There are times that the whole “comic spec scene” gets a bad rap, but it really is a ton of fun/pretty rewarding when things pan out or something you read/remember/etc pans out.
For me particularly, all of this recent hype about Hulk #258 is great. I’ve honestly been buying up that book for as long as I can remember. It is just an amazing book and imo has been undervalued all along. It has never had any hype but is full of firsts. White cover, great read, Ursa Major fighting the Hulk! (and the interactions between them is really funny “Hulk smash funny talking Bear Man”, etc.
There are so many books out there like this…just waiting for “something” to make them hot. I frankly don’t really ever sell my comics. I tend to trade here and there…but there is just something satisfying in “knowing” you had the foresight to grab a book on the cheap when all the sudden it absolutely explodes.
Yes, it can be fun and very rewarding! Not every spec is a win but I think I have come ahead far more often than not. A few losses, sure but more positive specs than negative.
So far my better early choices for spec’n are Shazam #28, Various Eternals books/keys, Avengers #47, 48 and Marvel Special Edition #15. I still have 12 Shazam’s where I didn’t pay more than $27 (it graded a 9.6) and as low as $2 for a really beat up copy. The Eternals were dirt cheap when I started picking them up. Got some nice ones, still have eleven copies of #1 and a bunch of #2, #3#5 but the best was getting multiple copies of #1-5 at a local shop for roughly $2 to $3 each. Some in nice grades too! Picked up a nice higher grade set of the 30 cent price variants , issue 1 & 2 for a total of $40.
Also got in on the Avengers #47 & 48 before they exploded. I did get a few copies of Marvel Special edition #15 just as rumors started circulating, had a gut feeling about that one even though the prices were never all that cheap.
Shazam #28 has picked up the past month or so but Eternals have slowed a bit. Avengers and Marvel Special Edition have also stabilized. That wont last once the tailors start to hit but right now there might be a deal or two to be made for those who don’t have those keys yet.
I should have a decent spec payday relatively soon with all the books I picked up especially since I got in on those so early. It will be fun to see where the next Marvel Phases take speculating and which dollar bin books will become the next super sought after key issues! Personally, I’m thinking Werewolf By Night #32 still has plenty of room to grow even at the high prices being realized today.
I still have fun. Sometimes I get bogged down in the day to day but still love that I am selling a ton of books each week. Bringing in a ton of books to sell each week to.
hi , I’m new to comic book speculating but I’m looking to start small & just enjoy it . so much to learn yet but I’m looking forward to the challenge . I’m also hoping to become a respected & honorable member of the CHU forum .
That’s the wonderful thing about comics. There are always new ones the next week you can get into and enjoy reading and speccing on! I mean, there were not comics weekly during the pandemic’s early days, but that was brief and awful.
