Yeah, of course I get what you are saying, but for example to also get 'reading' copies of these books right now: (yes this is a 'live' auction, but not for anything toy-related, and no one is bidding so I am giving it a pass. But if anyone is offended, feel free to let me know.) I am just saying, that is less than a buck a book, which is about the norm that I would expect. And these are even bagged and boarded and in VG condition. And WoS is just an example in this case. Nothing from the 70s onward is really an investment as such. I don't know what experiences you have had in the past with some pretty junked comics, but even if you beat them and rough 'em up, you can always have a duplicate like this to enjoy. But anyways, to each their own of course. Diff'rent strokes and all, and there is plenty of room for that in this and all our hobbies. I am glad you grabbed that issue, I remember it gave me some good memories too, and happy to see folks enjoy them.
I have some other stuff iv read like The Maxx. Which was a super surreal and awesome story in general. Than the newer comic that came out last year from Marvel called Weird World is fantastic. It has allot of barbarian elements in it and is surprisingly super bloody which i wasn't really expecting from a Marvel comic.
This is one of the reasons i like trade paperbacks so much. They are far easier to keep in good condition, without all that bags & boards crap. Saying that, i did bag and board all my old underground comics (like the Freak Bros.) a while ago, so i suppose i'm a ruddy hypocrite.
No just smart especially again if things get hard to come by latter on. And if you read them and enjoyed them and want to preserve them I see nothing wrong with that.
This was my starting point ! I'v been collectiing Spidey's since ASM #250, Web 1# came the month after. I have'nt miss a beat since, very few of those comics are in bags (ASM 300 signed by McFarlane being one of them ) .
Just to clarify, I am not saying at all there is anything wrong with bagging and boarding, or using long boxes, or whatever happens to be your particular fancy. But it is the permanent sealing of things which has become so de rigueur in the last couple of years that I see no point in. It was one thing when this was confined to the area of sports/collectible cards from which it developed. Those were at least two-dimensional objects, which you could essentially still enjoy fully even once entombed. But encasing a comic book in carbonite forever, just to add some supposed 'value' to it - which often as not costs as much as said valuation - all for the purpose of building this tiered collectible market with some arbitrary scale, that is what I am having a go at. How can someone claim to appreciate the actual comic book, without having ever seen the art and story that is between the covers? That is the comic. But anyway, I grew up with this stuff before it became like that, so my mindset is going to be different.
Well the origin of this kind of collecting can be contributed right around to the end of the 80s and going into the 90s. Thats when the pristine mind set really started to emerge with people in general. Even with action figures around the 80s most ppl were playing with stuff and opening them not caring about value. However around the 90s again is when people realized all the comics and toys they have been reading and playing with could have been worth more if they had just not gone through the regular wear and tear of the items in general. I think some collectors beat themselves up so bad they vowed never do do it again. And why many buy more than just one issue of a comic or why you see people buy a multiple of one toy. Ill never be able to get an actual physical issue 1 of the walking dead because the price is so outrageous on the collectors market. It will have to be through a hard copy collection or something now. And people pay so much money for these issues i can see why some will never open or read them. Personally ill open most comics just to read them but not if its a freaking 2,000 dollar comic LOL.
Sure, maybe, but it was the same speculative mentality in the 90s which completely crashed the market, and why Marvel - yes the big M itself - went bankrupt. And this is also why those comics aren't worth much of anything. People (everybody and anybody) were buying up stuff in an unsustainable fashion, hoping they could make a mint. Look at X-men #1; nothing is every going to reach those numbers again. And don't even get me started on action figures. Look, I know what you are saying, and it is the same in the toy world or anything else. There is always going to be the rarez commodities that silly people with ridiculous time on their hands and/or money will drop thousands on. (we should know that here if anywhere) But who cares? Buy what you like and enjoy it. For every Nag out there, there are five thousand Bandai figures you could buy and enjoy just as much. And it is the same in comics. That's all I am saying. Valuing something because it is in demand is for the birds, appreciate something's intrinsic value for the reason it was created. If you want WD #1, just get a reprint or the PB collection; the content is the same and it won't bankrupt you. I can't afford original Bullmarks right now, but there is plenty of excellent M1/B-Club repro stuff just as good. The point is there is more than enough out there to offer you affordable alternatives.
Well i agree with you and im not against the idea. Iv always thought the idea of collecting something but never fully appreciating what its meant for is rather silly anyways. But your going to have to convince allot of other people otherwise. But i think people like me really don't care about the history of Marvels bankruptcy and the hard times comics had trying to sell in the 90s. People are still willing to pay good money for things if you have it. Its just a matter of finding the right buyers. But i mean if you really want to talk about something that plummeted hard how about those Beenie Babies?! XD
Marvel going bankrupt allowed Avi Arad to squander and sell of marvel properties thus turding up numerous properties. Xmen/f4/namor/hulk so... id say its pretty noteworthy. shout out holofoil covers though.
true some of them looked spectacular. Though, looking back it really screamed how shallow the products got.
Attention Montreal's Brainers, FBDM is raging on all weekend http://www.fbdm-montreal.ca/en/ I had the immense pleasure of meeting Mr Chester Brown - a favorite of mine since the early 90' It was super nice to chat with him about his work and good old Joe Matt ! View this post on Instagram Pic spotted on Librairie Drawn and Quarterly's Ig
That's awesome man! Very cool indeed. Was it you who had posted that autographed copy here before (I can't remember if it was Louis Riel or which)? Anyways, very stoked for you to have met him at the event. I have heard he is actually quite a good guy in person, but haven't had the pleasure myself (despite his repeat of events associated wtih D&Q).
So, there is quite a lot going on in the world of 'traditional' superhero comics these days. What with Cap being a Nazi, [another completely unfathomable and unnecessary] Civil War II: Electric Boogaloo, and yet another not-a-reboot reboot going on at DC to retcon all their poor planning (once again), a lot of changes* are in works. * But not really though, because this is comics. Anyhow, one of the most interesting developments for me of late is that DC has officially announced that Watchmen is now part of their regular comic canon. With them bringing this into the fold, effectively making it part of the same regular universe(s) as their lead superhero titles, it does seem like quite a shift. However you feel about Watchmen, it was of a particular place and time, and I am not sure exactly how this move will ultimately benefit them. [Surely they aren't expecting to to sell significantly more copies at this point, are they?] And furthermore, how this entire thing plays out with in terms of Moore's reaction - not that he has any say on the matter - further exemplifies the strangeness of this move. Having the legacy Vertigo titles alongside (but separate) from DC to me makes sense. But, moving along, it has sparked some interesting conversations which I have been following and thought I might share here for anyone who is interested. Might be an interesting read for folks, if they care. Taken from io9 in response to an article by James Whitbrook, and credited to the corresponding commenters. The article mainly circles around Geoff Johns' plans for Rebirth, and this one discussion that arose from that. (see the article for full comments and context). I found the topics quite interesting, and more importantly, what it says about the state of comics today. Spoiler
^^^ When i heard about this no more than maybe 2 days ago it definitely threw me off about Captain America lol. Spoiler Than im left with this stuck in my head. But than we wouldn't get funny images like this. XD
Went to the Maine Comic Arts Festival today and, in addition to being able to pick up issue 4 of Head Lopper from Andrew Maclean, He also did this commission sketch of Norgal and Agatha the Blue Witch for me: It was cool to see Andrew at MECAF again since that's the first place I saw him in 2013 (I think it was) and pre ordered the first issue of Head Lopper when he was self publishing it. I was immediately drawn to his art and the story has ended up being awesome as well. Also picked up an oversized version of the first issue of the new Madballs comic and met Scarecrowoven and Gunsho who each did backup stories in the book. Also got to meet Steve Bissette, which was really cool since I'm a big fan (like everyone else) of his and Alan Moore's run on Swamp Thing . Great show overall, even though I really didn't get a chance to look around too much since my son was with me and he was in a hurry to go. Also wish I'd saved up a bit to get some drawings done by some other people too. I'm impressed with how much this show has grown over the years. Very cool to go to a show that is just creators and not comic retailers, etc.
hey guys - my comic came out in stores today: More info here: http://studygroupcomics.com/main/secret ... tores-now/ For fans of Copra/Head Lopper/King City/Dungeon/Etc Check it out if you feel inclined to do so.
A couple of really nice Spidey posters coming out tomorrow from GreyMatterArt, for any of you 'sheet' collectors or just fans. traditional Spoiler: and its lovely glow underlayer and for the modernist Spoiler: glowie panels More info and sales link.
^ I like both versions of the prints. But The Amazing Spider-Man title and all that Marvel copyright crap have got to go. In my opinion it kind of ruins the art.
Without a doubt, the 'branding' really ruins an otherwise very nice effect. As comic covers, I can see it, but here it smacks too much of a marketing product; you kind of want to appreciate it for the artist's work, not the logos. The extra sad part is, the added licensing to make these 'official' from Marvel/Disney, is no doubt a significant contribution to why these are also priced so high. Silly really. It would be cool to have some decent glow posters donning the wall at night though
Shameless plug. I have a web comic called Planet Karl. http://planetkarlcomicstrip.tumblr.com/page/71
