I. Motor City Comic Con Experts
Putting in the time
It is important that hobbyists get out and about to check the pulse of the collectibles marketplace. On May 19-21, this writer will be attending the Motor City Comic Con (MC3). Attending this event will provide opportunities to obtain market and insider reports on what is moving in the market. Many investors and collectors only care about online transactions. This is the equivalent of tying one hand behind the back and entering into a fight. Online transactions reveal "what" has happened, but not the motivation as to "who" and "why". Those subsequent answers are probably the most important components of the sales data.
Why the why is important to know
An attendee was interviewed at last year's Motor City Con. This individual was scouring each and every vendor for first appearances of minor characters in ASM. The characters did not matter, the person said, only the cost. The reason was that this person saw that these types of characters could appear in other MCU properties besides Spider-Man. He was afraid that if this information got out, there would be a run on those issues.
The buyer also said that this title saw an increase in prices over long periods of time and thus the expenditure was worth the risk. Everyone was chasing announced MCU films, but this buyer was speculating on future projects with the safety net of being an ASM issue.
Example of the importance of buyer intel
There are very few lone wolves in the comic book marketplace. People tend to think the same way as others, even if they do not know those individuals. Recently, Amazing Spider-Man #83 has been in play among comic book investors and speculators at shows and conventions. This is, again, a first appearance in ASM, that of the minor villain the Schemer. The villain's purpose in comics was to dismantle the Kingpin's organization. (The Schemer was Richard Fisk, Wilson Fisk's son. Talk about daddy issues.)
Why and Who
Recently, Michael Gandolfini was cast in Disney's Daredevil: Born Again. Some are connecting the dots before a more formal announcement is made. Marvel is going younger. Could the Schemer, and later the Rose, be a player in the MCU? Investors and Speculators at conventions and shows are betting on this as a fact. They hypothesize that the true antagonists for the series could be in the form of characters from both Kingpin's and Daredevil's past that drive the stories of their rebirths.
Keeping one's enemies close is a great storytelling device, and who better for the Kingpin than his own son?
II. Pre-Code Horror Rise Again
Past Intel nuggets
Pre-Code Horror was on everyone's desired list at last year's MC3. The problem is that everyone was searching out ANY pre-code horror. Demand was hotter than the sun. Issues with L.B. Cole art or truly horrific images on the cover would be snatched up for multiple times the FMV before they even could come to auction. The MCU buzz was still there, but those books were common when compared to owning these once-of-a-lifetime books. And then...
Economic signs most miss
OPEC has decided to cut production and oil prices are on the rise. Jobs are starting to be cut, and that only could be the beginning. Recently, McDonald's cut management positions, but now that employment is going down the chain because franchise owners must also cut costs. In Michigan, 26 Burger Kings are scheduled to be closed because the franchise owner could not make a deal with their parent corporation. The worst news though for comic book investors and collectors is that interest rates are on the rise with a few more rate hikes possible. The price to buy books with credit cards may go up, but that is only part of the picture.
I play an attorney in real life
The price of borrowing money is hitting small businesses hard. Interest rates are up if one can even find a lender willing to make that loan commitment. Many business owners need access to cash quickly to meet their needs. These individuals are contacting accountants and attorneys to determine how to best meet those cash shortfalls.
One way is to liquidate personal assets. Collectibles are discussed all the time. Recently, I had a peer contact me not for legal advice, but rather to obtain information on where they could sell a client's prized comic book collection with mega keys and a ton of pre-code horror books. These were books that were never meant to be sold but economic times now required this option to be examined.
Investor and collector PR agents
Many in the comic book community are trying to state that comic books are immune from economic headwinds. Every negative article about comic books is met with chicken little-type ridicule. If comics are ready for a downturn, this could drastically impact many of their lives. Sellers do not want to lose the leverage they have and thus attempt to prop up the market.
These individuals are rarely talking about Amazing Spider-Man #1, but rather books like Amazing Spider-Man #361. Their mantra is that prices are down but they will rebound. They are now fighting for consumer dollars, and that fight is going to get tougher because...
Why, who, and where most missed
Business owners and people with large expenditures are starting to release books to the market. These people need large cash reserves to survive. In the past few months, auctions have been conducted for pre-code horror and rare Golden Age books at auction houses that do not regularly sell comic books. These auctions have actually had first appearances and celebrated cover artist issues among the listings.
Opportunities like these rarely exist! Collectors and investors must use this intelligence to start re-evaluating their buying tendencies. A 3.0 Incredible Hulk #181 will ALWAYS be available. A mid to higher-grade copy of Suspense Comics #8 with an L.B. Cole cover, not so much. In an auction a few weeks ago, it was up for sale with very few bidders aware it was even on the market!
III. GoCollect Dives Deeper
But I only buy online
Books pop on the market reports that defy logic until one asks the right questions. That means going beyond the sales data and actually spending time among the people who participate in the market. Corporations spend billions on research to let them know about their buyers. Websites gather data to target an individual's preferences to find out why buyers invest in what they do. This information is important, yet many comic book hobbyists believe the best way to participate in the market is with a removed position. That is a faulty premise.
Future plans
Future articles will have more insights into emerging segments of markets that are rarely mentioned. The reason they were discovered is by actually talking with consumers about why they were targeting non-mainstream books. These markets are untapped because they are basically unknown. We also have lined up many vendors attending the Motor City Comic Con who will provide market reports. These merchants are chosen because of their expertise in the comic book market. They cannot pay to be selected.
Niche market or unrealized mega-market?
Past communications with these vendors have revealed trends that seem to be emerging. Vendors at these conventions have buyers who are seeking out something unique that does not regularly appear at their local comic book shops. This data is important. What once was a small area of demand can suddenly explode.
Many fans only become aware of that information when it is seen in sales data, but there are clues before those sales. Those clues when discovered can save people a lot of money.
Stay tuned
Intel on such an unrealized market segment has been reported by several vendors and buyers. This market segment has been researched and will require a follow-up article to report what is being seen in the field. These types of sales are not expensive and yet the passion among participants does exist. This type of information is important to readers and I plan on delivering it so you are better informed. Remember, one day too early is much better than getting it one day too late!
