True value of a key comic 0

[comicginger1789]

 

Just now, THE_BEYONDER said:

I found that the desire to own books subsides once you own them. 

Well yes, of course, but does the desire switch from "yes, I got this great book I always wanted" immediately to "huh, I wonder how much I will make off this book I always wanted"? I tend to enjoy books for quite some time before ever considering selling. I don't immediately look at that book I just got and try to use it to fund my next goal. Maybe that is why I don't have any mega keys so hey, maybe I am collecting wrong in some people's eye lol. .

[BoogieWoogie]

3 minutes ago, comicginger1789 said:

I feel like I don't understand collectors constantly flipping books. Like, they buy a great books like AF #15 and say how proud they are and how much they love it and how it is a grail.

Then, a year later (or less), they have sold it and moved on to something else. Did they ever REALLY love it? Were they just in love with the fact they had it and the fact they could profit off it? It seems like a lot of these collectors just love the thrill of buying and selling and have a hard time focusing. They chase what's hot or they want whatever mega key now and if it changes, they change. 

Now, I am not saying we all must die with our books in our possession. I get people downsize, I get focuses change and so I totally understand selling books to move towards another goal. I just have a hard time connecting with collectors whose goals change all the time. Like one day it's "I love this great Hulk #181, grail of my collection!" and then two months later they sell for a profit to fund something else. Did they really love it? Are they funding a better book? Or are they just chasing that feeling or making money on something and trying to find the next book to do the same with? That is not why I collect but I know there are those who do. 

If you have enough money to just buy what you want I get that. But a lot of collectors don't. The only way I'm going to scratch up to an AF15 is through years of flipping. And you can think of that as allowing you to get a big discount on a book you wanted.

But you're also correct that some people enjoy the thrill of buying and selling. Getting a good deal when you buy and selling at or above FMV is FUN. Speculating can be fun. For some people, yes, it's another way to gamble but it's their money. 

And for some they enjoy chasing down books. Working up to a grail. But after you score your top book... then what? So I can get them turning their sights to something else purely because they love collecting and want to keep digging through back issue bins and driving to different comic shops and buying people's collections and sifting through them...

To me they're just different manifestations of the hobby, all of which I'm fine with. As long as their thrill isn't buying up GA and SA keys to use as kindling I say let other collectors do their thing  

[comicginger1789]

Just now, BoogieWoogie said:

If you have enough money to just buy what you want I get that. But a lot of collectors don't. The only way I'm going to scratch up to an AF15 is through years of flipping. And you can think of that as allowing you to get a big discount on a book you wanted.

But you're also correct that some people enjoy the thrill of buying and selling. Getting a good deal when you buy and selling at or above FMV is FUN. Speculating can be fun. For some people, yes, it's another way to gamble but it's their money. 

And for some they enjoy chasing down books. Working up to a grail. But after you score your top book... then what? So I can get them turning their sights to something else purely because they love collecting and want to keep digging through back issue bins and driving to different comic shops and buying people's collections and sifting through them...

To me they're just different manifestations of the hobby, all of which I'm fine with. As long as their thrill isn't buying up GA and SA keys to use as kindling I say let other collectors do their thing  

Agree

For me, there are enough comics I want to own one day to keep me going forever. I don't want to get to the "now what" part. I suppose if I sold a lot of what I have, I could get a copy of AF #15 (pretty sure it would take every book I own to get there). But then I would have to go back and do it again and I am not interested in that personally. I am content with my diverse collection and if it never gets me the AF#15, that is fine because in reality, while that would thrill me, it would be a book that I would be hesitant to handle often, worried about storing at home, likely get graded to preserve its condition/value and so it becomes no better than having a poster on a wall (albeit a helluva piece in my personal eyes). 

[evilskip]

Wouldn't it just be cheaper to hit yourself in the head with a shoe while on the telephone with a buddy?

I would just take a hard pass on the proposition. It wouldn't be anything but a burden if your family couldn't sell it once you depart this venue.

[comicginger1789]

35 minutes ago, evilskip said:

Wouldn't it just be cheaper to hit yourself in the head with a shoe while on the telephone with a buddy?

I would just take a hard pass on the proposition. It wouldn't be anything but a burden if your family couldn't sell it once you depart this venue.

So nothing is worth owning if it can only be passed down or thrown away or gifted to someone else?

[Math Teacher]

1 hour ago, THE_BEYONDER said:

I found that the desire to own books subsides once you own them. 

True, but it's a good feeling than crossing a book off your want list.

[Math Teacher]

1 hour ago, comicginger1789 said:

I tend to enjoy books for quite some time before ever considering selling. 

Well, based on what I perceive you mean when you say you enjoy your books, I probably don't fall into that same category. 

1) If I have a slabbed book, I can't imagine ever wanting to open the slab, for whatever reason. Yes, I know I am a heretic, but if I want to read ASM #1, there are a plethora of options available to me, such as Masterworks, Omnibuses, Epic collections, Essentials, Marvel Unlimited, or on a DVD (https://www.midtowncomics.com/product/43057). I bought these DVDs long ago, which included FF, Thor, Iron Man, X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, and possibly others - I just don't remember. If I ever have the desire to reread Steve Ditko's run on Spider-Man, I get out the DVD, copy the PDF files to my Kindle, and I'm all set. Yes, I can't see the ad pages, but I didn't want to read Ditko's run so I could see the ads. Also, my Kindle is only slightly smaller than a typical comic book.

2) I don't "enjoy" my books on a regular basis. I kept my recent purchase of AF #15 next to my desk for about a week. It's now safely stored in my safe deposit box, along with the other fifteen most valuable comics in my collection. I have seen the cover of AF #15 thousands of times, so I don't need to look at it every day. Besides, I have pictures of all my slabbed comics (I post them on Instagram), so if I need to look at one, I can just look at its picture. The slabs that are not in my safe deposit box are stored in my room in the basement on top of a tall stand, in an area that is not near any water pipes. Could these books be damaged? Fire - yes, water - I hope not. My entire basement would have to flood all the way to the top of the ceiling before these books would be damaged, and I'm pretty sure that, even if I have a pipe burst, water would start to run out the door before it reached the ceiling of my basement.

3) Not all my books are in slabs, although I really like the look of them when they are in a slab. I don't think it would be worthwhile to slab my Good copy of FF #7. If I desire a slabbed copy of FF #7, I will just have to buy one in a higher grade, and then sell my under copy.

I'm sure someone will say, "I can't believe how indifferent you are about your collection." You say indifferent, I say practical. I'm just elaborating on what I do. I'm not recommending that any other people follow my lead, and I don't want someone to try and convince me that what I am doing is wrong. This is what works for me.

 

[thunsicker]

So for most of their lives comics have been a collectible not an investment.  It was only starting around '95 to '00 with the advent of eBay and CGC that they were thought of as an investment.  Before then most people sold comics to stores and got much less than they spent on them.  As a result people would only buy them for their personal collection and only spend disposable income on them.  So if you wanted to come up with a reasonable approximation of what comics are 'worth' without the investment angle I would say to look at prices at that time and adjust for inflation/net worth adjustments for the intervening years. 

That said, don't expect comics to go down to those values.  The whole point of auction houses and cgc is to make comics more fungible and as such investment money is in comics and will probably stay.  Many of us 'collectors' have been priced out, but don't give up. 

If you actually love comics there are plenty that aren't through the roof and can be collected.  Perez's Teen Titans are still affordable, Sienkiewicz's Moon Knights and New Mutants aren't too expensive, you can put together a Doom Patrol collection or even an Legion of Superheroes collection without spending even as much as one mid grade AF 15.  There are lots of things out there to collect in the comic book realm, so don't give up just because you are priced out of buying the 'keys' now.

Edited January 12, 2021 by thunsicker

[B2D327]

8 hours ago, wilbil said:

 

 

lets be honest. it is a dumb scenario

+1

[Ken Aldred]

8 hours ago, Angel of Death said:

$0.

I will not be told what to do with my property, whether it was paid for or not.

+1

For me, it just seems like too much of a burden, which you and future custodians are tied into in perpetuity, which I can live without and not want to impose on others.

That thought's such a headache, I reach the same conclusion on price after following a different route.

[comicginger1789]

5 hours ago, Math Teacher said:

Well, based on what I perceive you mean when you say you enjoy your books, I probably don't fall into that same category. 

1) If I have a slabbed book, I can't imagine ever wanting to open the slab, for whatever reason. Yes, I know I am a heretic, but if I want to read ASM #1, there are a plethora of options available to me, such as Masterworks, Omnibuses, Epic collections, Essentials, Marvel Unlimited, or on a DVD (https://www.midtowncomics.com/product/43057). I bought these DVDs long ago, which included FF, Thor, Iron Man, X-Men, Avengers, Spider-Man, and possibly others - I just don't remember. If I ever have the desire to reread Steve Ditko's run on Spider-Man, I get out the DVD, copy the PDF files to my Kindle, and I'm all set. Yes, I can't see the ad pages, but I didn't want to read Ditko's run so I could see the ads. Also, my Kindle is only slightly smaller than a typical comic book.

2) I don't "enjoy" my books on a regular basis. I kept my recent purchase of AF #15 next to my desk for about a week. It's now safely stored in my safe deposit box, along with the other fifteen most valuable comics in my collection. I have seen the cover of AF #15 thousands of times, so I don't need to look at it every day. Besides, I have pictures of all my slabbed comics (I post them on Instagram), so if I need to look at one, I can just look at its picture. The slabs that are not in my safe deposit box are stored in my room in the basement on top of a tall stand, in an area that is not near any water pipes. Could these books be damaged? Fire - yes, water - I hope not. My entire basement would have to flood all the way to the top of the ceiling before these books would be damaged, and I'm pretty sure that, even if I have a pipe burst, water would start to run out the door before it reached the ceiling of my basement.

3) Not all my books are in slabs, although I really like the look of them when they are in a slab. I don't think it would be worthwhile to slab my Good copy of FF #7. If I desire a slabbed copy of FF #7, I will just have to buy one in a higher grade, and then sell my under copy.

I'm sure someone will say, "I can't believe how indifferent you are about your collection." You say indifferent, I say practical. I'm just elaborating on what I do. I'm not recommending that any other people follow my lead, and I don't want someone to try and convince me that what I am doing is wrong. This is what works for me.

 

And that last sentence is all that matters:)

Although I would be sad to own six a great book and have to hide it. I get it, totally I do by keeping in a safety deposit box, so that might mean I will never own an AF 15 because I would probably have to do the same.

and yes I know I can read em in omnis and trades and online what not but I don’t enjoy those the same at all.  But alas it’s my way and as you say, that is what works for me:)

Edited January 13, 2021 by comicginger1789

[evilskip]

18 hours ago, comicginger1789 said:

So nothing is worth owning if it can only be passed down or thrown away or gifted to someone else?

I'd rather leave the money to my wife, who would have absolutely no use for a comic "key" that she could do nothing with.

[comicginger1789]

3 hours ago, evilskip said:

I'd rather leave the money to my wife, who would have absolutely no use for a comic "key" that she could do nothing with.

True

I think the correct answer to the original question is if you had 100K to blow on a comic that you could never ever sell, you would think about your family first (as one should) and use that 100K more wisely.

If I were a bachelor, sure, I'd buy it. And gift it away to someone who could carry it on before I pass (someone who appreciates comics, be it a personal friend or even someone here)

And as for would we pay full price, well....no one ever likes to do that. It never hurts to ask for if someone will take _____ for it, so long as your offer is not a lowball one. Even then, the response you get will let you know how they felt