Are you a Future Phygital Collector?

Anyone understand this at all? I'm 58, have collected comics forever and don't get any of it. I don't understand crypto, NFTs, barely understand apps. I own an iphone 6 and want to keep it going as long as possible. I have no idea how to 'mine for" or just hunt for numbers that are supposed to somehow allow me to pick up "coins" that basically are backed by nothing but somehow, if timed correctly, could make me independently wealthy. I don't know how a digital copy of anything could be worth anything. A silver age comic about can't be replicated. Trust me, I've tried. I know people who crank out silver age Marvel titles but don't have the old pulp paper or flat stock cover paper to make an Amazing Fantasy15 that would be worth millions. But somehow a digital copy might be super valuable as well? What about scarcity? Something digital can be copied to infinity. Wouldn't that render it useless and valueless?

So many questions from this near 60 year old who just wishes he could go back to a phone that has a dial and plugs into a wall when it's used.

• Hi TB,
  
  I'm just behind you on the age train, and love the questions you've asked. If you don't spend a lot of time in digital environments this can definitely be daunting. Having worked in online ecosystems for over 20 years, I try to keep the explanations simple - I'll try to explain with an analogy from one of my past careers.
  
  There was a time we all used physical phone books - they were distributed to our homes without ever having to ask, and they were easy to use. Over a few short years, they were replaced by online search engines, Google being the clear winner. Now, most have no real idea how the tech works, but we trust and use it many times per day. This is very similar to what's happening with NFT's or 'Digital Collectibles' as I like to call them. The underlying technology is advancing faster than my analogy above did, but most of us will never to need to know how it works, just that it does. (We could say the same for a jet engine, EV car, etc.).
  
  The VeVe collecting app I mentioned makes this a very easy, user-friendly platform to try this out. You just download the app & bookmark the desktop version, load up some gems using your Apple Pay or credit card and you're off to the races. Your collectibles are stored in the app, "minted" on the blockchain for ownership verification and require no storage fees, insurance or space. They can be carried with you anywhere you go, read anytime you desire.
  
  Further, the number of items available are tied to specific scarcity (or release / drop) levels. For instance, Amazing Fantasy 15 (recently added) only has a total digital supply of 10,000 making it very rare. It will likely take time for the valuations to catch up to their physical counterparts of course, but certain edition numbers such as 628 or 6208 (referencing the Aug 1962 FA Cover Date) could become extremely valuable considering there are but a handful of those numbers available in that 10,000 total supply. Pair this with the roughly 3,700 physical copies remaining (per GoCollect) and you can see how the digital assets still help maintain that important rarity question.
  
  I hope this helps, but per that phone comment...the advent of the 'extra long cord' was one of the best memories of my youth!

I've always considered myself a very willing adopter of new tech. I was a kid that used encyclopedias for grade school and then watched the dewy decimal system become encased in a screen and keyboard overnight. I was a pro photographer that learned in dark rooms in high school and was the first in my college class to present a project using all digital techniques. So when something like Wikipedia comes along and instantly replaces a volume of 26 books costing thousands of dollars that also need to be updated every year, I'm all on board on how that's a massive improvement to the product.

However, I'm still having a "get off my lawn" attitude toward digital collectibles. For the reason that I can't see how it improves the product or experience. Collectibles are not a functional product. There is no goal or answer they provide you like that of a digital phone book. Yes, digitizing them makes it easier to store and travel, but doesn't that eliminate the points of collectability if they can never be anything less than 100% mint and indiscernible from any other copy? It's like if everyone has super powers, then really no one does. I get that the NFTs are limited, but they are only limited in a non-tangible way. The only difference between a real and fake NFT is a string of invisible numbers that I am struggling mightily to find important or valuable. And then there's the whole "showing off" aspect. Let's be honest, a major facet to collecting is the unsaid "look what I have and you don't," to other interested parties. Not in a malicious way, but come on, we all love to display and showcase what we collect. If someone flashes an Action Comics #1 to me on their phone, I would say, "cool." If they then say this is only 1 of 10,000 digital copies that's embedded with a block chain, I'd also say, "cool?"

I guess I may just be finally succumbing to the boundaries of my generation. Had to happen at some point.

• Hi Jason,
  
  I love your viewpoints and will probably allude to more and more related analogies as I get going in these posts. I'll try to keep this fairly on point regarding your functionality concern. It's one of the top reasons I am so enjoying the digital collectibles.
  
  Using VeVe as the example, the comics are fully readable. You can even experience them in augmented reality within the app and no matter how many times they are engaged, do not degrade. No sticky/greasy finger-on-page, sunlight, air, crinkle or bent corners, need to put into baggies, store or ever actually enjoy them fully. They can no be shared, read, transferred or even sold in seconds to any other collector in any part of the globe, without shipping fees, packing or insurance issues. Skip ahead a few years, where environments like metaverses, augmented reality & immersive gaming are mainstream and you will have your own virtual showroom to invite your friends & fans to and experience your collection directly. VeVe already has a virtual 'vault' (showroom) in the app for the NFTs, which a pending showroom experience is expected soon for comic collections.
  
  Don't get me wrong - I ADORE my physical collection and will likely never sell it, where it will be passed along to my family. However, I can now add these new assets to the mix where my son and I for instance enjoy reading classics like X-Men 4, Daredevil 1 or Marvel Comics 1 without any fear of reducing the value of those assets. To go through the history of these books & characters together is one of the most compelling pieces of utility this app has brought to my personal enjoyment. Pair that with Disney+ listing most of the MCU timeline to then see those characters 'come to life' is even more entertaining.
  
  Hope this helps!

Digital collectables are a fad, and possibly even a scam.
This fad will fade and eventually the "digital collector" will be holding expensive digital beenie babies.

• Hi Kevin,
  
  This could very likely happen...of course none of this is financial advice, but I only execute what I can afford to lose. If, on the other hand, this becomes the same progression as we saw with Amazon taking heat for moving books online, I am willing to take that chance as I have seen these fads happen so often.
  
  The other thing that helps me with that same thought & sleep at night is who is involved...knowing the likes of Marvel, Star Wars, DC, Universal and DISNEY are active participants makes my decision to play in this digital space a lot more. With so many NFT plays out there, my focus has been to the solid brand IP's offered through the VeVe platform. NBA Top Shots & a few others to me make sense, where I will agree there are many plays going after quick gains on the notoriety factor. That's not where I choose to hang out.
  
  Thanks!

I am also in the age group that did not grow up with the internet in my youth. I don't know how I lived without it! I am an avid gamer (video) and have completely shifted to online gaming. My job has me online all day everyday, so I am not tech averse in any way. My disinterest with digital collectibles has nothing to do with the long term viability, obvious portability advantage or the ability to read the story without damaging the book. For me, this method of "collecting" is not collecting at all. It's a simple transaction, like buying your household goods online via Amazon or any other e-tailer. Anyone with money in their bank account can purchase these at any time, from almost anywhere... it's like pushing the "easy button".

What is lost is the "hunt", which for many collectors is what makes this hobby fun. How many times have you gone to your local comic shop or book store and found that highly valuable (even if only to you) book in a dollar bin? How many times have you gone to a yard sale and found that box with a pile of old comics? Where is the anticipation of finding that last book to complete your run when you walk into a brick and mortar comic shop? For me, there is a huge importance behind the story of how I obtained a certain book, whether I "stole" something in an eBay auction lol, or had that amazing garage sale find. All of the excitement and fun of those amazing moments are lost...

And...what about the condition factor? Not everyone cares about the condition/grade of comic books in the same way, but for those that do care, digital copies provide zero satisfaction in having a high grade copy of a highly desirable book. It's literally a non-factor.

I would rather continue the "hunt" rather than push the "easy button."

NOTE: For those who don't have storage space or just don't care about physical copies, digital is a great option and will help keep the hobby alive

• Great Points indeed Kendall
  
  I love the hunt and have found quite a few physical books in garage sales and bargain bins. No question. For when I don't have the time or ability to pursue that life-long passion though, the digital comes in very handy.
  
  For me, the 'hunt' now comes in the form of doing a lot of research prior to an asset being 'dropped,' where I investigate the history, first appearances, author / creator birthdates, cover and/or release dates then dive into the market to seek these out. I have found more key mint #'s to digital assets this way than I ever thought, and very often at rates below their initial list price. So again, it's just sort of evolved into a new format. Yet I cannot agree more - this is just another format of my collections that will never replace my physical assets or "real life" comic store hunting. If anything, it has re-introduced another reason at this stage of my life to get back to those stores to pair my new digital versions with their offline counterparts, and that part of the hunt is truly enjoyable for me.
  
  Thanks for your comment!

Whenever I see someone compare NFTs to Beanie Babies, it is a reminder that most people mistrust that which they do not understand, and a lot of collectors (the demographic most predisposed to actually enjoy NFTs) make no attempt to try to understand new things. And while they are in no way obligated to be interested in new formats, blissful ignorance is still ignorance.

When tech stocks caused an economic bubble in the early oughts, nobody called tech a "fad". What happened was some stock became devalued, some companies went bankrupt, and some investors lost money. But some companies thrived, specific emergent technology changed our way of life, and wise investors established a new, American Billionaire Class. The internet was the backdrop to the tech stocks and NFTs are the backbone of yet-to-be-realized markets.

What makes Beanie Babies a poor analogy is that a Beanie Baby is particular type of branded collectible and NFTs are new format. Bored Apes and Crypto Punks may very well turn out to be digital Beanie Babies, but toys as a large umbrella never went away, and NFTs are here to stay. As resources like paper, wood, graphite, linen, acrylic and other petroleum-based materials become scarce, physical objects that depend upon those things as ingredients will cease production –and sooner than most people are willing to admit. Already we are seeing comic art transition away from analog to digital production and the wide acceptance of digital and video art into museum collections as well as the proliferation and financial viability of virtual exhibitions (which can be travelled at a fraction of the cost of a traditional exhibition). With A.I. now capable of animating still images at a fraction of the cost o traditional animation, what we currently understand to be comics may be evolving into a different medium, and one that lends itself to blockchain collectibility. Limited Edition NBA-branded NFTs have become quite collectible and maintain a value above initial pricing. That model is easily transferred to Star Wars and other intellectual properties. None of those are scams, they are products wanted by the demographic that already collects them. Many people who collect only physical goods haven't made the transition and aren't the target demographic. But each market is good for the other. As comics start to become available only as NFTs, the NFT collector base may also become curious about physical comics and invest in those as well. Likewise, as some artists whose work is already popular among physical comic collectors will eventually start to make NFTs and that may attract their old collectors into the new medium.

Will all physical comic book collectors eventually transition into NFTs? Maybe not. Some people still have landline telephones, after all.

• Matt - this is fantastic input and I agree with so many of your points.
  
  There will always be those who are steadfast to the class they enjoy, such as only holding physical comics, with absolutely nothing wrong with that, nor do I see an industry built up since 1939 dying off as new tech is introduced. I still read physical comics, magazines, books...even newspapers every once in a while. I just really, really like having so many beloved comics now held safely and easily in my phone, readable on planes, ferries, waiting rooms, wherever. Different types of enjoyment & engagement for different types of needs.
  
  NFT collecting does represent a clear, new opportunity for a new breed of collectors. There are those who are now fairly large bag holders of NFT assets with few to no physical pieces in their possession. That's completely fine too. However, as we are seeing directly in this community, NFT adopters are now starting to check out local comic shops & events, watching more Marvel content on Disney and exploring the history of the brands in more detail.
  
  Interestingly, for our Spidey fans out there, Todd McFarlene as an example is now a pretty big deal in the VeVe Community. He dropped the 1st VeVe & DC NFT on the platform and his work is being consistently featured in the app, with Amazing Spider-Man 300 recently dropping as well. As an artist, he's all in and I believe now looking to launch is own NFT brand & business and we will only be seeing more of this as the years progress.
  
  Thank You for taking the time to share your thoughts - greatly appreciated!

I for one at this point will not be putting good money into a digital anything as a collectable/investment.

Kid shows me his 1 of 10k NFT. Cool. I took a screenshot of it. Now I have what he has but mine was free and looks exactly the same on his phone as on mine. I show him my CGC graded Swamp Thing #1. Try to replicate it as much as he wants... he will never have the value I have sitting on my shelf.

• Hi Not-Bill-Gates,
  
  I certainly understand your comments and it's true - you can easily view and download any of these images. As stated in previous blogs though, you can still buy physical books while signing up to read your favourite (digital) comics in the Marvel Unlimited app for roughly $10/month and enjoy them to your heart's content.
  
  The difference, however, is that you do not actually own those assets. Digital Collectibles (I am moving away from the term 'NFT') allow this. You can easily read them, place them into Augmented Reality settings to enjoy them anywhere and yes, even sell them instantly.
  
  The "readability" component is actually a very big deal for many comic collectors like myself. Being digital, they do not degrade so gone are the days of just having that book "on the shelf" as they can now be read an unlimited # of times without risk of damage, while maintaining your physical asset's CGC value.
  
  This is why I so enjoy these new digital counterparts and why I now try to pair my physical books with their digital representations - a factor of true utility. The fact I can now sell the digital version to anyone, anywhere on the planet without worrying if the book actually makes it in one piece? Added Value.
  
  Last, this is also approved & endorsed by MARVEL & DC COMICS. VeVe / DCNFT are the platforms allowing the distribution of their prized IP. They are simply looking ahead to where our future comic collectors are focusing their time, allowing anyone to collect in any format they choose. If anything, my hunch is this will substantially INCREASE the value of our physical assets over time as the overall market will grow significantly in scale.
  
  However, that old adage "collect what you love" still, and will always apply regardless of the format or collectibles you choose.
  
  Thanks for taking the time to comment!

Looking forward to present my collection in the days to come. "Here, my USB stick".