The reason why I posted Howlermouses video on his comic book haul is simple. It shows what I am hearing almost daily. Huge numbers of new comics and comics from the past few years being literally thrown at comic fans and for prices so ridiculous it's unbelievable.
Another video shows TWO comic long boxes crammed full that the guy involved bought for $20 from a comic shop. No quibbling the owner said "take two boxes -$25!" Blogger turned and said "$25??" and the store owner "Okay! Okay I can't get rid of the damn things -$20!" Perhaps he should have said "$20??"!
All 2000-2016 comics (2016!!).
Another blogger took "About $35 dollars worth of comics" to another dealer who said "Yeah. Sure" But pointed out he wasn't paying cash and offered up "A big grocery store box crammed with boarded and bagged comics in exchange" Total value of the box (based on price tags) -$185.
People: comics industry is collapsing.
Another video shows TWO comic long boxes crammed full that the guy involved bought for $20 from a comic shop. No quibbling the owner said "take two boxes -$25!" Blogger turned and said "$25??" and the store owner "Okay! Okay I can't get rid of the damn things -$20!" Perhaps he should have said "$20??"!
All 2000-2016 comics (2016!!).
Another blogger took "About $35 dollars worth of comics" to another dealer who said "Yeah. Sure" But pointed out he wasn't paying cash and offered up "A big grocery store box crammed with boarded and bagged comics in exchange" Total value of the box (based on price tags) -$185.
People: comics industry is collapsing.
At the same time MARVEL MASTERWORKS with a regular price tag of 70 EUROS are offered at amazon for between 100 and 250 EUROS for no apparent reason and even omnibus books with a price tag are sold for two or three times their real value. Who buys them ?
ReplyDeleteI would say that most of those comics from the 2000 - 2015 period ( and before) in that video I could have easily picked up at any time in the last 5/8 or more years from Comic shops in Glasgow's 50p bins (previous to that the 20p - 30p bins) although the 70s issues (Champions etc that I would love) still go for back issue money (about £5 - £8 last time I looked). I can't count how many times kids (20 plus) have come into that store with collections form the 90s - 2015 thinking they are worth at least £5 each only to be told not only are they not worth that amount, but that theshop owner didn't want them even for free (one guy said he would just bin them . not sur ehe did he had them all nicely bagged) but in those cases they just grew out of comics. The main back issue shop in Glasgow has longbox after long box of 1980s - date comic that he cant shift (I think he would sell them for $25) - he only really wants 60s - 1975 and then only special issues (first appearances, Deadpool (sorry hes popular) Wolverine etc etc). Other comic shops here sell recent (ie the last year to last month) comics in bags of 3 - 5 for £1.
ReplyDeleteSome of the possible reasons for the large number of these comics getting dumped on the back issue market (and elsewhere) will be ( for the 2000 - 2015 comics)) folk getting married, buying houses, cars, just fed up with comics (they are not all that good now lol) and for the 70s type comics perhaps (sadly ) folk passing away (yes we are getting that old) - but no doubt as you say a lot of folk bought them to sell on or as a fad and have now had enough of them and the "industry" fell for it thinking they had something.
As you may remember I also have contributed to that pile of unwanted comis (as I suspect a lot of comic fans have) I have given 100's of US comics from that era to a charity shop and have a another box of about 100 to go in the morning (and have given at least that amount again to a guys whose kids love but don't collect comics ie they will / have been dumped after they are read (nothing wrong with that, thats they were meant to be read not collected) I did this as I don't want my house cluttered with comic I don't read or collect, I got them in 50p bags or bought them in bulk ( years ago I got 30 comics regularly from a shop for £3.50) Ive tried to sell them cheaply,but no ones interested (cant be assed with Ebay) ironically I'm getting rid of them so I can buy some more comics from the 60s /70s ear (the best era lol)
Also shops like the Works are selling graphic novels that went from £9- £30 in the UK for £5 recently Ive seen about 15 Dark Horses Star Wars books, Superman, collections, Marvel collections like Worlds Greatest Comics, Captain America, Gene Colans Dracula (I bought that) Avengers (recent stuff) etc etc - Im not sure there is no longer a market for comics just a massive glut of tat.
I would buy any 'Essentials', and the same of the DC Showcase of material, and in black and white, from the sixties and seventies for the right price, but, not for some of the prices that are being offered on Amazon. I am not interested in creating someone else's swollen coffers. Basically they think that we will pay them for insulting us. I would use Terry's favourite two words here and an additional.
ReplyDeleteSadly, guys, this what its like. I'm not looking for a huge number of Avengers volume 1 issues and I'm not looking for 10.0 -12 or whatever that stupid grading is -that people are paying through the nose to get and then disagree with. Comic shops used to sell via mail order -I remember in the 1980s getting quite a few from AKA Books & Comics in Glasgow! But most shops do not have back issues now beyond 2000 and one shop I know still has the sign "no 1980s comics"?????? Work that out. Even my books are advertised on Ebay and Amazon at £30 or £40 -I know one author who sent me the Amazon links to his books (cover price £20 (they are bulky but NOT comics) where people are offering them at £599 and £1,750 and £2,350 ("PLUS" postage to be added on). These people are using the print on demand to order books, if they get orders,and charge what they want the "5-7 days after ordering" is a bit of a giveaway. Amazon and Ebay are there for crooks. Pure and simple. There may (its just a rumour) be an honest seller there. I wanted to get some simple cowboys and indians for my great nephews at Christmas. Shops ain't selling those things now. One pack of 30 figures DID appear on Amazon at £75.00 +£5.00 p&p. I ordered this and two other sets from the United States -£22.50 including p&p.
ReplyDeletePeople in the US are shocked at the prices. Ronnie in the US pointed out most of the Avengers comics I need are easy to find in flea markets, car boot sales and comic shops and at very low prices (he nabbed 90-120 of vol. 1 of The Avengers for $40 because no one else had been interested. It seems to UK has the big greed bug and love using the "Rare" and "vintage" tag on comics produced in their thousands -and in the 1980s so NOT "Silver Age" nor rare.
Crooks.
We need good comics. Waiting for Image to show the way ahead....but not holding my breath.
I had to talk the ladyfriend out of buying some Star Wars comics in a charity shop the other day... The first five issues of the ones based on Episode I, they were asking £5 each for them (?!?!?!?!?).
ReplyDelete"But it's the first issue!" She said, "it'll be worth a fortune!" - took me about five minutes to convince her otherwise... I'm glad I read this blog!
Well, Hippycollectibles pointed out how the new 52 #1 Batman or Detective Comics, came out and for a few months normal prices then prices sky-rocketed but no one bit. So now the price has hit the toilet. Could people be catching on?
ReplyDeleteBut glad you never spent all your money and if they were in a charity shop it was because either no one bought them or the owner considered them nothing. Unless you come up with a US Golden Age #1 hang on to that £5 note!!