Comics / Cult Favorite

Collecting Comics


By Philip Schweier
October 20, 2009 - 18:23

The Big Con
Every summer, following Comicon International in San Diego, the Internet abounds with commentary and criticism concerning what is regarded by most as the world's largest comic book convention.

Generally, it is said that the con has grown too large, thanks to problematic logistics and large crowds of non-comic book fans. The growing attendance can be attributed to the influx of movie studios looking to promote their upcoming genre project. Hollywood's deeper pockets consume a lot of the available floor space in the dealers’ room or exhibitors’ hall, and may eventually result in small independent comic book dealers being pushed out the door.

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Chuck Rozanski
Milehighcomics.com is one of the largest – if not THE largest – comic book retailers on the Internet. Owner Chuck Rozanski sent out a newsletter July 26 reporting on the San Diego convention, stating "What does exist is a totally uneven playing field, where mom-n-pop comics retailers, publishers, and creators are now being asked to pay the same cost per square-foot as the international corporate giants. That being the case, it should come as no surprise that we comics exhibitors are rapidly being priced out of our own house."

It has been suggested that San Diego itself is unable to support the size and scope of the convention. Many attendees can share horror stories of waiting in the hot California sun for several hours at the convention center, only to be turned away due to the center's occupancy being maxxed out.

Rozanski goes on to say that "...several comics retailers who have been here at the convention for decades... are either cutting back for 2010, or completely pulling out of the show. With fewer comics retailers exhibiting in San Diego each year, the incentive for individual comics fans to put up with the cost and hassle of coming here also greatly diminishes."

There are also complaints of price gouging by the hotels. Just to play devil's advocate for a moment, in these turbulent economic times, any business has the right to set their price structure according to what the market will bear, without resorting to bait-and-switch tactics. Life is an endless series of economic decisions, whether buying a house or a candy bar. Will the enjoyment and satisfaction I receive from my purchase directly reflect the amount of money spent?

Comic book publishers must also make the same kind of fiscally responsible decisions. Due to the expense – hotel, travel, food, etc. – of interrupting business and gathering staff and freelancers at a convention, most companies are, justifiably, looking for the biggest bang for their buck. They question whether there will be enough fans to justify the cost.

Which leads me to the issue of how important are such huge mega-comic book conventions to the individual comic book collector? There are many conventions that draw comic book companies, such as Mega-Con in Orlando, Fla., and Heroes Con in Charlotte, N.C. These shows are pure comics, with a much smaller degree of cross-pollination than San Diego. Yes, there most likely is gaming and some movie or television celebrities, but comic books are still the primary focus.

Let’s Make a Deal
Just about any given comic book fan uses the opportunity of a convention to shop around for the best prices so they can fill the gaps in their collection. Lets break the back issue vendors down into two categories – retailer and dealers.

A retailer usually has a brick-and-mortar store and is the neighborhood outlet for new comics as well as back issues in its neighborhood. A dealer may not have an actual storefront, instead operating out of a storage facility of some sort. They sell comics either by making the convention circuit and selling at shows, or through a website, or both.

There are also online retailers, such as milehighcomics.com and mycomicshop.com. Because they are able to market to anyone with an Internet connection and a credit card, such retailers are able to broaden the scope of their market, buying and selling huge quantities of comic books, which allows them the occasional luxury of offering deals traditional brick-and-mortar stores cannot.

In spite of online bargains, there is a great deal to be said for being able to pick up a potential purchase and examine it closely for flaws one might not detect in an image displayed on a computer screen. Some retailers, if asked politely, might allow you to open the bag to have a peek at inside pages.

To anyone considering an online purchase, I have a number of suggestions:
• Consider the source – Is the dealer reputable, and what is his policy regarding customer satisfaction?
• Consider the photography – If the best image the dealer puts up online is blurry and out of focus, you might be wise to pass on the purchase. Putting a clear image online isn't so hard. If they choose not to do it, you run the risk that they are somewhat careless regarding grading or shipping.
• Sometimes the image shown online is NOT the actual item. Unless it specifically says that it is, it is recommended that you inquire.
• Caveat Emptor (Let the buyer beware) – Look at everything with a certain amount of skepticism, and try to avoid taking what is said completely at face value. After all, it is a sales pitch.

Another option is online auction sites such as ebay.com and ioffer.com, which have empowered anyone to sell to anyone else anywhere in the world. Collectors are able to deal directly with other collectors.

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As a frequent ebayer myself, I often find individual deals as good as, if not better, than those I might find at a comic book convention. For instance, in August I saw Superman #236 in "very fine" condition available for $.01 and $3 shipping.

Please note that I said "individual" deals. For someone looking to build a collection in a single bound, one might make the initial leap by purchasing several issues, taking a stack to a retailer at a convention and requesting their best price. You might get a discount for buying in bulk. While one can still obtain large lots through online auctions, you may also end up with issues you already have, which diminishes the overall value of the deal.

Nevertheless, there is always the possibility of being the only interested bidder that week for that particular auction and ending up with a remarkable purchase. Such opportunities may be rare, depending on how often you cruise ebay looking for bargains. But such deals between individual collectors are not likely to be reflected in the Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide.

But how does this evolving market affect the VALUE of your comics? Well, it doesn't, and it never has, and here's why: the value assigned by the Overstreet price guide is little more than a broad average of reported prices from respected dealers throughout the industry. It is NOT the actual value of any given comic book because there are many immeasurable factors involved. Popularity (of the character, writer or artist, or any combination of the three), condition of the comic book and availability of that particular issue are all variables that ebb and flow from one geographic region to the next.

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The best value one can assign to any given comic book is how much money YOU, the individual collector, are willing to pay for it, or accept to part with it. There is also its relationship to the rest of one's collection. I might be willing to pay more money for Aquaman #51 (drawn by Jim Aparo) in order to complete my Aquaman collection, but less for Brave and the Bold #142. I have many more issues to go on that title, even though it also features Aquaman drawn by Aparo. Still, many dealers who have an Aquaman #51 for sale are likely to assign a higher value, as it features a Neal Adams Deadman story. While I enjoy his work very much, it's not what appeals to me about the issue.

As fans, we are drawn to comic book collecting for different reason – the stories, the art, the entertainment value, etc. As we build our respective collections, each item we add takes money out of our pocket. But often collectors are not necessarily the most money-savvy of beings, sometimes spending exorbitant amounts for that which others see little or no value. So be certain of your purchase when you’re about to drop some money on a long sought-after comic book. It may just add to your collection in ways you never imagined.

Praise and adulation? Scorn and ridicule? E-mail me at philip@comicbookbin.com.


Last Updated: August 31, 2023 - 08:12

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