No. I’m just saying the Rivals hotness example is really where much of the spec world is right now. There was a lot of talk in the past about how modern books are a waste of energy and time. Stick to the old classics. I just don’t know if that’s the case at this moment in time. So many big classic books have lost a ton of value. So, where’s the spec game in 2025? I think it’s these short-term hot spikes like Rivals and Spears and Flops. These are obviously not long-term investments, but I’m not convinced that ANY comic is an investment.
Every book will have highs. People can love bronze keys all they want, but I much prefer current books. 70s-90s print runs dwarf what is coming out right now.
I was just saying there’s plenty of books now that organically increase in value and were deadstock 2 years ago when they released. Those show a healthy collector interest in modern releases.
I buy and sell mostly modern stuff. Part of that is because it moves faster and for a better return, but also because I’m too cheap to buy the REALLY good old stuff.
By modern low, sell modern high. By Gold/silver/bronze with profits for the PC at today’s lows…who cares if it goes up or down because you got it for “free.”
You laugh but I did $200 alone in small profits last week. This week I have sold some garbage Pail Kids cards that I got for free at NYCC for $7 a pop. Free money or cheap money is still free money or cheap money.
I wouldn’t say this year has all been quick flips. I have been doing GI Joe and other media related sales and they are going strong. Moved more GI Joe variants that I paid nothing for earlier this week.
I don’t know about anyone else…but the ability to buy/find new comic releases in my area for any sort of quick flips has become a non option anymore.
I’m still fairly adept at the FOC game thanks to you all (and my own insight which is decent), but the shops in my area either do not order copies of comics outside of the few A covers or very popular mainstream issues, or they are pretty on top of what is hot and they price them high on release day.
Sure I know this may not be right, and folks say don’t go there, etc…but there aren’t other options and it has actually become the norm.
Yesterday…the FF #28 was priced at $30 (yikes) and even that Spears Deadly Tales of Gunslinger was at $10.
The only time I can do well these days is with books that have some delayed hype or heat or back issues that get heat.
Anyone else having this become the norm with their comic collecting world these days?
(also, this isn’t really a complaint…just an observation-I did enjoy trying to snag new books I didn’t have on FOC but I’m usually pretty set and I have other avenues I can pursue. It was just fun grabbing them from my LCS)
My area is always hit or miss. I do have two shops that will put stuff away for me if they see increased interest. For the most part it is really easy for comic flippers as so much information is spoon fed to them. Sadly for us, and in your example, retailers can get the info in advance too.
I have a LCS near me, not the main one I use, that I believe I have figured out what they do. They stopped offering new releases that they bought to have a fully stocked arrive of new titles. Now they have just a small selection of titles. It appears that mirror the subscription and FOC requests from their customers and perhaps throw a few odds and ends on top. It seems they only offer 1 or 2 (or none) on sale online for cover. Twice now, a popular title will show “SOLD OUT” on release day, only to show up a day or two later for the current price (6 times or more than cover). I guess its a new thing they are trying out.
My “main” LCS only orders cover A, and at most two shelf copies.
My backup LCS would actually order variants and puts out the one per store are cover…but they only delt with Diamond and is likely bowing out of the new comic game since the bankruptcy.
Hoping to find some marvel rivals tomorrow as late Diamond shipments arrive…but not holding my breath.
And it will sit there at $30…collecting dust…my LCS now has built quite the collection of secret variants and one per store variants sitting behind the counter since they caught on to the spec game about 6 months ago…
I still laugh at the Darth Vader 3 9.8 (cover A) priced at $500 under the glass…
For those that are wondering what is behind that polybag on the Jenny Frison variant for Hello Darkness #7. Not a real Frison fan but that is pretty great.
