I don’t hype-up my own blog here usually as that would be annoying. However, I just made a post all about speculation where I talk about CHU, the Key Collector App, and so forth. I thought I would include it here so anyone who wants to read it can do so and tell me their opinions on how much they agree or disagree with me.
Read it here!
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Is it me or at the end you blamed Diamond for all the comic book industry woes? If so, yeah, it’s all their fault in the end. 
Nice write-up… and I’ve had to sleep in the same hotel room as @Anthony and I will admit, he is the devil.
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Read the Blog Post … some good points … for me, the question is “What would the Comic Landscape and Industry look like if Speculation suddenly stopped … ??” …
Modern Comic Spec, new books, is like a Pyramid Scheme … you don’t want to be the guy that paid the top dollar …
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What’s the most comparable example out there? Basically items that have little to no real spec value but are still manufactured in print for the joy of reading? Trades? Text books?
That’s your answer. People still read those things (and there are non-comic store which sell them)…granted it’s not a booming business…but neither is being a comic shop owner.
History tells us that Before the Era of Speculation, and that includes the 1990’s, issues would still have price increases, due to a character, event, etc … it would, however, be a gradual rise in price … not driven by the “instant price rise” that we see today …
I guestimate that about 25% of my Customers are Speculators / Flippers and their only interest in the Hobby is to make some shekels … I can’t speak for other shops … so, I would lose 25% of my comic business if they disappeared … my comic business is about 50% of my total business … so, it would not be a devastating loss …
I ventured from David’s article into the linked article about Haber and his chlorine gas, and krap collector. I found it interesting that Nick from Krap Collector started the app after wiping out a huge collection of it’s keys. Nick has always stated that he doesn’t sell, but he is on record in that article as saying that he bought a treasure trove of key books, at a cheap price, and that was his inspiration for the pump n dump app. I wonder how many books that Nick pumps on that scourge of an app, has he sold multiple copies of to his ‘subscribers’. Smh.
Great write up, David. It’s also a pleasure reading your articles. No offense intended if you are friends with Nick.
I know if I ran a shop myself, not an online only, but one with bricks, comics would not be the only thing that makes my business stay up and running. So the actual comics would likely be a bonus hopefully.
I’m pleased you liked my piece! I’m not offended about Nick. We are Facebook friends and have corresponded off-and-on but are by no means close. I do like his app and have found it at times useful, however.
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Sorry to highjack this thread. The online store card thread is closed. This actually could be in both threads.
Anyone read Chuck’s latest MileHigh newsletter ? Oh boy, its a doozy. More complaints about speculators. Chuck Loses Out In Pottery Auction
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I love how he simultaneously complains he can’t speculate on pottery (I guess he doesn’t say he’s flipping them, but you don’t comment on a misattributed bowl if you’re not thinking about the price you’re paying relative to what you think it’s worth) while decrying speculators for giving him money for comic books.
“Roar. People buying up all the comics R BAD. Also, let me buy up all the pottery.”
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The key word in that entire Chuck caption is “watch”. I’ll translate the “watch” for everyone → I need to “Watch” what everyone is doing so that I can raise my prices and I get a cut of the speculative action.
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Chuck and Mile High are ridiculous. I would never buy from mile high because there prices are absolutely ridiculous. Even on dollar bin garbage no one wants
Shops are having difficulty buying collections for cheap like they were able to in the past. Thus small shops back issue bins are reduced to junk. Initially they profit, but in the long run they can’t stock quality back issues. It’s a good point he makes, but I wouldn’t know what is really happening.
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