Buyers: What is your plan for the current insanity? 3 3

[bluehorseshoe]

7 hours ago, Off Panel said:

 

I don't know if these people are "crypto dudes," hedge fund managers, Appalachian lottery winners, Q-Anon adherents, NXIVM cultists, or all of the above, but it definitely feels like current catalysts are occurring outside the hobby. 

As for my proof, I haven't got a shred. I'm all crazy hypotheses and tin foil hats at this point.

Unless “comics” means guns, four-wheelers, more guns, condos in Myrtle Beach, a 100,000 truck where you finance the insurance, and tax, tag, and title, and some guns, it’s not them.

[Pat Thomas]

17 minutes ago, Sweet Lou 14 said:

Because MyComicShop won't accept store credit on consigned books, it took me four months to find a book on which I could spend the $400 credit I'd earned from selling books to them.  I don't know how long it would take to use up the credit on 10,000 books.

I have a 30 page want list. They do get keys in stock sometimes. I got my FF 4 with store credit, along with plenty Silver & Golden Age DC books. Really I've been able to get comics I needed from all ages and genres. Sometimes I can't get things when I want them, but they always have stuff I need. The hobby is fun for me, so I don't get uptight over things I don't control. Sounds like you should expand your horizons a little.

[Savoyard23]

9 hours ago, speedcake said:

I'm guessing there is going to be plenty of bargains on pretty much all non key stuff, and even alot of smaller keys. The crazy train is only pushing a tiny % of all the comics out there. But if you are only after those bigger books then ya I can see it being a bummer.

I've been thinking about going to Baltimore for the first time actually.  I hear it's more of a true comic show than, say, Wizard Philly.

I'm a run collector, so I'm after some bigger books by default.  I feel the same way as Wombat, though, so nice to hear the opinion that this show has some good deals if I do end up going.

[HuddyBee]

8 hours ago, KCOComics said:

This hobby does have allot to offer and while prices seem to be going up everywhere, there are still affordable options. I'm focusing on high grade BA DC Horror. 

Great art and I really enjoy it.

I figured based on your profile photo. And I agree BA DC horror has some real great stuff, and you can generally find real nice copies for around $5-10 easily. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a spike in these books once E.C.'s become out of reach, but I doubt it'll happen for a while.

P.S. A little off topic, but I've always felt House Of Secrets 118 was a criminally underrated cover, probably my favorite of the run.

[oldmilwaukee6er]

 

9 hours ago, Adam Lui said:

Also the same thing applies to comics, it's not the end of collecting just an inevitable shift is occurring in real time but everything else shifts with it. Someone earlier said they regretted selling some key that rocketed but so did the books he bought with that money. It is inevitable that 90s become 80s prices become 70s etc. it will never end until comics stop being published (or Disney goes bankrupt)

RE your question about crypto buyers ... Yes we do have evidence of other hobbyists eg. Card collectors entering our markets at higher price points. There is a good thread in Modern that challenges some old guard assumptions RE price vs popcount. We don't have specific evidence of a crypto buyer yet, but it supports the general theory that part of the runup during pandemic is due to other hobbyists entering comics speculation. 

RE... Your quote above. The thread in Modern does establishes the idea that the new guard doesn't care for the old guards rules. And that's probably true. And power to them for collecting in the manner they choose. If they drive up NM 98 to prices that are unaffordable to me then it is on me for not buying and holding sooner. And I admire your optimism even if I cannot fully share it. 

  But I remember the bubble bursting once before. I remember my high grade raw, Pre-Unity Valiants being worthless for 15 years and 3 crosscountry moves. Valiant was partially blamed for the crash, the books were almost pariahs. It wasn't until the Valiant boards and the seismic shift that was CGC c early 2000s that high grade was really cool and oh hey Valiant is cool again. Miles Morales is cool, Deadpool, Harleybut there's going to come a time when he's not cool anymore or there's some other unforeseen pitfall that drives the value of ones collection down. And I'll be there, steady picking.

But I don't know that's why I put up the old guy emogi. I was hearing some depression era stories about my grandparents the other day and thinking 'you can leave the depression era but the depression era doesn't leave you.'

[KCOComics]

33 minutes ago, HuddyBee said:

I figured based on your profile photo. And I agree BA DC horror has some real great stuff, and you can generally find real nice copies for around $5-10 easily. I wouldn't be surprised if there's a spike in these books once E.C.'s become out of reach, but I doubt it'll happen for a while.

P.S. A little off topic, but I've always felt House Of Secrets 118 was a criminally underrated cover, probably my favorite of the run.

 

When I was around 16 I changed my focus from reading to really collecting.  But I was a kid and didn't have big $$ to spend on GA books or AF15s.   I just bought characters I liked and was far less concerned with grades. 

Now, I was fortunate,  that I got a lot of books that grew allot.  But for every Spidey 129, I also had a million punisher war journals that went nowhere. 

In the end,  I just enjoyed collecting. 

Over the last ten years or so I've been allot more focused on the keys. And I've been fortunate to get most of the ones I wanted.   But with prices where they are,  I'm petty content with going back to how I collected when I was 16.  Buying books I like and not really being worried about future value.  

So I'm working on a House of Secrets run. Adams, Wrightson, Dominguez.. the art is phenomenal and I'm fine if it stays cheap. 

Then maybe I'll move to HOM or Phantom Stranger.  Although  I've been considering going after SA HOS. I guess that's the thing about this current price surge. It is widespread,  but there is alot of things to enjoy about this hobby. A nice AF15 is probably getting out of reach for me, but there is plenty of other stuff I enjoy. 

Anyway - totally agree on 118! It's one of my favorites. 88, 91, 103 and 107 are high on my list to. Oh and 105. I could go on and on lol. 

 

[wombat]

1 hour ago, Savoyard23 said:

I've been thinking about going to Baltimore for the first time actually.  I hear it's more of a true comic show than, say, Wizard Philly.

I'm a run collector, so I'm after some bigger books by default.  I feel the same way as Wombat, though, so nice to hear the opinion that this show has some good deals if I do end up going.

Baltimore and Philly shouldn't even be mentioned together. But if you really want to buy windows or funko pops I highly recommend the Philly show. 

[piper]

24 minutes ago, KCOComics said:

 

When I was around 16 I changed my focus from reading to really collecting.  But I was a kid and didn't have big $$ to spend on GA books or AF15s.   I just bought characters I liked and was far less concerned with grades. 

Now, I was fortunate,  that I got a lot of books that grew allot.  But for every Spidey 129, I also had a million punisher war journals that went nowhere. 

In the end,  I just enjoyed collecting. 

Over the last ten years or so I've been allot more focused on the keys. And I've been fortunate to get most of the ones I wanted.   But with prices where they are,  I'm petty content with going back to how I collected when I was 16.  Buying books I like and not really being worried about future value.  

So I'm working on a House of Secrets run. Adams, Wrightson, Dominguez.. the art is phenomenal and I'm fine if it stays cheap. 

Then maybe I'll move to HOM or Phantom Stranger.  Although  I've been considering going after SA HOS. I guess that's the thing about this current price surge. It is widespread,  but there is alot of things to enjoy about this hobby. A nice AF15 is probably getting out of reach for me, but there is plenty of other stuff I enjoy. 

Anyway - totally agree on 118! It's one of my favorites. 88, 91, 103 and 107 are high on my list to. Oh and 105. I could go on and on lol. 

 

I can't recommend Phantom Stranger enough.

[DavidTheDavid]

12 minutes ago, piper said:

I can't recommend Phantom Stranger enough.

Well, you could at least try. I mean, put in a little effort, right?  

[Shrevvy]

1 hour ago, oldmilwaukee6er said:

 

RE your question about crypto buyers ... Yes we do have evidence of other hobbyists eg. Card collectors entering our markets at higher price points. There is a good thread in Modern that challenges some old guard assumptions RE price vs popcount. We don't have specific evidence of a crypto buyer yet, but it supports the general theory that part of the runup during pandemic is due to other hobbyists entering comics speculation. 

 Crypto buyers are not hobbyists. 

[piper]

31 minutes ago, DavidTheDavid said:

Well, you could at least try. I mean, put in a little effort, right?  

I sent him a PM.

[F For Fake]

My buying patterns really haven't changed at all. I don't have much in the way of plans or goals, so I don't have to worry about chasing down the few issues I need for a set or whatever. I just take whatever comes locally, and it's a lot more fun that way. One shop prices stuff right about FMV, and they get a lot of "hot" moderns books, so there's a lot to choose from. Another shop still uses Overstreet, so they don't pay as much (meaning they don't get as much recent hot stuff) but when they DO get a collection in, the books are very affordable, and tend to be the sort of mid-grade Silver, Bronze and middle/high copper stuff that I prefer. And there are several other comic shops, second hand stores, peddlers malls, antique shops, etc to keep me busy. There's always something to collect, something new and cool to buy. Some new collection just came in, or there's a garage sale, or a FB listing, etc. There's not shortage of fun books to buy at a reasonable price.

If I collected 9.8's of key issues, boy, I'd be hurting, for sure. But since I don't play that game, and just hunt locally, buying what I like, the hobby is still affordable and fun for me. There was one run of books I wanted in 9.8, and I finished that off several years ago. Since then, I just buy local, buy raw, and never run out of stuff to buy! 

[bpc3qh]

My plan is that I'll spend what I'm willing to spend, and if I get the books I want, great. If I don't, oh well.

[BigLeagueCHEW]

Zero buying at the moment, looking at purchasing other items besides comics.

[Sweet Lou 14]

4 hours ago, Pat Thomas said:

I have a 30 page want list. They do get keys in stock sometimes. I got my FF 4 with store credit, along with plenty Silver & Golden Age DC books. Really I've been able to get comics I needed from all ages and genres. Sometimes I can't get things when I want them, but they always have stuff I need. The hobby is fun for me, so I don't get uptight over things I don't control. Sounds like you should expand your horizons a little.

Look, you don't know what my collection looks like but I'm a high-grade collector with a shorter (7-page) want list.  I like MCS a lot, but they rarely have matches in the grades I'm looking for, and even then only in the Bronze Age, and even then 99% of the time it's a consignment book.  It is what it is.

In other words, my "horizons" are quite broad but I'm happy to say I've already met most of my collecting goals.

[JazzMan]

23 hours ago, blazingbob said:

I'm opening a Comic For View service for Big Ticket keys.  Much like owning shares you can buy "views" and look lovingly on the books you can no longer afford.  $9.99/month,  unlimited viewing.

Welcome to Blazing Bob's Peep-O-Rama

[blazingbob]

3 minutes ago, JazzMan said:

Welcome to Blazing Bob's Peep-O-Rama

More like Blazing Bob's Willy Wonka

[Sweet Lou 14]

3 minutes ago, JazzMan said:

Welcome to Blazing Bob's Peep-O-Rama

Don't laugh, there's a 50/50 shot he files for a patent on this by the end of the night.

[JazzMan]

12 minutes ago, blazingbob said:

More like Blazing Bob's Willy Wankers.

Fixed that for you.

[the blob]

I have been buying lately. Just not the stuff the speculators are interested in. Hoping to be three steps ahead of them. I honestly think money going into certain books means deals to be had on other stuff. These guys today don't care about artists, for example, particularly ones from 50 years ago, unless they're attached to a key issue. And they don't care about certain properties unless there is a current movie/TV rumor. 

 

Edited April 5, 2021 by the blob