Collecting Modern Comics

[myron]

I know a handful of stores also prescreen their own books now saving the minty ones for themselves for cgcing and leave the runt of the litter to their customer :x

I would bet that practice is becoming more and more common for those shops that do CGC..

there are still tons of small shops out there though that don't CGC at all and I would think that some (maybe half) of the damage you see on comics is done by the people at the shop not being careful when they open things up...know what I mean, Vern?

[X-O HoboJoe]

I know a handful of stores also prescreen their own books now saving the minty ones for themselves for cgcing and leave the runt of the litter to their customer :x

I would bet that practice is becoming more and more common for those shops that do CGC..

there are still tons of small shops out there though that don't CGC at all and I would think that some (maybe half) of the damage you see on comics is done by the people at the shop not being careful when they open things up...know what I mean, Vern?

Man, you know your pull's gonna be screwed up when you walk in and see Ernest P. Worrell behind the counter.

[The Spider]

I read an interesting piece recently about the merits of collecting the modern comics because in general they have such small print runs compared to many years ago. Beyond the top twenty, a lot of very good comics are printed with runs under 50,000, which is very small compared to 30-40 years ago.

If that is so, in a few years so many of these issues will be in such small supply that if the demand is there either by the characters or creators gaining in value they will be a great investment.

Why go to all the expense of paying through the nose for old issues that have already gone up in value when the new ones can be had for so little in comparison.

Even some of the hardcovers and trades are out of print and popular with increased prices.

Peter.

Well, i'm sorry to have to disagree with you both on this topic

Modern books are NOT good "investments" (real estate, bonds, some hedge funds) but Comic books? not! If one was to pour through the percentage% of comic books that are actually valued, as compared to the total number of comics printed...it would scare you silly how many are worthless. I'd venture to say 85% of ALL the Comic Books ever printed are just that, worthless. Furthermore, as a personal example; roughly 75% of ALL the valuable books in MY entire collection, were purchased with ZERO idea of future value...I simply bought what I liked, and preserved them as best I could

Modern books (although better than their predecessors in many ways) have one MAJOR long term problem with regards to "investment value" and that is condition In 20 years from now, 95% of ANY modern book printed will STILL be in NM+ range, and many more at NM/M grades. Will certain books still garner demand and higher prices paid? of course...but they will be few and far between, high grade commonality will be certain.

The archival storage that is practiced by almost EVERY serious collector these days, guarantees a plethora of high grade copies available for future purchase. I'm sorry, but comparing Modern books to Golden Age, Silver Age, or even Bronze Age "keys" is ridiculous

If you want TRUE "investment" grade Comic Books to buy? then those "older" books are the closest "guarantee" you have my friends

Just my two cents...

Peter..

I agree mostly... except...

that EVERY comic I go to to buy at the LCS is damaged. Spine stress or something. I have living hell trying to find a NM to NM/M copy of the stuff I collect. That is straight out of the box... that isn't counting after people get their grubby little hand on them.

Yea there will be a bunch in 9.8 compared to the old stuff... but I didn't know he was comparing to the old stuff. I thought he was saying as a good investment period. There may be a bunch in good shape but not enough to stop the price from going 200-500% over cover in NM/M condition in the future. Thats a pretty good return...seeing how the average in the stock market is 7 years for a 100% return.(and that is if you know what you are doing)

Just a thought... and an opinion.

Rico

Rico...

You're not the 1st individual to relay this type of information to me, but i'm flummoxed by it

I still go every week when time permits, to various Comic Book locations in Manhattan for my "new" books, and 100% of the time I come out with solid NM+ range books

Perhaps its a geographical problem? Perhaps living in NY gives me more mass options for finding such copies???, or perhaps its simply luck?.

Whatever it may be, again, I personally have not bought a Modern Comic book in this city in the last 20 years that wasn't a NM to NM+ range book at least...obviously, its not as easy for others as you're pointing out. But as to why this is? that is a complete mystery to me

Marvel and DC's HQs are in NY, aren't they? I guess that'd mean their copies would get there quicker and better (I'd suppose there'd be less chance of it getting more dents as compared to, say, the mid-west).

[myron]

The HQ's may be there but I don't think they are printed there...

[whetteon]

NY and the other big east coast cities are ran smoothly because people have many LCS to choose from and customers less likely to put up with the *SQUEE* of damaged books. When you get to the mid-west you have more home town ma and pa stores where if you don't like your LCS your screwed. Therefore they probably just take more care with unpackaging and presentation in NY then they do in say, Pittsburg KS. I mean Peter said he has a choice of 7 stores in NY..!? I have a choice of 1 if I want to drive an hour and a half to get there. It's all about the competition and the integrity of the store owner not the fact that the books are rarer or less likely to be minty fresh.

Now I have heard of some potential problems with a certain issue because of paper stock or distribution problems that result in a vast majority of them NOT being minty but I'm talking about only finding 9.2's and 9.4's compared to the weekly 9.6's and 9.8's. Honestly, a vast majority of collectors could probably care less if their newest book was a 9.4 or a 9.8. Hell, most of them probably couldn’t tell you the difference anyway. They’re all NM/MINT++ on eBay anyways

[Ricomortis]

NY and the other big east coast cities are ran smoothly because people have many LCS to choose from and customers less likely to put up with the *SKREE* of damaged books. When you get to the mid-west you have more home town ma and pa stores where if you don't like your LCS your screwed. Therefore they probably just take more care with unpackaging and presentation in NY then they do in say, Pittsburg KS. I mean Peter said he has a choice of 7 stores in NY..!? I have a choice of 1 if I want to drive an hour and a half to get there. It's all about the competition and the integrity of the store owner not the fact that the books are rarer or less likely to be minty fresh.

Now I have heard of some potential problems with a certain issue because of paper stock or distribution problems that result in a vast majority of them NOT being minty but I'm talking about only finding 9.2's and 9.4's compared to the weekly 9.6's and 9.8's. Honestly, a vast majority of collectors could probably care less if their newest book was a 9.4 or a 9.8. Hell, most of them probably couldn’t tell you the difference anyway. They’re all NM/MINT++ on eBay anyways

Whett the fett..

I think you may be right... my LCS is all by itself in a 350,000 populated area. The store cashiers are even doing damage as they check them out. I'm like...ARGGG...am I the only SOB that comes in here and wants their *SQUEE* NM/M? Do you people have a clue that people COLLECT these in high grade? ARGGGG...

After they hit the shelf ...forget it... they are toast.

Basically... all I was saying... is that if you multiply all the stores by the # of copies of XXX #1 a good majority will be 9.4 or lower for one reason or another. However... the 9.8 which I like (obviously) are a MUST for me on current issues. If I now do not get it quickly at LCS before they go up (as in astonishing x-men 2) I will spend a small fortune ordering through E-bay for 1 freaking copy in 9.8 condition. (you know... ordering numerous copies until I recieve a NM/M) You all know people on ebay grade as good as my 9 year old daughter.

I know there will be TONS of 9.8's for any current issue, but sometimes its not as easy as some of you suggest. I know you won't get rich with currents... but you will be able to make 200-500% over cover for NM/M copies of the right issues.

Case in point... look how many copies of comics were printed when ASM 300 came out? Wish I would have bought more than I did.

Anyway...

Rico

[CJAotssE]

I mainly receive my new comics from a monthly subscription service in the mail, rather than a LCS. Whether they are better or not, I wouldn't like to say, but they certainly are as flat and clean as I could ask. My local LCS is in Manchester, we don't have too many specialist comic shops in the UK compared to the States, but as long as the cover printing lines up with the spine and there are no really obvious defects I'm usually happy on the odd occasions I call in there.

Peter.