ultimately though original comic art in my opinion will grow at a faster rate than both Movie Posters and comic books because these items are 1 of a kind. While most people I agree cant afford items over 50K,..if someone has the original art to Amazing Spiderman #1 - #50,...these items are clearly worth several multiples of the comic book,..even the best copy,...and movie posters are similar because there are also many copies. The rule is the same in ALL collectible hobbies,..by THE BEST !!!!
--- Duane Nycz <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Very well put Rich. This same theory can be applied > to all antiques and > collectibles. I have been on Ebay since 1997 and > for 8 years prior to > that I had a store and sold in the Antique Trader. > The average prices > of items have gone down across the board. Except > for rare --- there is > still a line at the door for rare. But keep in mind > - that line at the > door for rare is getting shorter. And note - rare > is now different. > There are lots of items that used to be rare that > aren't rare anymore > because they are found in the closet, basement or > attick and arent > thrown away or sold at a yard sale or sold to "one" > dealer because of an > ad in the back of a magazine etc. Now those items > are broadcast world > wide. Needless to say, some things that were > considered rare really > weren't rare, but no one had the ability to detect > them all without > spending thousands on advertising and travel. > Anyway...rare is being > redefined and what is rare now is truly rare and any > one lucky enough to > find a hoard would be wise to slowly divvy it out or > the price of that > particular item will collapse over night. > > So yes. Collectors are filling their slots and then > you have the bad > side of supply and demand. This is not isolated to > high end. But to > low end as well. They need to have an elective > class starting at the > 1st Grade School level on "Collecting as a Hobby and > Investment". > Because we need new collectors to perpetuate this > habbit, business, > hobby. A huge percentage of what we like, be it > comics, posters or cast > iron toys used to go to the landfill, Goodwill, > Salvation Army, or would > start its climb up to the end of the line collector > at a yard sale or > auction. This process fueled a whole economy and > several subcultures. > This still happens to a much smaller percentage. > But now a huge > percentage is put up online for all to see 7 days a > week, 24 hours a day > and many middlepeople are eliminated. One no longer > has to start, if > they have the money,with a G-VG copy of Spiderman #1 > and then hunt and > trade and buy their way up. They can jump right in > at the top. In > reality, regarding supply, nothing has changed - the > amount of stuff has > always surpassed the number of collectors - the > internet just turned the > light on. > > I am curious what all of you see for down the road. > I have a hard time > seeing the prices for many things coming back up in > years to come > without cultivating a mass of new collectors. But > not only young > collectors. We need more middle and a bit older age > collectors that > identify with what is for sale. Or we also need to > educate and > cultivate an appreciation for Victorian advertising > or 1930s Arcade > Machines into a 12 year old as his concentration > span lapses from his > X-box. > > With all of this in mind- I think I am giving all > kids 6 and over old > comic books for Christmas. If they bite and start > wanting more..it will > be good for selling in the future. If they destroy > them with color > crayons and scissors it will make the duplicate > copies that I have more > rare. > > Merry Christmas everybody. > Duane > > > -----Original Message----- > From: MoPo List > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of > Richard Halegua Comic Art > Sent: Sunday, December 19, 2004 10:53 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MOPO] Why are super-high prices good > and slabbed > collectibles. > > > JR has made one of the most salient comparisons he > could have when he > compared high prices in comics to be a death knell > for the ordinary > collector. While comic dealers and others may > trumpet how good high > prices are, anyone must realize the dangers they > pose to any hobby.For > instance, in an economy where 50% of the population > makes less than > $25,000 a year, you would have to wonder how that > half could possibly > afford to collect anything, and you have to go all > the way up to the top > 5% of the american population to get to $50,000 a > year. You must also > remember that the average cost of living in any good > sized city in > America is $48,000 it doesn't leave very much for > spending money without > sacrificing something else and while most collectors > would happily > sacrifice eating to get that comic book or poster, > if that goes on too > long.. one more collector gone! > > Back in the middle 80's I was on the way to becoming > the top dealer of > original comic art & pulp illustration in the world. > Only Russ Cochran > was on my level. Well as time went by, I only began > selling more & more > expensive items. So in 1986 I took in $20,000 at San > Diego Comicon (SDC > from here on ) with about 400 customers. at SDC in > 1990 I took in $35K, > but with only 150 customers. In 1992 I did $40K with > less than 100 and > in 1995 I took in over $50K, but with only 40 buyers > as they were the > only ones who could afford my stuff. Not only that, > I was finding I > could not afford to buy collections anymore as the > prices had become so > high & the margin was getting so low that I was > going to have to start > taking in almost $1,000,000 a year to make the same > profits I made in > 1989 one $350K. In other words I would have to work > 3times as hard to > make no extra. But wait there's more, at the same > time several bigtime > collector's had either stopped collecting, or > personal issues (like > divorce, loss of good job etc) removed these top > customers from the > field resulting in difficulty achieving the same > high price were getting > for things like Flash Gordon sunday pages by Alex > Raymond (up to $50K in > 1991, same pages sold in 1996 for $15) and taking > losses on those items > to move them out, or be forced to hold them for 10 > years to sell which > is a negative. > > Today comics & comic book art are in my own opinion > the most overpriced > hobbies there are and anything good is beyond the > average collector in > price. If you want to complete a collection of > Spiderman in fine > condition (which is the minimum condition for > investment) it would cost > you soemthing in the range of $150,000. A near mint, > slabbed collection > in 9.0 or better could get to $1,000,000. How many > of you wish to be at > the mercy of such a market where it's possible the > only collector for > that item at that price actually dictates the market > price instead of > you as the seller and he is very simply the ONLY > collector at that > level?? > > To me it's a simple calculation, at an auction when > something sells for > $50,000, but only 2 players are over $25K. When the > $50K buyer wishes to > sell..... the item is not worth $50K but the $25K > that was forced by the > presence of the $24,500 bidder and anyone who bought > another copy of > === message truncated === __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! 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