Yeah, I watched Jim’s video (which I do enjoy) and just a short while later (as expected) the issue hit Key Collector.
Almost comical at this point to watch the market. Like a dog chasing its tail.
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Still think it is a little silly given that Cover A has all of the characters on it, but this is how the market works these days. I get the small print run, but still by this logic, we should be picking up TT12 and Batman 89 2nd prints. 
Which series?
Miles morales. I’ve been watching them on eBay a while…been going for that a few months maybe more…
This attraction to rarity of later printings is going to lead to one thing more store variants moving. Since store variants in most cases have lower print runs than the first and later printings the attraction to low numbers will jump over to store exclusives one day. If there’s a 1000 copies of a third print printed it was because nobody wanted that book then and probably shouldn’t now, if there’s a 1000 copies of a pretty store variant that sold out most of those will be trapped in collections for decades and may be considered more than rare scarce. People have to pay through the noise on store exclusives just to get one copy before they sell out at $50 a set, people will swoop up all 15 copies on eBay of a second or third print For $3 each say it’s rare after they bought all of them out on the internet and start charging $50+. Which is a better purchase at $50? Sure you all say F store variants now but you also said F later printings 5 years ago.
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I totally agree. The HOT/KEY store variants will be the ones people will really want in the future. A lot of people stay away from them right now because a lot of people bash them. But more and more we’re seeing evidence of their massive value potential and I think as more evidence surfaces you will see a shift in the overall market.
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Which can easily shift back… right now were witnessing just people buying up any and everything. Is it collectors or is it FOMO? Is there another driving manipulation on the markets going on? No one is for sure since movies/shows are mostly on hiatus right now so it’s not media options and news driving this craze for collectibles.
All I do know is, it’s a sellers market and if you’re not selling, well, who knows then the next wave comes. I’m taking advantage now myself and making crap tons of money to stock pile because the future doesn’t look so bright with so many businesses still closing, people out of work, etc and COVID cases are still rising at very scary rates. We’re at almost what, 200k deaths now and only 5 million confirmed cases? Imagine if we do end up going the herd immunization route? Expect a whole lot more people to die or get deathly sick…
Sell Sell Sell… if you’re sitting and thinking it’s only gonna get better, well, don’t hold your breath. I hope I’m wrong but all signs point to this not lasting that long…
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I’m making so much selling in two months, I could actually open a brick and mortar off online selling alone but don’t see that lasting in the long run. I was pissed I put those 20 Black winters back on Midtown and have been pretty gung-ho not 2nd guessing myself since. I’ve been guessing right on the new books buying them two weeks in advance and from scouring the internet looking for them I see other deals I can make some money off of take a screen shot and eventually go back and flip it. I wasn’t selling for 2 years had no intentions of selling again but after seeing what is going on had to jump in. I took my grading money for 60 books at the graders used it all it came back as 2.5x the amount thanks to Robin King and Strange Academy now my whole grading fee is paid for off of profit and use the rest to continue flipping and not buy too much stuff for myself in the meantime.
Covid is here to stay. People have, or are starting, to accept that. The shutdowns are what hurt the economy. We will not see anymore shutdowns. It has already been proven they don’t work unless the whole world does it in tandem, otherwise it will just flare up again.
And if the world decides to do that, you will see another massive stimulus to float people through it.
We clearly are, and have been for months now, going the herd immunity route. It’s unfortunate, but it’s obviously the only way out of this (outside of a true global shutdown) until a suitable treatment or a vaccine is available.
We have seen the worst economically speaking. Yes, there will be many more infections. Yes, there will be many more deaths. Yes, certain industries will never fully financially recover. But it is uphill from here, generally speaking, for the rest of the economy.
Also, something to think about. Ask yourself: How has entertainment been impacted by Covid? Do you see concerts happening in the near future? How about movie theaters? Amusement parks? Conventions? Mass travel? Vacations? Festivals? Eating out? Large gatherings?
I know speaking for myself, we don’t leave the house unless we have to. I personally wouldn’t attend any of the above until it’s safe to do so.
There is huge void for entertainment in a world with Covid. Comics help fill that void. They also offer a way to hedge against inflation and diversify away from traditional investments. All while enabling the collector to enjoy the ride while they’re doing it.
I think people who say they think the last 6 months in the comic industry is reminding them of the nineties are failing to recognize there really aren’t any parallels to the nighties. The nighties bust was due to massive overproduction. That’s not happening today.
What is happening today is you have a growing comic collector base with significantly shorter supply, and what you’re witnessing is the simple rules of supply and demand playing out.
Covid has nothing to do with the store variants limited print runs. They are a value play if you are selective about which ones you buy due to their scarcity.
And they play right into the hands of the simple principles of supply and demand, especially in a growing market.
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I’ve been saying for years the comic market is growing globally. Sure the movies make another generation of fans here in the states and bring back some gen x’s back to their childhood collecting but these movies are released worldwide now and making new comic collectors everywhere. But still 20k-100k print runs for new books.
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It’s why Magic cards do well today. Wizards of the Coast early on realized that they should print their product in foreign languages to create a worldwide game and collectable. The game is more popular in some other countries than it is in the US. Worldwide there is someone that wants to buy your stuff even if it’s not in their language they recognize it by the art and are still a customer. More people more demand still the same amount of early Magic cards minus the fakes. This is now what’s taking place in comics More people more demand still the same amount of X-men #1’s
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and it really isn’t just with comics. I’m actually more of a toy (Star Wars) collector than what I am comics. I’ve hoarded Star Wars toys since day one (I’m a child of the 70’s). The true vintage stuff has always held value and done well, but the modern stuff (for me, modern is anything after the Power of the Force Run of 1985) is doing quite well.
The “vintage collection” figures sell incredibly well, and like our comics, people seem to have trouble grasping the concept of “preordering”. I preorder these figures in cases and can sell off singles that aren’t more than 6 months old for 6-7x the cost all day long.
Just like with comics…the “elite” call everything new and modern “junk” but the actual return on investment is far better than any of the older stuff.
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Well the new toys that use to be worth money in 2005 are in the dumps Unleashed figures, different ROTS exclusives like target lava Vader which got up to $200 when it came out now found for $10. But the recarded vintage that use to be pretty much worthless is now big bucks. A recarded on the original card Vader use to be $50 in 2005 now they are $500+.
@Alana The modern figs to invest in are the Legacy white card collection, any clone wars figures, the 30th anniv collection, and any of the vintage collection repacks. Anything pre 2009 remains pretty much junk/fodder. I literally give away Star Wars toys from 1997-2009 to kids during our 501st hospital visits and such. I get far more value out of that.
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Giving is totally rewarding and way more valuable than just making money…
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Got my Superior Spider-Man 25 2nd prints in and wow, I absolutely love 'em! I paid $8 each for 3 copies so basically got 3 copies for less than what 1 copy is going for on eBay. Blind Adam spec’d on these a few weeks back - something about an iron man suit and tying that into Virus. I don’t really see the connection so much, but had to have a copy just for the cover. The blue and black just pop for me, and it’ll display nicely.
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So here’s a book that I think is still undervalued, and has potential to really blow up when Gwenom makes it into the spider-verse movies.
Spider-Gwen 25 2nd Print. Spider-Gwen 24A and the Campbell cover C are the two big ones to get IMO, and then there’s the Guardians of Knowhere Gwenom variant too. But this SG 25 2nd print, which only has the new art from the lenticular variant, is a must have. At $20 and under, still a decent buy but I’ve seen sales approach $30. Great ASM 316 homage without the lenticular gimmicky garbage.
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I’m starting to see lenticulars move 10 different ones $50+shipping all that hate for them from old collectors new collectors like em and are buying them.
agreed…snagged some copies of that SG #25 2nd from Mile High for dirt cheap just a couple weeks ago.
Yup, just bought a #24a a month ago. Noticing prices are shooting up.