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New Collector/Investor seeking advice from the Vets
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120 posts in this topic

2 minutes ago, the blob said:

My advice... spend 30 years acting like a vacuum cleaner around cheap books and buy way too much krap, spend almost a million dollars on a house so that you can get crushed under the weight of a mortgage and home repairs, but have half a floor to house those comics... wait until a pandemic and all of a sudden stuff that wasn't worth selling is now worth big bucks! hope the hysteria lasts long enough for you to list all those issues of spawn and GI joe you need to unload....

That's the easier way for sure, but not the smart way.  It would have been a perfect plan if you said Transformers instead of GI Joe.

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1 hour ago, the blob said:

 

I told him I would give him 1000-2000 low end comics and he can try and make money from them. Has he taken me up on my offer? Of course not! Lazy mo-fo.

 

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

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1 hour ago, the blob said:

I told him I would give him 1000-2000 low end comics and he can try and make money from them. Has he taken me up on my offer? Of course not! Lazy mo-fo.

This sounds like child labor in an attempt to help you sell the low end books that YOU don't want to be bothered with selling.  :insane:

I'll give you $20 for the lot.  :takeit:

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1 hour ago, Jordysnordy said:

If you can afford the FF 48 in 5.0 then buy it for the love of collecting. It will probably go up but if it goes down, you can afford the loss and you will still own a great book. 

+1

Whatever is driving the current boom, I doubt true SA keys will be going down much.

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I think you've gotten sound advice. No one knows what's coming next. This has been a wild ride for comics. As a long time collector, it kind of stinks.... Things I would have loved to own, but weren't a priority are now out of reach. 

Anyway - my advice...  buy comics because you love them. Invest in funds to build wealth. 

If you love FF48 and you can buy it without going into debt, buy it and cherish it. But don't buy it with the expectation you'll retire on it or buy a house.  

That's not to say it's not a good investment, but at your age you have an enormous opportunity to make money work for you and I believe that should be your priority... have a lot of fun with comics. Chase keys,  hope for the best,  but set realistic financial goals and go get them. 

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1 hour ago, ExNihilo said:

This sounds like child labor in an attempt to help you sell the low end books that YOU don't want to be bothered with selling.  :insane:

I'll give you $20 for the lot.  :takeit:

If he can turn them into $1-3 each it is a nice project for him. He has a better camera phone than I do.

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Thanks Exnihilo, Albert, and KCO, for at least constructive advice and opinions. Despite it being a "Newbie" sub forum, I figured I'd get some Gatekeepers spitting out their drinks at the mere sight of someone asking a question! It never ceases to amaze how fast people jump to the conclusion that this youth is so Naïve. "He want's to buy and sell comic books!?! The fool! He probably thinks he'll buy his way to into the Ivy League!" *sips*

No I don't plan on dumping all my assets into comics, or finance a house with comics, or rule and reign on this crumbling planet through comics...

On the other hand, alongside my hobby of selling sneakers, clothing, and collectibles, I'd like to add comics to my side-hustle portfolio since I enjoy them the most. 

So, is it really so challenging to advise a hobby beginner in the "Newbie" forum, what books are historically stable and worth looking into? Or warning about those that could be rising in a bubble during this most perplexing market? If this does provide such a challenge, and the best thing you can think of is a smart remark, then why bother responding? Because this is the internet, and you can say whatever you want, that's why :D

Edited by Comic Pingu
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1 minute ago, Comic Pingu said:

Thanks Exnihilo, Albert, and KCO, for at least constructive advice and opinions. Despite it being a "Newbie" sub forum, I figured I'd get some Gatekeepers spitting out their drinks at the mere sight of someone asking a question! It never ceases to amaze how fast people jump to the conclusion that this youth is so Naïve. "He want's to buy and sell comic books!?! The fool! He probably thinks he'll buy his way to into the Ivy League!" *sips*

No I don't plan on dumping all my assets into comics, or finance a house with comics, or rule and reign on this crumbling planet through comics...

On the other hand, alongside my hobby of selling sneakers, clothing, and collectibles, I'd like to add comics to my side-hustle portfolio since I enjoy them the most. 

So, is it really so challenging to advise a hobby beginner in the "Newbie" forum, what books are historically stable and worth looking into. Or warning about those that could be rising in a bubble during this most perplexing market? If this does provide such a challenge, and the best thing you can think of is a smart remark, then why bother responding? Because this is the internet, and you can say whatever you want, that's why :D

Part of the challenge is, we really don't know what to expect next lol. 

Take X1 - it's gone from a big key to a top 3ish SA book in less than 6 months. It's kind of crazy!! 

I could argue it's due for a big correction and you should wait and then pick it up in a year when it's "cheap".  

But the truth is,  there is good reason for the run up. And Xmen are really popular. So I don't feel comfortable saying wait on that book,  because it may never get more reasonably priced. 

The blue chip books should hold up fine.  Big keys tend to stagnant and sometimes correct after big run ups , but they don't generally go down with enough time. 

AF15 for example had a huge run up in 2017. Then it really stagnated for years. But for the last 4 weeks or so it's been red hot. 

If you want specific books, I'll be happy to share my thoughts. But... as the saying goes, don't take financial advice from a guy on a comic book forum. 

 

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14 minutes ago, KCOComics said:

don't take financial advice from a guy on a comic book forum. 

Lol well even a blind squirrel eventually finds a nut once and a while right? So to me, anyone's opinions are worth at least inquiring of and taken with a grain of salt. I don't know how familiar you are with these books, but do you think the Something is Killing the Children LCSD variant and the OnePerStore #11 virgin variant are worth sending in to Tynions private signing at $90+ each with pressing? Both are at least 9.6/.8 super fresh from my LCS. They go for about $130-$150 without the signature. I got the LCSD for $8 and the OPS for $40. My main concern is getting 9.6's and hoping the autograph will help me break even. 

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3 hours ago, Bob Troub said:

With prices at an all time high, I would be very careful about "investing" in the current hobby .....buying comics at current prices wouldn't be my first choice.....

I'm with you.  It's not that prices are at a peak because honestly they've gone up since I started collecting in the 70s but that they've gone up so fast and across so many different genres and ages.  Classic GA cover?  Up and more up.  Precode Horror?  Scary up.  SA keys?  To the moon Alice.  SA run books?  Yes, they're not 50% of guide anymore.  BA and CA and MA and variants?  Up.  

We should all remember, these books are only worth what someone will pay us for them when it's time to sell.  Granted I'm still buying but I'm a collector

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6 minutes ago, Comic Pingu said:

Lol well even a blind squirrel eventually finds a nut once and a while right? So to me, anyone's opinions are worth at least inquiring of and taken with a grain of salt. I don't know how familiar you are with these books, but do you think the Something is Killing the Children LCSD variant and the OnePerStore #11 virgin variant are worth sending in to Tynions private signing at $90+ each with pressing? Both are at least 9.6/.8 super fresh from my LCS. They go for about $130-$150 without the signature. I got the LCSD for $8 and the OPS for $40. My main concern is getting 9.6's and hoping the autograph will help me break even. 

 

Honestly,  I don't know much about moderns. 

I should probably start to learn,  but I'm sure others could give you better advice. 

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8 minutes ago, thehumantorch said:

I'm with you.  It's not that prices are at a peak because honestly they've gone up since I started collecting in the 70s but that they've gone up so fast and across so many different genres and ages.  Classic GA cover?  Up and more up.  Precode Horror?  Scary up.  SA keys?  To the moon Alice.  SA run books?  Yes, they're not 50% of guide anymore.  BA and CA and MA and variants?  Up.  

We should all remember, these books are only worth what someone will pay us for them when it's time to sell.  Granted I'm still buying but I'm a collector

I totally agree. 

So - full disclosure,  I stopped buying big books.  I just feel like things are to wild and I need to see where this goes. 

That's not predicting prices will be lower at some point,  that's just stepping back.  

I've been buying 70s DC horror and putting together some other runs. Not investment buying at all. If they never go up a dime,  I don't care. I just think it was the best art of that era and enjoy it. 

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1 minute ago, KCOComics said:

I totally agree. 

So - full disclosure,  I stopped buying big books.  I just feel like things are to wild and I need to see where this goes. 

That's not predicting prices will be lower at some point,  that's just stepping back.  

I've been buying 70s DC horror and putting together some other runs. Not investment buying at all. If they never go up a dime,  I don't care. I just think it was the best art of that era and enjoy it. 

And I've bought a few SA keys this month but now thinking it's time to look at Timelys.  I just don't see a lot of inflation there except for a few classic covers.

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1 hour ago, Comic Pingu said:

Despite it being a "Newbie" sub forum, I figured I'd get some Gatekeepers

Oh we can do that too if you'd like.  :insane:  Truthfully, it's hit or miss.  Some newbies might ask a question and the jokesters will come pouring out.  Other times a newbie will actually get helpful responses.  I think a lot of times it's both.  Generally once an agreeable answer is posted, then the memes come flying.  At the end of the day, we see a lot of questions that have been asked over and over and over before.

Regarding your question on variant covers, the last 10 years has seen a glut of variant covers.  I mean, just look at how many covers there were for Batman #50.  A lot of times we'll see these variants take off in after market because of limited print runs.  But I have to question what demand on these books will be like years from now.  It's a very niche market and I don't see it as something that will hold value or grow over time.  30 years from now, will I care about some special J Scott Campbell store exclusive variant?  Probably not (with exception to a few covers).  (And I say that as a JSC fan who has bought several variant sets from his store.)  But we can say with certainty that the silver age keys will always be sought after by collectors.

And then you factor in signatures.  Some collectors like signed books, some steer clear of them.  I think some creator signatures will always be in demand.  Stan signed everything, but someone will always be interested in a Stan signed book somewhere.  Jim Lee, Todd McFarlane, these are the greats who defined an entire generation of artists.  Their signatures will always be in demand long after they've retired.  Can the same be said for a guy like Jeph Loeb or Tom King?  Talented writers sure, but you're catering to an ever smaller circle of collectors when you get a book signed.

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39 minutes ago, thehumantorch said:

And I've bought a few SA keys this month but now thinking it's time to look at Timelys.  I just don't see a lot of inflation there except for a few classic covers.

Yeah, I've been thinking about dipping my toes back into WWII covers. Besides Cap, I haven't seen a ton of movement there and I've always loved those books! 

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People are just being stupid right now.  Buyers are just throwing money at books. I was trying to figure out a fair asking price for a Hulk 180 CGC 6.0. I was thinking I'd see $1,000 out of it but then I see it's double that. Insane. 

I sold an All Select 1 today. It's a great cover but it was sitting in a box . Heavy A restoration and trimmed on three sides. I've had it awhile and was offered $1200 for it last year. I tried to get it into the current MCS auction but missed it by a few days. I decided to list in at a ridiculous price and come down 5% a week and see what happened. Today I got a $5500+ offer on it. I was surprised how quickly I was able to say YES.

I honestly expected to get around $2500-$3000 for it.

I'm tracking an early Atlas and am surprised to see it well over what I expected. Looked at their inventory and bought a copy for $42. The auction ended well north of $150 for a 3.0, and my copy is a 2.5.

The only thing I won was an Adventure 267, second Legion.

I bought a CGC book off these boards last week and thought I might have overpaid. 

Same grade book sold for 45% more tonite.

I'm not sure if it is a great time to buy, but I'm selling into the hottest overall market I've ever seen.

 

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21 minutes ago, KCOComics said:

Yeah, I've been thinking about dipping my toes back into WWII covers. Besides Cap, I haven't seen a ton of movement there and I've always loved those books! 

I started buying Schomburg WW2 covers around 2007. I couldn't afford Cap covers but found a bunch of cheap Nedors and Standards. Moved up to a few Young Allies and USA, and before you knew it I had two dozen Caps and an entire box of Schomburgs.  They've all gone up a good deal but not as nuts as newer stuff. Stuff I bought ten years ago for $35-50 now brings $100-$200.  Dollar wise, I'd have done better buying BA keys, but that is life.

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6 hours ago, Comic Pingu said:

Got off an auction for $485+fees, if i’m out of my mind please let me know cus I got free returns.

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Buying raw books at auction can be tough. When you get it, look over the cover carefully for any signs of resto.

Look closely at the corners to look for signs of trimming (good trimming can be super hard to detect).  Clues are when part of an edge looks unusually straight or clean compared to the rest of the edge. Also, if the covers edge looks really sharp and the edges of the interior page look aged and warn, that's a warning sign. 

Assuming it's not restored, the book looks to be in F condition.  Like everything else, the book is going up and it seems you paid a fair market price.  Not a screaming deal, but certainly not ripped off. 

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