Investment Dreams of Comics
I grew up in the 1990s in Canada and I participated in the late 1980s, 1990s comics hype. The whole “comics speculation market”, where prices of comics went up (and down) based on different factors like: print runs, story, character appearances, #1 issue, etc.
I enjoyed that as much as I could afford it - like buying double
issues of everything I liked (one to read, another to sell). Mylar
bags and acid-free back-boards to preserve my, investment, err,
comics.
When I got enough money to get my usual Marvel titles: Spider-Man, X-Men, etc. I even “invested” into the DC side - I made a great call on a Batman series that would eventually lead to the rise of Bane.
Actually, now that I think back, before I got into investing in comics and enjoyed reading them for story and art - I had the original Amazing Spider-Man 298, 299, and 300 - until I left my locker open and someone stole them. UGH - that’s a punch in the gut!
This is how I treated comics growing up - as a kind of entertainment and investment vehicle. Where I would enjoy the comics twice - once by reading and admiring the art, the second time by selling them for profit.
The ironic thing: I never sold my comics - I invested so much effort into making money with them - the whole comics market cratered and publishers just reprinted anything that cost more than cover price so there was zero demand for those issues.
(Hence, I’m still store about those original Amazing Spider-Man issues stolen from me…)
Now I learn, if there’s any profit to be had, the publisher will take advantage of the profit and will take it for themselves instead of giving to any consumer on the secondary market.
That’s a hard lesson I learned to never “collect” anything, especially comics. Just enjoy them for the story and art.
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