Comic Books to Sell in 2024 and Beyond

Recently a fan from Facebook reached out to me and asked a simple question. They stated why do most articles only focus on the buying end of the hobby and not the selling component. That was a great observation. There are many books that have all the tell-tale signs of not holding or rising in value in the future. The key is realizing the biggest misconception that collectors and investors seem to ignore, that prices will always rise. Making the best decision may be selling instead of buying when the time is right.

Fishermen Use Their Best Baits

Many collectors and investors view comics as an island on to itself. People who post comments about negative trends in the hobby are shouted at as doomsday cult leaders. Outside trends and demographics instead are to be ignored. Disney cannot afford that type of tunnel vision. They have teams and teams of researchers and economists on their payroll that help them make decisions. Disney may have only one chance to hook consumers. Sadly one of their most important decisions has been ignored by many in the comic hobby.

Mickey's First Choice

Tony Stark is Iron Man. Bruce Banner is the Hulk. and Spider-Man is....Peter Parker. Those were the responses of fans at the Motor City Comic Con. Disney realized that belief when they wanted to include Spider-Man in the MCU and knew who their first choice was to appear in costume. Feature films and cartoons all have branded Peter Parker as Spider-Man in the psyche of the public. All these appearances are recent. Many other versions of the hero may exist but it is hard to replace the original in the mind of fans. Why try?

Ultimate Fall Down

The MCU will introduce Miles Morales in the next Spider-Man film and Tom Holland has expressed a desire to mentor him like Tony Stark guided Parker. The problem is that Peter Parker was a young student in the MCU. How how do you explain a coming of age story with a new Spider-Man when casual fans just experienced that same storyline a few films ago? Investors have touted his youth and diversity as characteristics that fans will want to cash in on in the future and that an MCU appearance will cause his first appearance to sky rocket in value. An Ultimate Fallout #4 9.8 currently has an FMV of $875. That is $25 less than about two weeks ago. Will a shrinking comic book fan base result in a large increase in the FMV of that book in the future? Probably not.

Alternate Choice- See The Light

Green Lantern is.....Hal Jordan? Others may say Guy Gardner. Many fans who watched DC Comics television shows and animated films may say John Stewart. Even the Arrowverse thought this way. Now more fans identify BOTH Hal and John as Green Lantern. The HBO show will only reaffirm that view among fans. Those younger fans will one day be the future of comic book collecting and investing. Green Lantern #87 has the first appearance of John Stewart and the 2nd appearance of Guy Gardner with art by Neal Adams. This is the book to buy both now and for the future. A 9.0 copy has an FMV of only $725. Consider it a steal.

Valuable but not for Long

First appearances are desirable because of the importance of those introductions and how they fit in the comic book universe history. That does not make all these issues important to fans. People collect things based upon a nostalgic appeal. Characters that were once important in society like Felix the Cat, Pink Panther, and Bettie Boop and their first appearances are now largely forgotten. As fans lose interests so too is their a financial loss in the value of their collectibles.

Uh Oh!

Scooby Doo, Where Are You #1 is not a cheap book, nor is it easy to find. Only around 500 copies exist in the CGC census with a 9.2 having a high FMV of $12,500. It is was one of the higher priced modern independent books that fans pursued. The last sale in this grade was at Heritage Auction over 2 years ago and was double the $6000 price 2 years before that sale. Both auctions were at Heritage. Those numbers look great but will demand be there years from now?

No Time for Snacking

Scooby Doo has been featured in live action and animated films in recent years. He still has a following. The problem is that the population of fans interested in this character is shrinking. Even an attempt to increase interest by playing with the sexuality of Velma was not enough to get the series a third season. There is a new version of Scooby Doo coming out, but does it tip the scale among fans? Ask yourself how many Scooby Doo character costumes these past few Halloweens have readers seen among younger fans? That does not bode well for investing in the character.

Saturday Mornings

Fans were raised on Scooby Doo. The same individuals who watched the Saturday morning cartoons were the ones who took their children to see the live action films. Those are the people buying this comic book. It brings back fond memories of their childhood and a reminder of experiences with their children, but will those children want this comic? They have many memories of different films they went to with their parents. Scooby Doo just does not stand out to warrant investing heavy in this book. Sell now before those that are interested in buying this book are no longer in the hobby.

Alternate Choice- Slow and Steady

In the past Addams Family #1 was called undervalued and that fans should purchase that issue because of it's long term potential. Live action and animated film adaptations are still being delivered and the Wednesday Netflix television show demonstrated the characters' versatility. G.I. Joe, A Real American Hero #1 may be another pick to now add. The characters are still relevant in comic books and have appeared in recent live action films. A 9.8 has an FMV of only $925. The area though where long term investor should target is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1 and other keys of the series they can afford. These characters are still being used in media projects and have a wide fan base age wise. Mention Shaggy and what would a teen now think? Mention Leonardo and more teens will think of a turtle than a famous artist. That says a lot.

The Real Walking Dead

Plug and play. Comic book fans seem to believe that once a project is picked up for a television show or film it is now a wise investment. Every time a comic is optioned in Hollywood speculators fly off the handle in a FOMO-induced frenzy. Speculators and collectors seek out these books because of past successes like The Boys and Walking Dead and want to get in on the ground floor. A movie or film option is a more likely reason that a comic book fan will lose their brain than any zombie attack.

8 Billion Wishes

Fans at past conventions were literally observed running to booths looking for regular and variant editions of Eight Million Genies and Something is Killing the Children keys. The percentage of buyers that read or knew what was in those issues was very very low (GoCollect asked). FOMO has created an environment where the perception is to scoop and hold any and all comics optioned to film or TV because they will produce profits no matter what the quality of the end product. The first problem is many of those properties will never see the light of day. The next problem is that even if produced, few will be a success. An example is Rupert Sanders' the Crow that never lived up to the bar set by the original film or the comic book series.

Pump and Dump Fast

If collectors own any comic book key that has been recently optioned for a film or television show, the wisest decision may be to profit quickly. Holding out for a big payday is not wise. Time is of the essence. The days of books such as the Walking Dead #1 rising in value may be long gone. The hardest part to overcome is people still believing in this comic's ability to not only rise but hold its value in the long term future. The universe is limping along but not with the prevalence the series once had in our society. Time is running out on this series' time in the spotlight. Why would the comic keep its value when fan interest wanes?

What Goes Up Keeps Going Up?

Most of the books in the CGC census that move are 9.8 and they appeared to go down. Then a questionable sale appeared. A 9.8 sold on eBay for $3200. This was roughly a thousand dollars MORE than the FMV. A few sales like this one and the eBay sale on 7/4/24 are head scratchers. Sales like these are perpetuating the belief that this book is doing well. Do people truly believe that paying a large premium on this book is a wise choice. X-Files was once a cult phenomena and yet where does X-Files #1 sit with collectors thirty years later? Walking Dead #1 is treading water and may not be able to do so much longer. More vendors are looking to sell it than to buy.

Alternate Choice- Mutants not Zombies

Do not think like a brain-dead zombie. The mutants are coming! X-Men #1-66 should be on the sights of collectors and investors alike. Many of these books have been ignored and are thus undervalued. That will not be the case for long. Their first appearance in the MCU will expose younger fans to the X-Men once again . Many older fans remember the animated series that has since been revived as well as the Sony live action films. That will pale in comparison to the exposure they will receive in the MCU. Target those under the radar keys that do not receive much attention. The one book that may be ripe for a price increase is X-Men #66. This was the last original content issue before Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler and the rest of the new team was introduced. Less than 750 issues are in the census, making this book harder to find in higher grades.

Overcoming Collectors' Blind Spot

Investors do it. Collectors should has well. Collectors seem to be adverse to this concept. Would they feel the same way to paying a higher interest rate on their house rather than taking the time to refinance at a lower rate? If a book is dropping in price it is better to get out when prices are up and then get back in if a book is destined to drop in value. Admitting this is an option for collectors is a great way to keep active. Remember, selling a book does not mean one cannot buy it back later!

Sometimes it is not a Dip but a Death Spiral

So many articles write about a dip and how it is advantageous to get in on books. What if it is not a dip? What if factors are present to demonstrate that a book is instead price adjusting to its true market value. This new FMV is not ever going to rise again because fan interest may be declining. Collecting has a nostalgic component that many fail to take in to consideration. That should change. The market is aging and evolving. These changing demographics must be considered if one is to avoid overspending on books. Now may also be the time to cut back on some books because these books are ready to drop in value. Take advantage while you can because others will.

Oh and collectors, saving money by getting out and then back in on a book is not a bad thing. It is part of collecting and what makes this hobby great!!!