Sounds like there are parallels to the real estate bubble of a few years ago.
Or the Greater Fool theory. Once a few of the "big players" decide to back off, prices can go down just as quick as they go up. If the people buying these items have a true love of them, that's a healthy hobby. But when the "investor types" buy because they think they are going to sell at a huge profit in a few years, it's a recipe for disaster. Time will tell. Bruce On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 4:13 PM, Richard Halegua Comic Art < [email protected]> wrote: > no, it's never been really soft and Heritage didn't do anything to change > the field's direction > but it's a classic bubble hobby.. they keep thinking it only goes up-up-up > and if you read the comic boards, that is the general sentiment. Anyone who > challenges that thought is roundly admonished by the complete majority of > the dealers & collectors - even though the number of comic stores has > decreased by 75% (or more) during the last 15 years and publishers are > printing less comics. > As a matter of fact, I had dinner with a longtime friend who used to be one > of the top five comic distributors and we discussed it. there may be less > than 15% of the number of comic stores there were in 1990, but the only > company that could show the proof is Diamond and they won't tell. As a > matter of fact, they keep trumpeting the hobby. > > Sean and I have been involved in that hobby for 45+ years (in my case. 40+ > as a dealer) and 25+ (in Sean's case) > seeing as both of us have more faith in movie posters - I think that says > alot about the hobby and Bruce as well was a big person in the hobby in the > 70s. Moreover, when you go to comic conventions, there is almost nobody > under 35 except longtime dealers and a very tiny % of collectors. By and > large, the great population of older collectors has disappeared as prices > have increased, and so - the likelihood of golden age books from third-world > publishers becoming non-sought-after issues is increasing. Surprisingly, the > large part of the hobby dismisses this as well, which is proof that the > hobby is populated by the perfect people - those who wear blinders where > money is concerned.. > > Rich > > > > At 01:57 PM 4/3/2010, Kevin Conway wrote: > > I am no comic book expert, but was once a moderate collector. Wasn't the > comic book market quite soft until Heritage entered the market in a "big > way" and heavily promoted the comic book industry about 7-10 years ago ?? > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Richard Halegua Comic Art > Sent: Apr 3, 2010 3:07 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [MOPO] An excellent thought provoking article: Ten Signposts > to Identify Endangered Collecting Categories > > it's a fantastic article that reports things we as longtime dealers already > know and that comic book collectors need to examine > > in comics right now, there is much talk about Action comics #1 CGC 8.0 > grade sold for $1mil, then Heritage sold Detective #27 8.0 for $1,075,000 > and just this week Action #1 8.5 sold for $1.5mil. Because comic collectors > seem (to me) purposely ignorant that a reckoning is coming to the greater > part of the hobby, they all point to these sales & say "the comics hobby is > super-healthy.. prices will never go down". Prices in comics don't reflect > decreases because both dealers and the publishers of the price guide are in > bed together on the one hand, and they have a stranglehold on the hobby off > the other hand. The fans are also complicit in this sham as they 1) go for > it hook-line-and sinker & 2) they choose to ignore the obvious signals. > > Action Comics #1 will always sell for big bucks. It is after all the single > most important comic book there is. It has interest outside the comic > collecting hobby and most copies over time will find their way into museums > where they will remain on permanent display. Action comics #2, 102, or > 502.... sorry... down the road, these books will be collected by very few as > the entire comics hobby will continue to deflate over many long years until > almost no-one collects them, with the exception of the top items like Action > #1, Spiderman #1 and the like. > > Movie posters will no doubt follow them in great part (especially as > posters themselves stop being printed in favor of digital displays). > The only difference in posters is that, unlike a comic book, a movie poster > is likened to an artwork, can be framed and displayed in a home, while it is > unlikely that Coo-Coo Comics #1 will ever get displayed for company to view > when they come over for dinner > > that doesn't mean that all posters will be collected.. Sadly, the > collecting of posters to the great majority will focus on the top titles, > the top stars and the big hits.. Much of the rest will just fade away. > > Rich > > > At 08:28 AM 4/3/2010, Bruce Hershenson wrote: > > Ten Signposts to Identify Endangered Collecting Categories > by Harry Rinker (03/16/10). > > > http://www.worthpoint.com/blog-entry/ten-signposts-identify-endangered-collecting-categories?utm_source=WorthPoint+Insider+List&utm_campaign=cf94b34d78-insider-7&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=cf94b34d78&mc_eid=9c7686e1e6 > > Does it apply to movie posters? Comic Books? > > Bruce > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > Send a message addressed to: [email protected] > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > Send a message addressed to: [email protected] > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > > > Kevin Conway > Conway's Vintage Treasures > www.CVTreasures.com > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ > How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List > Send a message addressed to: [email protected] > In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L > The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com > ___________________________________________________________________ How to > UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: > [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF > MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content. > > Visit the MoPo Mailing List Web Site at www.filmfan.com ___________________________________________________________________ How to UNSUBSCRIBE from the MoPo Mailing List Send a message addressed to: [email protected] In the BODY of your message type: SIGNOFF MOPO-L The author of this message is solely responsible for its content.
