Would you support in continuity digital comics?

[aba1]

The danger here is that your books will be taken away from you if your chosen digital supplier goes out of business.

I'm not really interested in digital comics until I can be sure that I'll have those books as long as I want them.

This is one of the strongest things holding me back as well.

[batman_pwns]

But if one actually buys into the argument that most comic readers will be digital only in the future, then there will be less paper comic copies out there, which of course means that they will appreciate all the more

They will appreciate slightly perhaps, but not that much.

The big big big difference between today and the 40s/50s/60s is that nobody back then had the "collector mentality." Nobody bagged and boarded their comics or took particularly good care of them. Kids would fold their comics in half and stick them in their back pockets and then go play outside in the dirt. So the vast majority of these Golden and Silver Age comics have been destroyed over the years. Their supply is VERY low and that is why they are so valuable today. Action Comics (1939) #1 is worth a million dollars precisely because there are estimated to be less than 100 copies of it still left in existence in the entire world, and only NINE of those copies have been CGC graded at 9.0 or above. That's right. In the entire world, there are only nine copies of that comic still in near mint condition. THAT is why it is worth a million dollars.

Conversely, today everyone bags and boards and takes care of their comics. So because of that, today's comics will never reach the level of scarcity that Golden and Silver Age comics have. So today's comics will never be worth nearly as much. For example, with a print run of 100,000 comics even if only 10% of them remain in near mint condition that is still 10,000 copies in near mint condition. And that's a very low ball estimate, because the real number would be significantly higher than 10%. So yeah, today's comics are never going to be as scarce as Golden/Silver Age.

[Hulk_Is]

^ Really interesting post.

[2 Up 2 Down]

They will appreciate slightly perhaps, but not that much.

The big big big difference between today and the 40s/50s/60s is that nobody back then had the "collector mentality." Nobody bagged and boarded their comics or took particularly good care of them. Kids would fold their comics in half and stick them in their back pockets and then go play outside in the dirt. So the vast majority of these Golden and Silver Age comics have been destroyed over the years. Their supply is VERY low and that is why they are so valuable today. Action Comics (1939) #1 is worth a million dollars precisely because there are estimated to be less than 100 copies of it still left in existence in the entire world, and only NINE of those copies have been CGC graded at 9.0 or above. That's right. In the entire world, there are only nine copies of that comic still in near mint condition. THAT is why it is worth a million dollars.

Conversely, today everyone bags and boards and takes care of their comics. So because of that, today's comics will never reach the level of scarcity that Golden and Silver Age comics have. So today's comics will never be worth nearly as much. For example, with a print run of 100,000 comics even if only 10% of them remain in near mint condition that is still 10,000 copies in near mint condition. And that's a very low ball estimate, because the real number would be significantly higher than 10%. So yeah, today's comics are never going to be as scarce as Golden/Silver Age.

I thought that was common knowledge.

[shingi70]

Think it boils down to age as well. A few of the people decrying digital from conversations in the past seem to be older folks. I'm 20 years old and for a hood part of my life the Internet has been there and buying digital media ive been doing since around 9th grade and using Internet services.

I mean with out the digital new 52 I probably wouldn't be reading monthly comics and would trade wait. O mean physical comics are still cool but have no value collection wise. I bought a few comics at fcbd but that was honestly only for prop reasons to have on my drawer and on a coffe table wit some magazines.

[Prisoner 6655321]

[QUOTE=shingi70;15255181]Think it boils down to age as well. A few of the people decrying digital from conversations in the past seem to be older folks. I'm 20 years old and for a hood part of my life the Internet has been there and buying digital media ive been doing since around 9th grade and using Internet services.
[QUOTE]

I don’t think it’s an age thing for me. I guess I’m getting a bit older than some other fans but I’m certainly a good bit younger than many others. Being born in 1980 I grew up with computers and other various tech things and am not naturally adverse to them. Honestly, the only two forms of technology that I’m not that much of an advocate for are cell phones and digital books and even when it comes to digital books, I think they’ve got a lot of great potential for text books (just the right number of text books for the right number of students with nearer to constant updates). I try to always look at the good and bad in all things and in these two matters I find no leeway. I take that back… should I ever have kids or my job description change I suppose I’d get a cell phone but until then I don’t even want people to be under the impression that they could possibly get a hold of me when I’m not at home. But as for comic books… I see absolutely no value (and I don’t mean dollar) in digital comics and without sounding overly dramatic I would almost certainly drop all comics before going digital, the closest thing I have to a digital reader is my desk top PC… But anyway, I don’t think it’s an age thing I have friends my age that fall for the same digital future talk. I just don’t want any part of that future. I would rather spend $2 on a xerox zine than $1 on a digital comic.

[aba1]

[QUOTE=Prisoner 6655321;15255354][QUOTE=shingi70;15255181]Think it boils down to age as well. A few of the people decrying digital from conversations in the past seem to be older folks. I'm 20 years old and for a hood part of my life the Internet has been there and buying digital media ive been doing since around 9th grade and using Internet services.

I don’t think it’s an age thing for me. I guess I’m getting a bit older than some other fans but I’m certainly a good bit younger than many others. Being born in 1980 I grew up with computers and other various tech things and am not naturally adverse to them. Honestly, the only two forms of technology that I’m not that much of an advocate for are cell phones and digital books and even when it comes to digital books, I think they’ve got a lot of great potential for text books (just the right number of text books for the right number of students with nearer to constant updates). I try to always look at the good and bad in all things and in these two matters I find no leeway. I take that back… should I ever have kids or my job description change I suppose I’d get a cell phone but until then I don’t even want people to be under the impression that they could possibly get a hold of me when I’m not at home. But as for comic books… I see absolutely no value (and I don’t mean dollar) in digital comics and without sounding overly dramatic I would almost certainly drop all comics before going digital, the closest thing I have to a digital reader is my desk top PC… But anyway, I don’t think it’s an age thing I have friends my age that fall for the same digital future talk. I just don’t want any part of that future. I would rather spend $2 on a xerox zine than $1 on a digital comic.

Hell I am younger than you and I even prefer physical as opposed to digital ( I am 22). I even use computers everyday as they are a essential tool in my career as a multimedia designer.

[Outside_85]

Well, I have to, whenever I like it or not because DC isnt actually selling paper comics anywhere near me and are slowly shutting down their own subscription services, so digital is a must for me unless I wanted to wait something like 9 months to read whatever people were talking about.

[mmehshow]

I read weekly after a decade layoff thanks to the digital format.

Two things need to happen.

1. Digital needs to be cheaper. Right off the jump, none of this waiting a month before a discount.
2. Printed comics need to come with a digital download, free of charge. Again, none of this charging extra nonsense.

[Jadenewt]

I read weekly after a decade layoff thanks to the digital format.

Two things need to happen.

1. Digital needs to be cheaper. Right off the jump, none of this waiting a month before a discount.
2. Printed comics need to come with a digital download, free of charge. Again, none of this charging extra nonsense.

As long as there are LCSs Digital will never be cheaper than print off the jump. Local shops would throw a hissy the size of which Galactus couldn't even imagine, and would probably boycott the company's printed editions. They threatened it over same day digital.

[dancj]

All it would take to fix that is Marvel and DC both committing to it at the same time.

[glennsim]

All it would take to fix that is Marvel and DC both committing to it at the same time.

Aren't there laws against two companies getting together and agreeing on what their pricing is going to be?

[Whip Whirlwind]

Aren't there laws against two companies getting together and agreeing on what their pricing is going to be?

Not really the same thing. In this case the argument could be made that they're both just following an industry trend. It's not like *insert record store here* could cry foul over all the electronics companies making mp3 players.

[dupersuper]

I'd be extremely annoyed if there was an in continuity Superman book I couldn't get in actual book form.