Comic book and pop culture news is the lifeblood of the hobby for both collectors and investors. Collectors can use the information to navigate the ebb and flow of the market so as to not overspend on their books or collectibles. Investors utilize the information to make money. It is that simple. The problem comes when people miss the news or misinterpret it. Here are some news items readers may want to take advantage to help maximize their dollars in the comic book and collectibles market.
MCU Blade is again without a Captain
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Blade is once again without a director. Yann Demange has stepped down and left the project. This is the second director to leave. The interesting tidbit is the frustration of actor Mahershala Ali’s attorney, Shelby Weiser. This writer can state from similar work experience that attorneys only speak on the record when absolutely necessary. Every day causes for concern are voiced in private. The fact that the attorney came out so publicly is a cause for concern for the production. Disney CEO Bob Iger's prior announcement in the slow down of MCU releases puts into question when this film will finally get released. That is bad news for a film originally promoted in 2019.
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When the market is selling and prices start dropping, investors and collectors should look to target Tomb of Dracula #10 in grades they can afford. The 30 day average for a 9.0 is now $500 from the one year average. This is still a good key to own, but not at the MCU FOMO prices. People are watching their money bleed slowly out of the book. Stake your claim to these good books and buy what you can afford at depreciated prices.
HOLD
Blade's minor keys should start dropping . Unless getting out is required to fund the purchase of other more desirable books, now may not be the best time to cut one's losses. If you already own these books then be weary of panicking and catching reverse FOMO. Selling when others are doing the same will only flood the market all at once. This will increase the supply further dropping prices. Keep your head because when the film is released, and eventually it will, it will renew interest in these books. Be patient and do not lose your head.
Anime is the New MCU?
KEY TAKE AWAYS
Disney needs content. Viewers demand it. The problem is producing new content takes time. Disney saw what GoCollect has been reporting on for years. Anime is very hot with younger readers and fans. Disney has added a ton of Macross titles that will be coming to it's platform. The exception is the rights to produce a new featured film. That is in limbo with Harmony Gold pre-existing Robotech contract rights. Fans remember though how Disney rescued Spider-Man. When it was financially in everyone's best interest to allow them to introduce Spider-Man to the MCU, deals were stuck to everyone's benefit.
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The holy grail of the Macross line for many collectors and investors is Macross #1. This is the issue that introduced many first appearances from the television series that many fans grew up watching. A 9.8 can be purchased for around $1000. A significant key like this issue at such a high grade is very affordable. The growth may be at the 9.6 and 9.4 range where a significant FMV drop is from the highest grade.
X-Men 97 Buyers Remorse
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Buyers at conventions and stores were staying away from these titles. Those interested in these books were flippers looking to make a quick dollar on the success of X-Men 97. The problem is that a lot of books were caught up in this undercurrent when supplies outnumbered interest. Matt Tuck's June 15 column has a book listed as a book dropping 58 spots on the cold list. The question is even though it is not trading in volume people should not abandon it.
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Understand the trends. Matt Tuck's columns report numbers. He reports the facts but that does not mean the people engaged in the market are doing the correct things. Giant Size X-Men #1 is listed as a cold comic. Abandoning all X-Men keys is not a good plan. Giant Size X-Men #1 is a major Bronze Age key. It is probably more important than even Incredible Hulk #180. People are chasing Wolverine keys but tend to downplay the significance of this book. This book also has several major first appearances in it and yet it is still undervalued. At the time this article was written a 2.0 has a 30 day FMV of $561. That is down from the one year average by roughly $300!. Do you hear the knocking at the door...it's an opportunity.
Comic Con Innovation Saves Everyone $$$$
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Comic book collecting and investing is a science. Every square foot matters. Astronomicon is a growing pop culture convention in Michigan. Their organizers are very hardworking, but the last show they were also innovative. They implemented a ticket system for autographs where line waits exceeded expectations. What this did was allow for a maximization of space. More vendors and celebrities instead of spaces for lines of autograph patrons. As a result, fans spent more money because they had more time to spend. Even those that had weekend passes appreciated this process when interviewed and indicated they spent more than they planned because of more time on the floor. They hoped this change would be permanent.
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Getting books or other items signed to sell or collect is expensive and time consuming. It also adds value to the items both personally and financially. Systems where long lines are minimized is beneficial to everyone who goes to a convention. Shorter lines allows for more vendor booths and products. It also means that fans may seek out more autographs rather than be limited by time constraints. This is important when CGC and James Spence Authentication have combined services to allow for unwitnessed signatures to be certified. Items from fans that were not certified at a show now can be done so after the fact. Buying raw signature books and other collectibles is now an option. Buyers must still beware, but it is nice to have this option when none existed. Unwitnessed signed comics now can jump in value as being authentic rather than being downgraded as having a defect.
Conclusion
Investing and collecting is changing. The days of buying an old copy of a price guide and banking on those values has been long gone. GoCollect's success is proof of this. The same is true with the belief that pop culture collecting exists in a bubble. Extrinsic factors exist beyond the walls of comic book stores and conventions. GoCollect will continue to find out what is happening so that readers know the "why's" and news impacting collectibles. That insight will provide an edge others may not possess.
