash Crash" might just catch on.   There is little reason that this downturn would not reverse itself quickly in the event of a faster-than-expected vaccine.

In the more likely event it will take longer for a vaccine, there are many industries which will be able to adjust.  Most office work can be done at home.  A good deal of manufacturing can be accomplished with increased hygiene protocols.  Much of entertainment can be skewed temporarily toward home usage.   Sports and concerts, theatrical events (including theatrical releases for films) will not recover fully unless and until there is a vaccine.

What we may see in the weeks and months ahead is a reckoning regarding the role of government in aiding people and/or industry.   The countries which have stricter controls over the movements and behavior of people, and which take a more proactive (and constructive) role in their economies will see their manufacturing sectors increase, as they will be able to return to something approaching normal operations more quickly than those countries which cannot or will not impose hygiene regulations (and especially not those which equate saving the economy with maintaining the pre-virus heights of corporate profits and executive bonuses).        

 

 

[batman_fan]

8 minutes ago, bluechip said:

 

"Flash Crash" might just catch on.   There is little reason that this downturn would not reverse itself quickly in the event of a faster-than-expected vaccine.

In the more likely event it will take longer for a vaccine, there are many industries which will be able to adjust.  Most office work can be done at home.  A good deal of manufacturing can be accomplished with increased hygiene protocols.  Much of entertainment can be skewed temporarily toward home usage.   Sports and concerts, theatrical events (including theatrical releases for films) will not recover fully unless and until there is a vaccine.

What we may see in the weeks and months ahead is a reckoning regarding the role of government in aiding people and/or industry.   The countries which have stricter controls over the movements and behavior of people, and which take a more proactive (and constructive) role in their economies will see their manufacturing sectors increase, as they will be able to return to something approaching normal operations more quickly than those countries which cannot or will not impose hygiene regulations (and especially not those which equate saving the economy with maintaining the pre-virus heights of corporate profits and executive bonuses).        

 

 

We got the "work from home" email three weeks ago.  After working from home the CEO said everyone needed to be back in the office.  Week two we worked out a plan for people to return to the office to work.  We started executing the plan this week.  Lots of super pissed people, nervous people, etc.  but the message was pretty clear "your job is contingent on you coming in the office".  We were deemed "essential" because we design products for infrastructure communications (wired and wireless).  The company is providing hand sanitizer, temperature monitoring, etc but that doesn't guarantee people won't get sick. 

[bluechip]

41 minutes ago, batman_fan said:

We got the "work from home" email three weeks ago.  After working from home the CEO said everyone needed to be back in the office.  Week two we worked out a plan for people to return to the office to work.  We started executing the plan this week.  Lots of super pissed people, nervous people, etc.  but the message was pretty clear "your job is contingent on you coming in the office".  We were deemed "essential" because we design products for infrastructure communications (wired and wireless).  The company is providing hand sanitizer, temperature monitoring, etc but that doesn't guarantee people won't get sick. 

The industries getting "essential" ratings sometimes are justified and sometimes just because the CEOs have political pull.   

I would imagine there are some instances in which some folks in management simply miss the in-office experience or feel like they've lost control somewhat.   Some people will get sick who needn't have gotten sick and some lawsuits may result.   Let's see how long it is before the best connected Job Creators get Congress to pass laws making them immune from those suits (if laws like that aren't already in the previous stimulus bill, they will follow soon enough)     

[szav]

6 minutes ago, bluechip said:

The industries getting "essential" ratings sometimes are justified and sometimes just because the CEOs have political pull.   

I would imagine there are some instances in which some folks in management simply miss the in-office experience or feel like they've lost control somewhat.   Some people will get sick who needn't have gotten sick and some lawsuits may result.   Let's see how long it is before the best connected Job Creators get Congress to pass laws making them immune from those suits (if laws like that aren't already in the previous stimulus bill, they will follow soon enough)     

I sure hope they make them immune.  The last thing this country needs after this ends is mass company bankruptcy due to endless lawsuits related to this.

Hate to be cold hearted about this but if anyone doesn’t like their companies policy they’re free to quit their job.

And you can’t reasonably expect companies to protect everyone from asymptomatic carriers/spreaders  which current estimates put anywhere from 20-70% of those afflicted. There isn’t enough money in the universe to cover the punitive damages that would be awarded if companies are held liable for on the job infections.

[batman_fan]

3 minutes ago, szav said:

I sure hope they make them immune.  The last thing this country needs after this ends is mass company bankruptcy due to endless lawsuits related to this.

Hate to be cold hearted about this but if anyone doesn’t like their companies policy they’re free to quit their job.

And you can’t reasonably expect companies to protect everyone from asymptomatic carriers/spreaders  which current estimates put anywhere from 20-70% of those afflicted. There isn’t enough money in the universe to cover the punitive damages that would be awarded if companies are held liable for on the job infections.

I know in my companies case, our legal reviews everything.  They are monitoring policy changes in every state we operate to determine how we need to react to protect the company while still having people work in the office.  I know there are a lot of very nervous people coming in the office right now myself included but getting a paycheck is pretty important right now.

[Mmehdy]

On 4/3/2020 at 6:34 PM, gino2paulus2 said:

FINALLY landed this rarity during these strange times...GA STRONG 4 LIFE!!

Cong- great buy and great stuff coming up, I see about 3 more Big Ha auctions for the rest of the year..look for 6 in 2021 as material is lining up to get in and out to us collectors, also look for Ha weekly auctions to increase in book quality in the future, especially late 2020.

While CGC is still open, any books you might consider  the GA/SA  which you are either selling or trading should be sent to them immediately  and pay for priority grading if you want them back in time for future auction or sale. CGC could be down for a while and I believe that CGC over the grading companies consistently brings a bit more in price or possible demand to the table.

 I think the premium you will pay for grading especially in these tough times will be well worth the cost as this crisis goes on, buyers will become picker and CGC can assure them that what they are buying is what they are getting. Especially the determination of restored vs unrestored GA/SA is gonna be in many cases a make or break sale, if ungraded you will be at the mercy of the seller and why should he take a risk if so much other CGC graded material is out there for sale, up for auction or trade with little or no risk involved. It will be the ungraded GA comic book price that will take a beating.

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by Mmehdy

[bluechip]

1 hour ago, szav said:

I sure hope they make them immune.  The last thing this country needs after this ends is mass company bankruptcy due to endless lawsuits related to this.

Hate to be cold hearted about this but if anyone doesn’t like their companies policy they’re free to quit their job.

And you can’t reasonably expect companies to protect everyone from asymptomatic carriers/spreaders  which current estimates put anywhere from 20-70% of those afflicted. There isn’t enough money in the universe to cover the punitive damages that would be awarded if companies are held liable for on the job infections.

I was all but certain somebody would say that (bolded section) but the devil is in the details.  There is a world of difference between 0 lawsuits and "endless lawsuits" and neither of those extremes is a good one, but people seem to assume it has to be one or the other.  

I can all but guarantee three things.  1: there will be companies that do things which are flagrant and even malicious violations of safety, like bosses who demand people work while sick and bosses who deliberately stand, coughing, over anyone who implies they should be cautious.   2:   There will be workers who insist on a level of safety which is virtually unobtainable and who will try to sue even if they hear someone cough a hundred yards.   And 3: the immunity laws that are passed will seek to ensure that lawsuits are impossible in either example #1 or #2

      

[Chicago Boy]

IMO Market was going soft prior to the crisis. Prices were coming back down to earth in my  outside of the big 2 and maybe marvel comics 1 making a bit of a resurgence. Ultra high grade keys would also fall into that category 

[Mmehdy]

58 minutes ago, Chicago Boy said:

IMO Market was going soft prior to the crisis. Prices were coming back down to earth in my  outside of the big 2 and maybe marvel comics 1 making a bit of a resurgence. Ultra high grade keys would also fall into that category 

I would second that with saying more of a price pause..Cap#1 and #3 and others were a pretty good indicator the market was running out of gas, I still feel however there was some play left in that  Cap 1.,3 but things can only go in one direction for so long. If this crisis had not occurred it might of be a slight pause for a year, maybe two before the next "hot" trend would hit GA/SA and upswing the entire overall GA/SA comic book market. If we look into the future and GA/SA prices points were artificially brought down by the crisis...does that mean that the recovery from crisis market price correction when it turns upward should be faster? It could be. Especially is this is a deep price correction. I think there will be a lot of buyers on the sideline, not just true comic book collectors but major comic book dealers and possible some investors just waiting for the right time to come into this Ga/SA market.

 What is the safest place to be in GA/SA collecting during an unknown market price decline which is predicated on a cure of a virus. This unknown territory but it is simple to say, the longer the decline, the farther the road to recovery back is. We might not ever get back to these pre-virus price points again, and the same  can be said with stock market  which was at Dow 29,000 plus. However, I think 99% at some point both will recover to the old high points. If you are, like me, waiting a bit to see where we are going, and get some type of estimate or fog clearing moment that we are all gonna be ok....SOON...I would buy in safest area. I prefer auctions over dealers for one reason and that is you can be anonymous as what you want and hyper inflate the market of the books that you want. I believe however, that buying dealer direct would cheaper in the long run, but some of this "once in a lifetime material" comes on auctions  or thru E-bay and then disappears, you never see it again and call yourself a cheapskate for not going all the way. In fact I am looking carefully at one particular item coming up soon this month, currently with just a couple of bids, but I guarantee they have not done the research I have on that "once in a lifetime" piece. Safest buying is pieces that YOU consider if you don't buy it now, you may never get it again-rarity or if I don't buy it now I will be never able to afford it again (buy Cap 1 or 3 my advice if you do not own those books or Sup1 etc...LOL). That would be my guiding principal to buy during this entire crisis. Prior to this crisis, I received a call from a collector friend who was selling a rare GA comic book collector to collector  , he wanted $13,900..based upon market value and price paid and holding time. He was offered $13,000 for it and asked me if he should take it. The offer would mean a slight loss, accounting for the holding time value of money, on paper a small profit but for factoring in inflation a slight loss. He countered at $13,500 and the buyer would come up a penny. He stated I know I can get at least $13,500 and Probably $13,750. I told him to take it, that he could use his extensive comic book collecting knowledge to turn that 13K into 20K in a heartbeat. He did not listen to me. For the last couple of months we talk about it, so he finally breaks down yesterday and calls the buyer and says I am gonna call him and take the 13K. He does, but the buyer now says $11,500 and that everything has "changed" since he made that offer. He calls me back, not a happy camper...mad as heck...asked me what he should do.. and I told him....take the $11500. If he waits and buys right he can take and turn it into $23,000 within 2 years. He did.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Mmehdy

[Cat-Man_America]

1 hour ago, Chicago Boy said:

IMO Market was going soft prior to the crisis. Prices were coming back down to earth in my  outside of the big 2 and maybe marvel comics 1 making a bit of a resurgence. Ultra high grade keys would also fall into that category 

I don't mind if some of them fall my way. 

[Cat-Man_America]

7 minutes ago, Mmehdy said:

I would second that with saying more of a price pause..Cap#1 and #3 and others were a pretty good indicator the market was running out of gas, I still feel however there was some play left in that  Cap 1.,3 but things can only go in one direction for so long. If this crisis had not occurred it might of be a slight pause for a year, maybe two before the next "hot" trend would hit GA/SA and upswing the entire overall GA/SA comic book market. If we look into the future and GA/SA prices points were artificially brought down by the crisis...does that mean that the recovery from crisis market price correction when it turns upward should be faster? It could be. Especially is this is a deep price correction. I think there will be a lot of buyers on the sideline, not just true comic book collectors but major comic book dealers and possible some investors just waiting for the right time to come into this Ga/SA market.

 What is the safest place to be in GA/SA collecting during an unknown market price decline which is predicated on a cure of a virus. This unknown territory but it is simple to say, the longer the decline, the farther the road to recovery back is. We might not ever get back to these pre-virus price points again, and the same  can be said with stock market  which was at Dow 29,000 plus. However, I think 99% at some point both will recover to the old high points. If you are, like me, waiting a bit to see where we are going, and get some type of estimate or fog clearing moment that we are all gonna be ok....SOON...I would buy in safest area. I prefer auctions over dealers for one reason and that is you can be anonymous as what you want and hyper inflate the market of the books that you want. I believe however, that buying dealer direct would cheaper in the long run, but some of this "once in a lifetime material" comes on auctions  or thru E-bay and then disappears, you never see it again and call yourself a cheapskate for not going all the way. In fact I am looking carefully at one particular item coming up soon this month, currently with just a couple of bids, but I guarantee they have not done the research I have on that "once in a lifetime" piece. Safest buying is pieces that YOU consider if you don't buy it now, you may never get it again-rarity or if I don't buy it now I will be never able to afford it again (buy Cap 1 or 3 my advice if you do not own those books or Sup1 etc...LOL). That would be my guiding principal to buy during this entire crisis. Prior to this crisis, I received a call from a collector friend who was selling a rare GA comic book collector to collector  , he wanted $13,900..based upon market value and price paid and holding time. He was offered $13,000 for it and asked me if he should take it. The offer would mean a slight loss, accounting for the holding time value of money, on paper a small profit but for factoring in inflation a slight loss. He countered at $13,500 and the buyer would come up a penny. He stated I know I can get at least $13,500 and Probably $13,750. I told him to take it, that he could use his extensive comic book collecting knowledge to turn that 13K into 20K in a heartbeat. He did not listen to me. For the last couple of months we talk about it, so he finally breaks down yesterday and calls the buyer and says I am gonna call him and take the 13K. He does, but the buyer now says $11,500 and that everything has "changed" since he made that offer. He calls me back, not a happy camper...mad as heck...asked me what he should do.. and I told him....take the $11500. If he waits and buys right he can take and turn it into $23,000 within 2 years. He did.

But if fuel prices have gotten lower why is the market running out of gas? ...    ...