Changes in the Hobby?1054
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| So, based on some of the threads I've been reading I gather that I am not the only lapsed collector that has recently come back to the hobby. I am curious what changes you guys have seen in the hobby from when you first started to now. For example, when I collected in the 90s, if someone tried to sell me a 2nd or 3rd print of a comic it would almost be insulting. Now, I see 3rd and even 4th prints going for more than a 1st print on eBay because the later prints had slight variations on the cover and a lower print run, some people think of them as "variants" or something like that. Still wrapping my head around that. So, what changes have you all seen since you came back or just over the years and did you adjust your collecting style to match the change? |
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infinityG private msg quote post Address this user | |
| The cover prices are ridiculous now... $3.99, 4.99, 5.99... Since coming back, I can't afford much of what i used to collect. Rather save some of that loot and dive in on some Silver Age books. Bring back newsprint paper books! lol |
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leesoul21 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I'd say shops paying more attention to back issues and trends would be the biggest change to collecting since I started back; the Internet. I feel pre-Internet age was the best time time for hunting for key issues. Hell now, anything and everything is cherry picked into oblivion, so much so when you finally do find a deal or a key book for a steal you really had to earn it or be ahead of the trend. | ||
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by leesoul21 I agree completely. The chances of finding a raw key in the wild is almost impossible it seems. Half the fun for me was doing that hunt-and-peck through different stores. Now, I just go online and find anything I am looking for so long as I am willing to pay, but that raises another problem in that everyone online advertises near mint and its not until you get the book that you are able to see all the flaws. |
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SilverAgeFan private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I also completely agree. I used to go to yard sales, flea markets and second hand bookshops and almost always found great deals. Now, with antiques roadshow, American Pickers, Pawn Stars and the Internet, everyone tris to price an old book in 3.0 condition as if it's 9.0 or higher, then when I start pointing out the flaws, they get pissed and I'm the bad guy. Jeesh, it's a pain these days. | ||
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roarzola private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Variant covers. I am sick of variant covers. Walking into a store to pick up three issues but walking out with nine because each one has three different covers. | ||
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by roarzola I reminds me a lot of the foil, holographic and other gimmicks they used to use. Now I buy the cover I think would look cool signed and on display and leave it at that. |
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PINKFLOYD private msg quote post Address this user | |
| You all are right! I started out with just books, now I sell everything. second-hand stores/antique, want market price. He's right you point something out, they want you to leave. If I post graded or raw at what I think is far, they come out of left field with an insulting offer. One place I went into had there lap-top on the counter, the fun of bartering is gone!! | ||
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infinityG private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Another change I've seen are soooooo many amazing artists! That is one change I do like to see but so many I've never heard of before. Not too long ago, it was a few from the Big 3. Now with the internet and online comics, a lot of great talent are getting opportunities or just outright starting their own line of books. That's a cool change. |
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by infinityG That's a good point. I have noticed that the art in general has really picked up and I enjoy it a lot more now. |
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Robots_One private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Movies. Causing huge price jumps in certain characters and first appearances..Its not just important characters that are even important any more. A friggin 1st appearance of a piece of clothing has all of a sudden become important. Even on speculation alone, a book can jump relatively high over night..even on mega high print runs..NM 98 is a prime example. As much as I love the movies..I hate how it's put many a book on my "dream" vs. "what I can actually afford" list. It's really bittersweet. | ||
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Towmater private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Slabbed comics and grading. Used to be Mint/NM/etc. Oh, and it is very nice that you don't have to follow Wizard's pricing on any hot comic. They could jack the price of a book into some very weird places. Oh, anyone else remember when artist used to draw backgrounds in their panels and a splash page was a rare thing in a comic? |
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DarthKribs private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I stoped in the late 90's and am now just getting back into the game. Biggest changes i have seen is the lack of LCS. I have one near me and it has taken the fun out of hunting down the issue you wanted in a different store. It seems you can find anything you want on midtown or things from another world online. The cost of back issues has gone way up! | ||
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 Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I noticed that in the 90s, the market was about #1 issues and chromium and holofoil everywhere. Now, it's all the clown-shoes speculators that go horde issues and sit on them for 2-3 years. One buddy has 40+ copies of Infinity Gauntlet #1 sitting in his basement. Plans to sell them all for a metric shit ton whenever that movie comes out. Also, the variant game can be a little ridiculous. 1:10, 1:25 covers are fine, but 60+ that I can recall for Star Wars #1 was kinda overkill. I like my retailer incentive Transformers books, but damn. Finally, the prices are crazy now. $4 or more for a regular copy of a book? Marvel isn't printing on some high quality paper stock so the price seems high. Image's prices were better than some of the others but I think it depends on the book. Those are the big things that I noticed. | ||
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 COLLECTOR
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DarthLego private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley I've counted at least 88 variants for Star Wars #1. | ||
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 Please continue to ignore anything I post.
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southerncross private msg quote post Address this user | |
| I have to agree with everything above. cost of new issues has me just buying the odd one from time to time. And back issues like 60s forget it. runs are rarely collected.Just the keys. And those prices are outrageous especially tied to a movie. I just have to be contented with what I own. And pick up digital silver off Amazon to read on my kindle. |
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Robots_One private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @southerncross I'm die hard...obviously like anyone else I love keys..but my focus more than anything is complete runs. You're right though..back issues are a bitch and usually a lot more pricey than they need to be. | ||
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D84 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Slabbing has definitely changed the market. It used to be any copy Very Fine or better was highly desirable. Now, people are becoming (myself included) so anal retentive about the number in the corner that they turn their nose up at beautiful copies with almost imperceptible defects. For the record, I don't blame the certification companies. They were trying to help with the internet market, where most people didn't have the slightest clue how to grade a comic or detect restoration. We as a group have made it this way, and it's starting to kill the hobby for me. |
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Robots_One private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @D84 don't conform to the masses..just be happy to have a nice book. My tolerance for modern is 9.0 and up anything below modern is whatever I can get my hands on. Just happy to own it. I don't sub or buy slabs for resale so I won't let myself be anal about a grade. I actually prefer the look of a beat up bronze, silver or gold..they look loved and used..like they were meant to be. Perfect comics are nice...but they lack character and life. | ||
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D84 private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Don't get me wrong, I won't stop collecting comics, and I'll still send in books to sell, but no more slabs for my personal collection. | ||
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PINKFLOYD private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Here again. I'm learning a lot from just just reading your posts. Never new wha a thread is,was? By brother sent his items in, asked for 9.6 or better. I send what I can in and get what it is. When the arrive, good or bad, they are all graded. I've talked to other collectors, people just want graded so the don't have to. | ||
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VaComicsGuy private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Robots_One +1 |
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Jerkfro private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Themaxx35 It's pretty goofy isn't it? I remember when Whitman logo DCs were trash. Now people want them. |
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 Moderator
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| Ever since this question was posted, I've been thinking about it. Growing up in the 70's and 80's, comic books were sold at drug stores and grocery stores. They were pretty available in rural Minnesota. Now, I don't have a lcs less than an hours drive from me, 2 and a half hours if I want to choose a store. I'm basically regulated to online purchases. I'd DIE (and probably be more into moderns) if I had a lcs where I could have a pull list!! Another thing I've noticed is the wide acceptance of comic collecting as an adult hobby in general. NO ONE considered comic book collecting a legitimate adult hobby as I was growing up!! At best, it was a kids pastime, like collecting marbles or baseball cards. Adults that collected comics were thought to be holding unto their childhood and generally afraid of growing up. Or, they sold comics to kids. No adult would publicly be known as a comic book collector!! Some comics were considered "unChristian" and by default satanic (think Hot Stuff and Casper here). I just see a whole new tolerance and acceptance of comic books and superheroes that has developed over the years. Maybe we need to thank those 1990's comic creators for helping that acceptance along by flooding main street America with all types of comic books. Maybe .... |
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conditionfreak private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by D84 Let's be real. The grading companies did not enter the business to "help" with internet transactions. They entered into the business for the same reason every business starter does. To make money. The help in facilitating the internet market, was just a byproduct of their business. |
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Beaten by boat oars
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Studley_Dudley private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jesse_O well said. I kinda forgot that the newsstand market died out slowly for comics. I remember taking my grass cutting money to a grocery store or Kmart and buying new X-men books in the early to mid 1990s. If it was a two part story, sometimes I'd have to walk to three or four separate stores to find part 2 a month later. Oh, let's not forget the infamous spinner racks either. | ||
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Themaxx35 private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by Robots_One I have to keep reminding myself about this. I just bought two sliver age Batman books that I've wanted for awhile, but they are 5.0-6.5 (my opinion) at best. I had to really fight feelings of disappointment in the grade and remind myself to just be happy with the fact that I now own a piece of history of a character I love. Not everything needs to be slabbed to be appreciated. But, I still have very high grade expectations for modern books. |
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 I live in RI and Rhode Islanders eat chili with beans.
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esaravo private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Jesse_O @Studley_Dudley - My father used to drive me around at least once or twice a week to one, two and sometimes three different stores when I was a kid in the 1970's so I could keep my runs on certain comics going. Those spinner racks were murder on the spines. Many times I would get to a store before they even put out their new stock. Back then comics came bundled together in a stack held together by a wire wrap that damaged several of the top and bottom comics. I was in those stores so often, that many of them would hand me a pair of cutting pliers when I walked into the store so that I could cut the wire and have first crack at the new comics. But there had to be at least a half-dozen stores that sold new comics within a 5 or 10-mile radius of me. By the 1980's, many of those stores either closed or stopped selling comics, but two used comics stores opened in my town. Prior to that, I would buy back issues through the mail based on catalogs requested from dealers. Then I started going to conventions - local ones, not the big events that they are today. I'd even take the bus into Boston with a friend of mine when we were teenagers for the Sunday Funnies conventions. We'd get there early, hours before the doors opened. Then we'd wait for a beat-up van to show up, offer to help the guy bring his boxes of books into the building, and get in for free. | ||
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MR_SigS private msg quote post Address this user | |
Quote:Originally Posted by DarthLego Why the hell do they even bother putting a comic book between the covers? They should introduce a feature where you can buy all the covers you want and have them placed on one book LOL $4 per cover- who cares about the stupid comic? People will throw money at Marvel. |
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Jesse_O private msg quote post Address this user | |
| @Studley_Dudley @esaravo Growing up, my mom and dad owned an automotive parts store. Right across the street was the local drug store. Once a week the book and magazine truck would show up with new comics. I was almost always the first customer to go through the comics!! The druggist actually told me to wait a half hour after the truck left so he could have time to put them out!! LOL!! I bought comics there from about age 7 to 13-14. Then we moved. | ||
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