They buy, sell, and trade with ease with only one thing in mind how much money they can make. Though considerably more recent than the collecting of postage stamps philately or books bibliophilia, it has a major following around the world today and is partially responsible for the increased interest in comics after the temporary slump experienced during the 1980s. Hopefully, this post as well as the sequel posts ill be publishing in the future will help you on your way to starting your own comic book collection. Collecting comic books can be a fun hobby and generally consists of buying, selling, and protecting your.
And if you want to invest in a copy of any of the 100, which grade should you seek out, and why. How can 575 comic books weigh under an ounce comic book. Rare 80year collection of every dc comic book going to auction. While comic book fans descended on new york city for nycc this past weekend, we had our own little comic show here in northern virginia. Making money from collecting comics can be difficult, but it is possible to do so if you understand what makes a comic collectible and what makes a collectible comic valuable. It was the comic book that started me on my path to collecting, he says. Because sometimes you need to buy all the comicseven the ones you already own. The shoff show comes around every few months, and ive been going to it fairly often lately im a sucker for the bargain bins. I finally bought the trades kindle versions just to brush up on the comic versions before the mcu version hits the screen. I will say my kids are interested in many of the comic book characters and i will talk about this in a future post, but they are getting access to those characters through a different medium. There is one dealer who brings dozens of long boxes with comics priced from 75 cents to five bucks.
Regularly attending comic book conventions and comic book panels at science fiction conventions can help you become more knowledgeable about both the comic book industry and comic book collecting. Once you start to buy comics and amass a certain amount, you have a collection. Comic collection tips from a real comic book man wired. Learn how you can invest in comic books and see your collection grow and rise in price. That said, if you do that, you are missing the boat as the second issue, which was dated november 2014 and introduced an incredibly. Which are the 100 hottest comic books on the planet right now. Sell my comic books presents the hot 100 2020 edition. In this video, i try to address how important nostalgia is for the longevity of the comic book collecting hobby.
I currently have about 8,000 comic books, give or take hundred. Sales are are in a slow decline, even as movies and merchandize based on comic book superheroes rake in billions. Comics aficionados have been maintaining and preserving comic book collections for almost as long as the medium has existed. If you want to be able to resell your comic book at a later date, you need to protect it. Owning shares of a key comic book otis, the future of collecting. How to start collecting comic books sparkle city comics.
Synchronize your comic data between the desktop software, mobile apps and the connect webapp. Jan 20, 2020 in this video, i try to address how important nostalgia is for the longevity of the comic book collecting hobby. Featuring the debut of negan, arguably the most fearsome character in walking dead history, this issue also marked the last time wed see glenn alive. Today sotheby announced that is will auction dc complete. Collecting comic books is an inherent part of buying comic books. Ive always been a collector by nature, which is a problem when youre a comic book reader. Comic book stories and characters are thriving both on the big screen and the small screen, from liveaction to animation, and even documentaries. Rare 80year collection of every dc comic book going to.
I hope that you dont get into comic book collecting just for the sole purpose of investing for the future. Interest may stem from nostalgia, an appreciation of the artwork, consideration of comics as a financial investment, or even just the thrill of the chase. Tons of good stuff releasing this week, so without hesitation, lets jump right in. Most are in nm to vf condition and range in age from late 70s to now.
Set email alerts so you never miss an auction lot again. The current state and future of comic books, part i starloggers. The other challenge is a copy of every comic book published the month and year of my birth. In addition, liebowitz says, 15% of his customers are female. Very little emotional ties are held to their comic books. Future great comics 528 main st, hamilton, ohio 450 rated 4. The depths of which you go to collect and protect that collection can be widely different. Is a person consuming this entertainment a comic collector. While many collectors collect comics for the stories or the art, some collectors choose to collect comics for profit. Mar 19, 20 under the hood of comic book speculation it turns out that the value of a comic book depends on just two things.
I first started collecting comic books when i was 10 years old. Major comics companies have titles with histories that span decades of publication, and if you are new to a particular arc, it can be hard to even decide where to start. Cuz thats what happened in the 90s when everybody thought they could pay for their college funds with a comic book or two. This type of collector views comic books as one thing money. After all, if there is a dollar to be made, people will sniff it out which is why many people purchase comic books for their resale value. Since that time, i have amassed a large personal collection, have started and then closed a retail store, have created an internet based store specializing in silver age comics. Guide to start investing in comics books liveabout. Clicking a text link or image marked check live prices will take you to ebay. The top ten tips on collecting comic books hubpages. My quest for silver age comics always yields some interesting results vintage marvel comic books collection. I will send you a copy of my comic book collecting ebook and all its bonuses. Log into facebook to start sharing and connecting with your friends, family, and people you know. Under the hood of comic book speculation it turns out that the value of a comic book depends on just two things.
That means that it needs to be placed in a bag and board after youve read it. Still there are quite a few arcs of interest that have been created over the years and civil war is one such arc. Jan 07, 2016 hopefully, this post as well as the sequel posts ill be publishing in the future will help you on your way to starting your own comic book collection. By contrast, when the walking dead first hit comic book shops in october 2003, you had to be one of the lucky 7,000 to buy a copy.
Though considerably more recent than the collecting of postage stamps or books bibliophilia, it has a major following around the world today and is partially responsible for the increased interest in comics after the temporary slump experienced during the 1980s. I have one raw book to get graded and just need 3 more to complete. The comic book collectors club is devoted to building a place to read, share, and discuss comics online. Oct 10, 2017 what does the future hold for comic book collecting.
What does the future hold for comic book collecting. With the advent of dvdroms collecting decades of such titles as the amazing spiderman and the fantastic four on a single disc, comic book collectors and general readers may be more and more tempted to read on screen in the future. Stores specialized in selling comics and role playing games, for that matter are increasingly rare, as the internet has offered an alternate. Comic book collectors club comic book collectors online.
Jan 07, 20 so what is the future of the comic book format. This or that presents a beginners guide to key issue comics. I tried a series, i liked that series, i went to my lcs and dug up as many back issues as i could find. Sometimes, your local comic book store might have a sale on for some really old comics. Whether youre collecting for the love of comic books, or youre collecting to hopefully sell them for a profit, you never want to see your comic books conditions diminish over time. Superman is a great villain that you just love to hate, and batman the perfect hero. Oct 30, 20 it was the comic book that started me on my path to collecting, he says. Oh, when i first started reading them, things were fine.
Every book on our list is one of the hot comics you should invest in now. Not interested in a specific grade just a pedigree. They view their comics as stocks and a way to acquire wealth. Jun, 20 by contrast, when the walking dead first hit comic book shops in october 2003, you had to be one of the lucky 7,000 to buy a copy. Lcs showing customers how diamond sent them their batman 89s. The collecting of new comic books post the speculation bust of the 1990s basically disappeared. I will say my kids are interested in many of the comic book characters and i will talk about this in a future post, but they are getting access to. Mar 30, 2020 today sotheby announced that is will auction dc complete. Most of the dc books which survived fell in the index. If its as a financial investment, thats not the worst idea in the world, but dont think itll be like the 90s when socalled collectors items came out and were snapped up by the bucketload by spe. Demand was so high that the market was flooded and the prices dropped to rock bottom. Dec 28, 2016 once you acquire a comic book, make sure you take immediate steps to store them properly. Comic book collecting is a hobby that treats comic books and related items as collectibles or artwork to be sought after and preserved. One of our goals is to use the online medium to make comics accessible to more readers and preserve the comic collecting tradition for future generations.
At, i sold my first comic to my next door neighbor. We use ebay to provide references to live prices of comic books. Comic book collecting is a hobby that treats comic books and related items as collectibles or. Aug 08, 2017 comic book collecting is not for the faint of heart.
When supply is short and demand is high, a book increases in value. Of course, there are comics like the first appearances of batman, superman, and wolverine that are already worth a fortune, but the real money is in comics that are still on the rise. Will it hang on as a subculture catering to diehards who as they age can afford to sustain the format by investing time, patience and money in acquiring what rea likely to be harder to come by comics. Today, as daniel kalder discusses in our feature story, the fate of the comic book format hangs in the balance.
Jul 16, 2018 a comic book series that is proof positive that if you put the word spider in the name of a marvel comic it might sell well, when you read the title edge of spiderverse, it can be easy to dismiss as a cash in. If the utility of ownership has been satisfied with her. Limited edition covers, ridiculously hyped first issues. In other words, as current collectors who average in. Sothebys selling most complete dc comics collection ever. Supply in high grade condition is also pretty low archies sell much less strongly to collectors, who take care of their comics, than superhero comics from marvel. In about 2030 years from now, will comic book collecting still be hot.
Mar 04, 2020 oliver shane rated it did not like it. Experts are still hopeful for the future of comic shops, though. Its batman v spiderman at heritage comic book sale. Comic books appeal no longer is limited to collectors of rare, vintage books or to speculators hoping for future profit, he says. Comic shops have, for decades, been the main outlet for putting a comic book into the hands. This is the only way i can tell it was you who purchased. Jan 27, 2020 a comic book is a periodical, sequential art entertainment presented to the reader most often in a serialized form. Starting or even just expanding an existing comic book collection can seem a little daunting.
If you wait a few months, you can get the entire story arc between 57 in one bound volume for about 60% the original cover price. As with any hobby, collecting comic books can be expensive. A comic book is a periodical, sequential art entertainment presented to the reader most often in a serialized form. But with such a passionate following, it may be intimidating to start collecting comic books from scratch, especially if you arent very familiar with comic books to begin with. What happens to the comic book collecting hobby and the comics industry, both traditionally based in print, as. Two big changes shaping future of comic book industry. Starting a comic book collection concept comic vine.
Ive been collecting comic books for fun and profit for about 35 years. There are many epic comic book collections out there, but few have garnered intrigue and infamy quite like the ian levine collectionalleged to be one of the few complete collections of dcs. A beginners guide to getting rich collecting comics ign. Whitney travels the world collecting exciting stories.
The women heroes really shine in the comic book wonder woman is just as bad and worse than superman, and the he heroes i never cared about before ive come to love like black canary, and not so much heroes harley quinn and catwoman really shine in this comic. Aug, 2011 in my many years of collecting and retailing comics, i have found these tips to be useful in collecting comic books. I gave up collecting comics back in the 90s because of the constant reboots and retcons. Truly rare comic books may come along once or twice in a lifetime. They can be educational for children, they can be great investment opportunities and they can be pure entertainment. A customer walks in and picks up part 2 of the latest batman story arc, she goes home and devours it with joy. Sign up for all the latest collecting news, expert blogs and auction lots from around the world. Aug 15, 2016 in about 2030 years from now, will comic book collecting still be hot. Im not saying the young comic book reader isnt out there, but the numbers dont lie, they are few in number. Owning shares of a key comic book otis, the future of. The ian levine collection, a comic book collection that includes every comic book published by dc comics from 1935 through 2016, including. You asked i answered nostalgia and the future of comic. A whole generation of comic book readers basically did not participate in the collectible comic market, they walked away from it, they stigmatized all current comics as not worthy of collecting.
Comic book collecting is not for the faint of heart. Easily one of the most noteworthy moments from the walking deads comic book series, the 100 th issue which was released july 2012 introduced a deadly villain and killed off a beloved hero. Those are a niche market for collectors with deep pockets and the average collector is not missing anything if he. Heres how to avoid the perils of comic book collecting.
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