Over the past few weeks, I received many fantastic comments from people who have generously taken some time to read my blogs. Interestingly, a few questioned the impact generational changes are having on the physical comic industry, or whether it can even survive in the years to come as digital "takes over," so I wanted to give my view on the subject as new audiences discover the fun of this digital (comic) collecting space, plus a few of us gray-hairs!
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Some of this will recap pieces from prior blogs, but for new readers & those who asked the question above, know that I'm in my early 50s, took a several-year break from collecting, let alone reading comics, but then very suddenly re-engaged. WHY?
Reason #1: The VeVe & DCNFT Digital Collectible Apps
I am proud to say I now own multiple digital copies of MC1, AF15, FF1, FF5, ASM1, DAREDEVIL 1, MAD MAGAZINE 1, WHIZ COMICS 2, SHOWCASE 22 and many more key grails and first (character) appearance titles. I could never have afforded these in real life, even at lower CGC ratings, let alone have anywhere in the house to keep another 800+ physical books, but the digital versions easily allow this. All in my phone, readable anywhere and never degrading in quality.
Reason #2: Bear Market Pricing Opportunities
The current bear market has the MC1 'common variant' listing (the original cover!) in the $40 - $60 range, which was as high as $800 in the last bull run, where a blockchain verifies you as the official owner with an immutable contract you can buy or sell at your leisure. In the physical world, less than ~100 Graded MC1 copies remain, putting most 'decent' grade books into the $millions$, so you can see where the digital versions are likely headed. With many VeVe users already holding multiple copies (some owners hold 1000's of copies), the scarcity on the digital assets is real, and already happening.
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Reason #3: The Younger Demographic
I simply see this as a huge opportunity for the comic (& collectibles) space. There is a risk physical books may not have the same audience appeal to those born in times of cell phones & websites, vs. wall phones & magazines, where every aspect of entertainment is either big-budget theatrical or highly engaging digital. Yet my son, his friends and 1000 of users in these apps are now spending their hard-earned dollars to "build their collection bags" BEFORE the masses learn about this.
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They use GoCollect, eBay, Amazon & a flurry of YouTuber & influencer content with comic experience to help guide their buying decisions. We follow physical collectors & experts like SWAGGLEHAUS COMICS & SLEEPYN COMICS and take note when new physical trading apps like SHORTBOXED appear to constantly help digital investment decisions and improve the overall comic and collectibles space.
Digital Collectible book versions like Amazing Fantasy 15 dropped in the app for $20 - a premium over the typical VeVe comic drop rate of $6.99, but the market floor rate now hovers around $400. The limited edition 'secret rare' cover variant, with just 250 copies printed has a floor of over $10,000 which was $25,000 last bull run, with only around 25 copies remaining in the market for sale.
Further, there were only 10,000 total editions minted, with around 250 remaining available in the aftermarket...just 0.025% of the total supply! People are grabbing & holding these...right now.
#4 Reason: Artist Exclusivity
VeVe 1:1 Artist GalleryThe VeVe app (& parent company, Ecomi) was created by physical asset collectors, who saw a fantastic opportunity to reposition this beloved industry online. This should be no surprise really to anyone...newspapers are now digital, phone books are long gone, Connected-TV replaced cable subscriptions, terrestrial radio withered to streaming audio & theater/gaming experiences are headed towards metaverse environments. Collecting is simply following the path.
So VeVe also created an exclusive artist listing experience that makes access to artists and their creations EASY. Check out https://app.veve.me/store/artworks (once your account is created) to see works from the likes of Ron English to Brian Stelfreeze, Arthur Andrews to R.B. Silva, GIVENCHY to Patrick Hughes and many more.
This extends further to some of the most well-known Marvel & DC Comics of all time, where the platforms work with modern comic artists directly to create NEW cover variant versions of their prized books, but ONLY available to app users. Smart Move by VeVe & DC on this one, as it has the effect of bringing buyers to a more unique "store" experience similar to the days of buying certain physical books or volumes in order to secure the more rare cover variants.
VeVe Rare Variant Digital Comic Collectible Samples
VeVe Ultra Rare Digital Comic Collectible Cover Variant SamplesReason #5: UTILITY
This topic is a hot one in the NFT Community, where the future looks very bright for VeVe. The VeVeVerse is coming! Yes, VeVe's owned & operated version of a unique metaverse, to which mainstream media has been closely watching since Facebook changed its name to META for this very reason, is on the horizon.
Speculation is running wild with the thoughts of VeVe partner, DISNEY wanting into this realm, but the fact remains VeVe released a working version at the 2022 San Diego Designer-Con and the crowd went absolutely wild. CLICK the image below to see the YouTube of the event!
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This will allow collectors to REALLY SHOW OFF their ASSets! It could easily lead to augmented virtual buying, selling and trading of collectibles to anyone, anywhere, using multiple payment methods or even the potential of raising promotional revenue for showing off unique mints of the brands you represent. Ever wish you could FLAUNT your physical collection further? Imagine showcasing your collections in a realm without risk of tampering, damage, theft & time constraints, giving enthusiasts even more reason to participate in the space.
Even the renting of collectibles like Star Wars Lightsabers, Star Wars Ships, Back-to-the-Future Deloreans and Marvel-Mighties has become a very real possibility, near-future opportunities akin to earning 'gems' in a video game you could once only manage within the game. Crypto-Assets like Ecomi's OMI token could mean a potential end to gift cards, while gamers can make real "in-game" income.
Take my word on this...the Star Wars Lightsabers are simply fantastic - they spark to animated life with a simple click, reproducing each variant's iconic sound as they resonate & vibrate the app right in your grasp. The LUKE X-WING? Damn, the engines get LOUDER as you zoom in (a process called Spatial Audio - thx to @Dave aka nflchampion.eth for confirming that one!), with 'possible interactivity with previously-dropped droids & full cockpit experiences! This has 'AR Gaming Capability' written all over it, and I just can't wait to see where this leads...
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For many others though, the utility is far simpler and available RIGHT NOW. The ability to just have & hold comics and characters that are difficult to acquire or store in the real world, while being able to "play" with the NFTs or READ THE COMICS as often as you wish, without threat of degrading or reducing resale values is utility enough for many of the non-crypto enthusiasts out there, one of the first things that drew me into these apps!
Reason #6: Terminology
Let's face it, we all loathe change. The Terminator terrified many of us as to technology advancements. However, just think about things from a pretty high level - the things we so easily enjoy today usually have terms that long-ago were replaced by their more 'consumer friendly' formats, such as:
- We read blogs (or web articles), not a HTTP requests
- We enjoy websites, not Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), the foundation of the World Wide Web
- We love streaming video content, not RTMP (Realtime Messaging Protocol)
- We switched radio to audio streaming, not peer-to-peer networking (P2P)
Mark my words, it is NOT going to be long until the term "NFT" faces the exact same metamorphosis. It's already happening with terms like digital assets, digital contracts, digital collectibles and digital experiences replacing a term that instantly conveys techno-geeks & celebrities dolling out million$ for 2D apes or napkin art. This is when mass adoption occurs, which is EXACTLY what we saw with THE INTERNET, now 100% engrained in daily life.
Reason #7: It's HELPING Bring More Collectors to the Entire Space
There is undeniable interest, excitement and value being traded in VeVe - it's quickly becoming the Amazon of digital collectible retail trading, or a massive online, global comic book store with MILLIONS of assets readily available to buy, sell or hold , where some have flipped & traded their way to thousands of dollars in profit, better assets or mint numbers.
I'd argue the comic industry in general is starting to see a resurgence from this - the likes of Marvel, DC, Disney Comics and even Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. (whose TARZAN comics are now in the VeVe app) have noticed, and gladly participate in this new digital venture generating substantial, incremental revenues. Today.
The social posts of families sharing passions of researching marvel heroes, connecting stories within the MCU & watching / re-watching movie content in Disney+, commenting on 'Spidey-Verse' news, then hunting special mint numbers in the app are EVERYWHERE. With VeVe's ~300,000 & DCNFT's newer ~10,000 Twitter Fan bases alone, the influence of these consumers cannot be understated. With instant, global sales access, no more (plastic) baggies, storage, insurance, grading wait times, mail damage or all the other issues print comics have faced, the reality is digital collecting is here to stay.
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It can be hard to try out new technology...even easier to be scared of it. But then again, you're reading this article via an Internet-based, content-distribution system that once caused panic around the globe. Take it as you will...
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Thanks For Reading & Enjoy Your Collections!
