Are These New Digital Collectible Comics...Originals?

Sorry, Chris. Not buying your pitch--and it does feel like a pitch. A pretty weak one, at that. Your whole argument about what is an original vs. what is a copy vs. a reproduction doesn't quite hold water, semantics aside. I'm curious why you're writing about this investment option here, on a site focused entirely on collecting and investing in physical objects. Frankly, I feel it's a misstep for GoCollect to cover the NFT trade. Dilutes credibility, in my eyes. Especially considering the drastic drop off in NFT sales and values after the initial curiosity died off...
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nft-sales-drop-83-2-114048086.html

To your credit, you've clearly done a lot of homework on it and know the ins and outs (though I have yet to see you say much about the downside of "collecting" NFTs). People are free to put their money into whatever they want. But the whole idea of digital ownership feels like a charade to me, and I suspect it'll fizzle out.

I'll end with what you may already thinking about my comments: "That's just one opinion!" And you're right about that.

• Hi Frank,
  
  I absolutely value your opinion and believe me, you are not the only one thinking as such! This is a very new space, backed by incredible new tech allowing for the first time, ownership of digital assets.
  
  In fact, when I first learned of the VeVe app I deeply questioned it - downloaded it March 2021 & didn't buy my first digital asset until October, over 8 MONTHS later! Same with DCNFT, I'm slowly learning & trying their platform, though I prefer VeVe simply as I'm a Marvel, Star Wars & Disney fan. I did spend a lot of time digging into this & ultimately, the IP of those brands committing to this space brought me in. Also, the VeVe & DCNFT platforms allow anyone to try this easily via Apple Pay or credit cards. No need to worry about how to use or understand crypto.??This too, helps answer your question 'why' am I writing these blogs for GoCollect.
  
  I have bins & boxes of physical books along with coins, stamps, dollar bills, Star Wars figures & hockey cards amassed >40 years under my stairs, with just no more room in the house! The digital assets allow me to hold as many as I wish, in my phone, read & share the comics whenever I like, or even sell them at my discretion. I now own grails like MC1, FF1, Daredevil #1 & AF15 that I will likely never own physically at a decent CGC.
  
  Further, I've worked in radio, print, digital & ad agencies, where for >25 years I watched tech change the framework of our experiences. Phone books became Google, radio became Spotify & cable TV is now streamed. Easier, tech enabled & more fun (IMHO), but progressed to a point consumers really don’t question how they work, just that they do, easily, which is where I see the comic collecting space headed. I jumped into tech marketing over 15 years ago and have loved every minute since.
  
  So, the chance to write for GoCollect is simply my way of sharing this new collecting passion, maybe helping a few others learn about these changes, what might come next & why I see things the way I do. You can never know exactly, but I am thrilled to own FA characters, minted for the first time on blockchains (or more simply, transactional Internet cables). I deeply enjoy historically significant IP-based assets distributed by well-known, beloved brands. No, I am not a big fan per se of 2D apes, monkeys or the “NFT” craziness mainstream media so heavily focused on, but do acknowledge their "first-off’s,” which in itself should be relevant at creating an entirely new market.
  
  GoCollect has been a resource I've used for years to help evaluate my collections or decisions. There's no "pitch" - digital assets are now being collected, (VeVe alone now generates > $1M in WEEKLY revenue). So, my hunch is GoCollect wants to be an active part in what could quite easily become a new (collectible) asset class. If I can share some insights on this story to raise interest or open ideas, I am thrilled to participate!
  
  I love comics, the artwork, the characters and stories they represent that I now share with my kids. I want this to continue. I want comics to win. I'm excited that digital representations will increase the overall market and keep more LCS's open as more people engage and pair their phygital & digital pieces. However, your point on 'downsides' is not missed as I have been noting thoughts for a potential blog on that I hope to write in the near future. There are always risks, so I encourage doing your own homework, as I am certainly not a professional financial planner or advisor.
  
  Thank You so much for your comment, and apologies this response went on so long, but hope it sheds some light on your questions!
  Happy Collecting!

These are reprints.

• Hi Jack,
  
  I will cite (2) physical collector references who have spoken extensively on this very topic:
  
  @ComicsandCrypto, who are both Web3 experts + connected to Elite Comics 11: https://youtu.be/bNteI_940DI
  "We don’t view the comics on @veve_official as reprints or facsimiles since the metadata includes the same information as their physical counterparts. @Marvel is very clear about this. In our opinion, it’s an opportunity to invest in the original IP in digital format."
  
  @MyCollectibles, a former physical comic & collectibles store owner in Canada who transitioned into a significant content creator in the digital collecting space:
  "No. As a comic book collector Veve NFTs aren’t reprints. This is a new medium and a new space. Value is what owners assign to it.
  
  At any rate, Marvel & DC both claim these are not reprints, and are vested in the space:
  https://www.marvel.com/articles/gear/marvel-and-veve-collaborate-to-offer-digital-collectibles-experience-for-marvel-fans-worldwide
  
  However, you are certainly free to disagree and avoid them if you feel otherwise, and thanks for the note!

These are ONLY digital assets. If the internet goes down or your device is hacked they no longer exist for you. My physical collectible exists in the real world. I can see, feell and touch it without ANY external device. You can’t do any of that with your computer code. And it is susceptible to theft! No thanks. For every Google there are dozens of search engines who failed. Digital collectibles don’t offer enough real world utility to last. Are Viewmasters still around and a huge collectable? That is your best comparison- not comic books.

• HI Ken,
  
  Great points indeed, but I encourage you to dig further into how blockchains work. A recent link by VeVe might help you get started: https://www.veve.me/post/nft-dirty-word-or-clean-technology
  
  "A Blockchain is like a digital ledger that records transactions & stores them in a secure and decentralized way, which means that no single person, company, or entity controls the data. This makes blockchain highly resistant to fraud and hacking, which is great for digital collectors as it is almost impossible to create counterfeit digital products."
  
  I often talk about them like new Internet "pipes" for transacting & verifying ownership. Web 2 was designed mainly for content & sharing, not really for moving money / transactions. This is what is changing. So...if my computer crashed or the Internet shut off, those assets are secured on a blockchain that could be recovered once 'the lights turn back on.' Imagine how important this will be for mortgage documents, loan papers, diplomas, legal information...they cannot be destroyed, stolen or misused. This is why NFTs will not go away - the tech is building to enhance our use of documentation, while reducing risk.
  
  So, while we both may enjoy our physical collectibles, we can read / share / sell / or use digital versions in augmented reality (placing it into real world settings / photos) or even "drive" digital Deloreans or Lambos much like we used remote control cars as kids. So yes, there are many ways now to interact with these assets that are providing incredible fun & joy to their owners.
  
  Comic books are the ideal comparison to real world utility. As mentioned, digital assets do not degrade, are not subject to damage that could devalue their grading or sell-ability, reduce harmful impacts on production methods and allow an owner to read them unlimited number of times.
  
  100% IMHO, I don't believe brands like Marvel, DC, Disney, Star Wars, Ubi-Soft, Universal, Pixar, Coca-Cola, Nike, the NBA & others would be engaging this deeply if they felt utility or adoption rates were at risk of lasting. Failures would impart negativity to their brands, so I can only imagine how cautious they have been to enter this space. They have lasted decades, centuries in some cases by paying close attention to changing technologies and consumer adoption. For me, that's worth collecting and adding to / augmenting my current holds, not replacing them.
  
  Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and sparking this conversation!

In comparison, imo, it would be like owning a digital Chippendale wardrobe, Delft ware or autographed Mickey Mantle ball. I can't imagine owning a 1963 split back window Corvette in powder blue NFT. I think you get my point. It's part of the reason NFT interest wanted.

• Hi David,
  
  Completely agree - trying to replace a physically signed baseball, wardrobe or Corvette is not the intention of these articles, nor would I want my physical assets replaced.
  
  IMO, NFT interest isn't waning, it's coming down to more realistic levels from the over-hyped valuations we saw earlier. I'm looking ahead though, to where the tech is going to meet the growing demands consumers are putting on our now "mainstream" Internet architecture.
  
  If you think about it, we've routinely used digital "things" for over 20 years. So, I see how easy it will be to simply look at collecting digital 'things' to be as normal as non-digital. That signed baseball can be represented into a digital asset (NFT), where its authenticity of ownership is verified to its owner on a blockchain. Moving into VR or metaverse environments, that ball could be rented to show off at a virtual MLB museum or used in gaming where its owner receives crypto-tokens in exchange for its use. Or merely showing its "stamp of digital authenticity" could mean real-world utility like entry into the Baseball Hall of Fame Museum or incentives at your MLB stadium on game night...things you would never dream of doing with that signed physical locked up in a safety deposit box.
  
  That Corvette? Same...but rather than get into this I encourage you to check out what LAMBORGHINI did with VeVe for their fully interactive, AR-Drivable Assets: https://www.veve.me/post/automobili-lamborghini-huracan-sto
  
  So you're right - it's not the same driving an AR Lambo as it would be the real thing. I can't afford a lambo myself either right now...but I can afford to own a digital representation, where I fully enjoy goofing around with it with the kids, admiring the detail & waiting for its inevitable use in metaverses. I'm just as happy owning a digital Boba Fett as the physical figurines in my collection, not because one is better than the other, but because I'm a fan of Star Wars & Boba Fett. It's the IP & nostalgia I like, regardless if its physical or digital and at least for one version, I don't have to worry about dusting it all the time!
  
  Thanks so much for you comments!

Just another way to try to pry open our wallets, hence the new "digital" world of comic books. Nice try! But my money will stay were it belongs, in my pocket. :) It is MUCH EASIER to recreate your digital books than it will be to reproduce my physical copy - something I can actually hold in my hand and you can actually see, feel, smell it. The gloss or flat covers, pulp paper, original inks etc. Good luck trying to reproduce those. Sure, the original artwork is the only true original, but there's also only so many copies from those old storyboards that were made. If you got them, you're set. Digital copies????? Come on, man!

• Hi T Blake,
  
  If you have ever read a book on a Kindle, maybe purchased a digital comic from Marvel Unlimited, or read your news online instead of in a printed newspaper, this is the bridge I am attempting to make, along the lines of 'extended utility' where we have more options available to enjoy. For instance, Marvel Unlimited has over 30,000 titles which extend the reading experience for users, not replace the lore of the real books, but augmenting the opportunities for more fans to enjoy and keep the industry growing.
  
  I completely agree the tangibles of physical books are difficult to copy; that smell is UNIQUE...and I LOVE it. Yet, I can now carry my growing list of Key Books & First Appearance titles anywhere in the world I go, and read them whenever I choose. On the ferry, in a coffee shop, on a plane...hard to take my physicals along for the ride all the time.
  
  That comment you made about the scarcity is a very valuable one. It's why I feel fortunate to be early to this space. For instance, with so few physical MC1's remaining (less than 100 per GoCollect), they are very scarce. Of the 60,000 VeVe/Marvel versions? Only ~300 remain available in the open market. I've grabbed multiple editions so far, with thousands of others now getting involved & securing what they can. So yes, there are only so many copies - in digital too, and >650,000 VeVe wallet holders are gobbling up inventory quickly.
  
  Thus, the digital format allows you to be one of the few, unique holders of this prized historical piece of comic history. Not a facsimile, not a reprint, a digital representation of the original book & artwork you can read over & over again, or even sell for potential profit if the timing is right. If that's not extended utility to the physical, I don't know what is LOL! Of course, no one must buy anything they don't like or appreciate - that's the true nature of collecting after all, right?
  
  I really appreciate your comments & sparking the debate further!

With these digital comic variants i wonder if to create a larger appeal and trust in this newish technology perhaps whenever a digital copy of a rare variant is purchased it comes with a physical slabbed copy tied into the digital version so it cannot be conterfeited.The physical comic can only be sold with the identical digital variant together. If seperated they become worthless. Dont know how it would work as i thought the lowest official print run is meant to be 3000 but perhaps the physical comic would only be printed at DC/Marvel at the time of the digital purchase. This may appeal to all collector parties....

• Hey Kenloi,
  
  Very interesting - I love how you're thinking of pairing physical to digital variants. I'm no expert on how this is done, but I think VeVe, in conjunction with the comic artists they partner with, work closely with Marvel to arrive at what can & will be approved for the digital variant covers, along with the number they mint on the blockchain for sale to fans.
  
  The counterfeiting issue is already protected by the immutable verification of each NFT on the blockchain once minted. It's like an age-old accounting ledger, just now in digital format vs. paper or spreadsheets, viewable by anyone on the planet. The record of the asset is secure.
  
  Mint runs for the digital versions are determined by VeVe & Marvel, based on many factors. Some include the popularity and/or scarcity of the comic in the real world, the likelihood it will sell, the ability to now reach global markets with more environmentally safe means, overall market conditions and of course, anything Marvel is releasing to the world.
  
  For instance, Daredevil is coming back to Disney+ in a big way, where (during the Bull Market) VeVe released 30,000 copies of Daredevil #1 & Daredevil #131 (FA Bullseye), where this year they put out just 10,000 editions of Daredevil #102 featuring Stilt-Man (maybe we'll see him in the series?). Recently, VeVe dropped Amazing Spider-Man #129 (FA The Punisher), who we know will be back in the Disney+ series. Each with their own specific Rare & Ultra Rare variants, exclusive to VeVe, so if you're a fan of the artist or the cover art, VeVe is the only place you can access these.
  
  SO, that last point goes to your question - could Marvel approve limited edition runs of those exclusive VeVe rare digital covers? Sure I suppose! In fact, Marvel has already authorized VeVe to drop & sell VERY limited 1:1 art pieces of iconic characters from their artists. Owners can (and do) of course have these printed & framed for placing on their walls, where the digital version is forever secured with its ownership verification. Pairing physical variant covers to their digital counterparts would require some added coordination, which may not make sense right now, but I will say this...
  
  There are THOUSANDS of VeVe digital asset owners now spending more time in local comic shops, pairing their digital assets with physical copies (books, statues, posters...). Myself included. I recently grabbed a rare (digital) version of WHIZ COMICS #2 (FA Newsstand of Captain Marvel) from the DCNFT Marketplace, where I am just 1 of 686 total owners. So, I went & bought a facsimile version at my favourite comic store to read it the "old fashioned" way. I just wanted both to enjoy in their own unique ways. The physical in non-grade-worthy format to get dirty, the digital to read in full augmented-reality with its many features & benefits, namely, no risk to degrading the asset.
  
  We are VERY early to the concept of digital ownership...and not just for comics, but I really am THRILLED to see your question. I'm a huge proponent of blending these two worlds, not having them compete, and ideas like yours is what will take this new reality forward as more & more fans begin to understand and adopt these new opportunities.
  
  Thank You!

Hey Chris, .
We probably need to embrace this technology and perhaps either accept that digital and physical are totally different animals or one and the same Or play to their individual strengths and advantages. Digital one off variant covers may be an investment but also extend the potential. VR is here so why not when the owner is reading the digital comic, with VR goggles, you have the ability to dive into a cinematic story that follows the comic story exactly. In the same artwork style but in 3D. You participating as a middleman in Hulk 181 variant between a battle of Wolvie and the Hulk. That would be amazing. And/or as i have just previously said a slabbed physical comic only available to the digital variant owner locked together.I should think slabbed only. But to enhance the physical comic strengths maybe raw as the person can actually touch it and with special ink or perhaps holographic logos printed or woven into the comic itself that enforces the validity of the comic and gives the reader the ability to read it...I think i may have gone too far now.........

• Hey Kenloi,
  
  We're definitely on the same page here. I won't go too deep, as there are some simply amazing examples of where this is headed, similar to what you've shared. For instance, I follow the #VeVe Community on Twitter (roughly 300,000 members strong & growing), where Virtual Artists are already generating incredible displays of AR integrations with these digital collectibles.
  
  VeVe allows its assets to be viewed and/or engaged in AR, while they are moments away from releasing their 1st version of the VeVeVerse - an expanded digital showroom collectors can demo their holdings in incredible ways. Many of their digital collectibles are further anticipated for use in metaverse / virtual gaming, rentable and possibly interoperable into other use case environments, extending the brand value for their major IP partners.
  
  You may also want to follow some great creators such as @MetaVerseLyfe, @Fro_Clover, @edfeehly, @Cdcollects & many more, who build stunning digital & animated artworks of these collectibles in action.
  
  Ultimately, the FUN use on this side of the collecting fence is really where these assets are going to take off and enhance their physical counterparts. This is just an incredibly exciting space to be in...
  
  Thanks again!