Serious Question Here

[PasterOfMuppets]

Hi all!
New to the site but i have a huge question looming....i used to collect as a kid, im 24 now...got back into it with figures etc, So i scroll some Comics on eBay and see fairly new comics doing rather well price wise, so i ask you all, if i wanted to get into comic book investing for profit how would i go about doing so? i know it cant be as simple as snatching up some 9.8 get em signed and re-list em . So any advice anyone? i have some fairly decent investment money to work with without going to big
thanks in advance all!

[DonC]

Hi all!
New to the site but i have a huge question looming....i used to collect as a kid, im 24 now...got back into it with figures etc, So i scroll some Comics on eBay and see fairly new comics doing rather well price wise, so i ask you all, if i wanted to get into comic book investing for profit how would i go about doing so?

I'll sell you mine.

[thwhtGuardian]

You really have to "go big" to make any real investments, due to the better paper quality and the fact that more people actually save their comics than they did in the 40's and 50's modern comics will continue to exist in large quantities into the future thus making them worth not much more than their cover prices. So unless you have the money to plunk down on a copy of say Action Comics #1, Detective Comics #27, or any other such first appearance of an iconic character published prior than the late 70's you're probably better off speaking to a stock broker about what kind of solid investments you should make.

[Iangould]

Hi all!
New to the site but i have a huge question looming....i used to collect as a kid, im 24 now...got back into it with figures etc, So i scroll some Comics on eBay and see fairly new comics doing rather well price wise, so i ask you all, if i wanted to get into comic book investing for profit how would i go about doing so? i know it cant be as simple as snatching up some 9.8 get em signed and re-list em . So any advice anyone? i have some fairly decent investment money to work with without going to big
thanks in advance all!

I would strongly advise against investing in new comics.

If you feel you must invest and don't have the money for key Golden Age books I'd suggest buying slabbed CGC 9+ key bronze age books (Giant-Size X-Men 4; Amazing Spider-Man 121; Hulk 181) and sticking them in a safety deposit box.

[PasterOfMuppets]

I would strongly advise against investing in new comics.

If you feel you must invest and don't have the money for key Golden Age books I'd suggest buying slabbed CGC 9+ key bronze age books (Giant-Size X-Men 4; Amazing Spider-Man 121; Hulk 181) and sticking them in a safety deposit box.

So going for newer books, grading/signing and reselling wouldn't be a good way to go i assume? example, today i aquired the new xmen avengers 1:200 variant, i was thinking of having stan lee sign it grade and just resell

as far as golden age books i have been strongly considering them for long term investments, but as for taking a few grand and just trying to profit fast turnovers i was looking into the fairly newer books

[Iangould]

So going for newer books, grading/signing and reselling wouldn't be a good way to go i assume? example, today i aquired the new xmen avengers 1:200 variant, i was thinking of having stan lee sign it grade and just resell

as far as golden age books i have been strongly considering them for long term investments, but as for taking a few grand and just trying to profit fast turnovers i was looking into the fairly newer books

The problem with flipping hot books is there's a ton of other people attempting the same thign - take a look on ebay to see what I mean.

Signatures add little or nothing to the value of a comic unless they're authenticated.

You might make $20 on that Avengers variant if you're really lucky. To invest several thousand dollars on recent hot books and sell enough of them at a decent profit to come out ahead you'd have to be lottery-winner lucky.

For the same money you could buy 10-20 books from the 70's that have a 30-odd year history of appreciation.

[PasterOfMuppets]

I see your point now, it seems as if everyone on there is dog fighting for the books for the same purpose, yeah i would definitely, have all my sigs authenticated via cgc as i am already a member(plus there's always desert wind comics). i will go with the older books as stated , so should be looking into pre graded books or should i roll the dice on ungraded books and have them graded myself? also how long should i expect to hold on to these books before trying to move them

[Donald M.]

comic book investing

Yeah, this? Don't do it. Comic books are not mutual funds. It amazes me how many people don't seem to realize this.

[Spike-X]

Yeah, if you wanna make money, try the stock market. If you wanna buy comics, buy the ones you enjoy reading.

[Iangould]

I see your point now, it seems as if everyone on there is dog fighting for the books for the same purpose, yeah i would definitely, have all my sigs authenticated via cgc as i am already a member(plus there's always desert wind comics). i will go with the older books as stated , so should be looking into pre graded books or should i roll the dice on ungraded books and have them graded myself? also how long should i expect to hold on to these books before trying to move them

1. If you have the time, hunting up books and then getting them graded is probably more profitable.

2. Realistically, allow 5-10 years.

[Shawn Hopkins]

But, honestly, you could take the same money, put it into some relatively safe investments, and make a much bigger return much more quickly. Unless you have a big bankroll to play around with with high grade golden age books, comic book investing is a sucker's game.

Do sigs actually add anything to value, even with CGC authentication? The authentication seems like a hassle because a CGC rep has to be there when it's signed. I know without CGC authentication, it's considered a defect.

[StoneGold]

Or, rob Nic Cage.

[dupont2005]

Rip off little old ladies and kids who inherit collections. Troll Craigslist for anyone who has something and is unaware of the value. Hit every yard sale. Lie, steal, and cheat. The ultimate goal is to get an Action 1 for a dollar.

[Sabrina_Fried]

You know how to make a million dollars in comics?

Start with two million.

In all seriousness, the problem with reselling recent comics for a profit is that few buyers have an incentive to pay a marked up price, regardless of the condition or whether it is a first printing or even whether it has been signed. That's why so many comic shops are dollar binning their back issues. They literally aren't worth the space needed to store them. There's no scarcity anymore. For any given comics, chances are a large proportion of its print run is going to be saved in someone's longbox somewhere. And people who are buying for the story will happily buy a TPB reprint if the original can't be found or is too expensive. And every major publisher who has been serious about their digital initiatives is slowly filling out their back catalogue.

And even with the older comics that have demand based on true scarcity, you're going to find the market very small.

At best, you're looking at a very labour intensive process where you will have to certify and research your books to authenticate them to your market. And promote the hell out of your wares. The return on your labours will not be very high.

If you really have your heart set on making money by selling comics, use your investment money to start a comic shop. If you research your market well, you might do ok. If you just want to make money, talk to a stock broker, or a banker, or buy into something with a larger market, like wine.

Then use your profits to buy comics for your personal enjoyment.