Back to the Past for Success
Asking for help
Years ago, the former owner of Back to the Past comic shop gave me some great advice. I asked him what comics could I buy now (the 1990s) that would hold or increase in value decades from then. He told me to invest in Bronze Age books. He viewed them as undervalued but with a lot of room to grow.
Everyone was chasing Silver and Golden Age books that were mostly beyond my limit. He said that, years from now, a NM- Amazing Spider-Man #121 copy that was selling for $99 would be worth a lot more. He also said the same for the NM Incredible Hulk #181, which was selling for a little over $1000.
Blue ocean books
The key was to find books that were being ignored and target them while others were fighting over those Silver Age keys. Everyone would like to have had an Amazing Spider-Man #1 back then, but the cost was still out of the reach of most investors and collectors. You could target some of those books but it would not allow anyone to diversify their collection.
Diversification was necessary because of the chance that a book might not be as popular then as they've become now. Remember - at that time, the first appearance of the Legion of Super-Heroes was the hot book for many in the hobby. The owner said years from now, people will chase comics that they once grew up with but had since ignored, and those books were in the Bronze Age.
New Advice
Help through hard work
Astronomicon is not your typical comic con; it is a gathering for lovers of pop culture. There are still those that come for comics, though. One of the retailers in attendance, Brad's Comics & Collectibles, provided some great intelligence from the floor. He indicated that at this show and the previous one he'd seen an increase in demand for licensed properties from both the late Bronze to Copper Age.
Some purchasers were feeling nostalgic and looking for titles that reminded them of their childhood. Others looked at the success of the Super Mario Bros. movie, in contrast to the recent decline in both the MCU and DCEU, as a reason to target new books. Speculators saw those low-priced properties as being ripe for future film and television treatments.
We've seen this in the Past
Years ago, some toy properties were seeing renewed interest. This is because of announced film treatments. Key issues such as G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #1 and Transformers #1 had bullseyes on them. These books had 9.8s sell for over $1,000 but 9.0 copies were roughly $120. Many knew these characters; they were something familiar that brought back fond memories. Going on the hunt for these books was acceptable because of their films, but some chased them for the emotional value of these issues.
All in the eye of the beholder
These books were more in vogue because they had that great "curb appeal" for comic fans. That meant that even those lower-grade books would sell for more than their FMV at the time. This was true even for raw books. Buying these books was acceptable both for the speculative component as well as the nostalgia aspect. Therein lies a great problem for many in the hobby.
The arrogance that some books are not worthy of being owned - this emotional defect results in being blinded to potentially lucrative opportunities. Even among today's collectors, there exists an arrogance factor that is driven deep in many investors' DNA. This genetic defect prevents them from succeeding.
Ignored Books that are Worth Something
Reasons to care
Most in the hobby tend to treat some books as beneath them and not worth owning. These books are actually sought after, though, by niche buyers and do fetch a pretty penny. Many people would not see Care Bears #1 as a notable Marvel issue, and yet at the time this article is written, a 9.0 issue has an FMV of $120.
A newsstand copy in the same grade sold a few days ago for $170. Let that sink in readers' heads for a moment. A book that some could find in still dollar bins or for very cheap has FMV worth more than some "cool" superhero titles.
Early bird gets the worm
Another character that seems to be seeing renewed interest is Earthworm Jim. This character appeared in a video game and cartoon in the past and has a nice fan following. Earthworm Jim #1 is another book where the FMV for a 9.0 copy is $150. Brad mentioned that at a recent show, a fan paid for a nice copy of the issue that he had brought to the con. Interest is there, but fans seem to ignore these books.
Admittedly, humor and cartoon comics do not have a great track record for being mega-valuable keys. One should look back, though, to see why these books should be added when they are cheap.
Dollars vs Stigma
Knight blindness
This article started with advice on targeting Bronze books because they were inexpensive. Some of those books also had a nostalgic feel to them. Rom #1 was based on a toy line that young fans had to own. This was a target of many fans that wanted to relive their childhood.
Rom is always rumored to appear in a big movie or tv show and thus the continued interest in this character. Ironically, a 9.0 will only set you back $50, based on the current FMV.
Monster books
Godzilla #1 is also a Bronze Age key. This is a book that appears on "hot" lists whenever a new Godzilla film is announced. Again, this book has cache and is purchased regularly by investors and fans.
Godzilla never seems to go out of style. The book is produced by Marvel Comics like Rom #1. Looking closer at the FMV, one can see that a 9.0 is only valued at $90. A trend is starting to emerge.
GoCollect goes CSI
Double the trouble
Through analysis of some of these sales, we see a new niche market that is small but vibrant. This new licensed trend market appears to be one that can be profitable.
Getting to know the buyers
A new target of fans, one based on nostalgia, is appearing. This new generation of buyers is seeking books that were important in their youth. This trend can also be seen in films being produced. Directors are focusing on video and board games like D & D for film ideas in much the same way the DCEU and MCU directors were using characters and plots from their youth that resonated with them. Speculators may also be looking to future targets outside the MCU and DCEU because of the low entry price for these keys.
Data mining
The final reason prices are up for these books is revealed upon inspection of the data. Supplies of these books are down because no one really saw an interest in them. Why get these books graded if there were no markets for them? The CGC census is very low for most Copper Age licensed character books.
That means that even though the demand is there, the supply is down. This is a 180 from the Bronze Age licensed product segment that has demand but also a good supply. Buyers are thus forced to pay more for these later books than comparable Bronze Age books.
Upon Further Review
Feed the demand
Some questions will need to be asked to see if this niche market has legs. The first is how much demand there actually is for these books. Looking at recent television and movies sees a renewed love for such characters as Beavis and Butthead, Nintendo, and others. What was old is new again and maybe licensed toys and other projects are the next frontier in comic investing.
Vintage toys are now being sold for 10-100 times what they originally sold based on collectors' desire to have a part of their childhood back. Can the same thing be occurring with comics that a product bias is preventing the market to see?
Supply chain issues
Another question is, what if more get in on this and the supply goes up with more books being graded? Will prices correct in much the way that certain Bronze Age books mentioned in this article have adjusted? Finally, are some of these books genuinely rare because their original target audience was not interested in keeping these books in pristine shape? Couple that with low print runs and a truly untapped source of profits could possibly have been found.
FOMO's cousin
These questions will need to be asked and answered. That should not prevent people from seeking out these books in the raw for potential steals. FOMO is a driving force in comics that raises prices paid for issues. There is also the Fear Of Looking Foolish (FOLO).
A grown adult buying comics is one thing, but buying comics featuring toddler toys and cartoons is another. That is one reason key Wonder Woman books and the first appearance of Harley Quinn are so high. Fear caused people to miss out on these issues because of what would it look like for a grown man to buy them. It was worse than buying certain products at the drugstore.
Only until it became acceptable to purchase those books did fans seek them out, but there was a FOLO tax added that greatly increased prices for these issues.
Final thought
The analysis of this niche licensed market should also be extrapolated to recently-released issues. There is always demand for certain issues that produces record profits. Then, as more books are graded and enter into the market, the supply goes up. The result is that the prices come down. This can be seen in many other segments of the comic book marketplace.
If one extrapolates the data analysis seen in the licensed segment with new releases, a pattern can probably be seen that indicates a sweet time spot of when to get in and when to get out. Observing smaller niche markets is a great way to see patterns that are not easily identifiable in larger segments of the market.
