Comic Book Collecting: the Fortuitous and the Frugal

     The goal of this article, as it is with all articles, is to inform you of something you didn't know before. Today, I want to focus on, what I feel are, the important aspects to look at when trying to collect comics. For what ever reason you are going into your local shop each week, whether to read a good book, to speculate on a potential investment, or to simply collect for a hobby, the goal is to have fun while doing it. I just hope that along the way, you might learn a bit or two about the history that comes from comics. It has only just begun to happen over the last two decades, that a grown man can proudly wear his favorite character's emblem on his shirt and not be ridiculed for it. Times have changed, and so have comics. The comic industry has had its fair share of ups and downs, and yet through thick and thin, true comic fans are willing to divvy up some cash to buy a few pictures and words on paper each week. How often do you stop yourself before going into a comic shop and try to put yourself on a budget? I'll admit my comic selection list is like my grocery list, non-existent and un-budgeted. Not a lifestyle I am most proud of, but I never spend more than I have readily available. What's great about comic book collecting, is that on higher end books, most retailers will be willing to work out a deal with you. Nothing in the realm of retail for comics is set in stone, and nothing is worth more than what someone is willing to pay for it. Remember to only get the books you really want, and try to avoid unnecessary purchases.

 

Oh, you tease.

     In our time, there are so many ways to read comics without stepping one foot into a comic shop. There are hundreds of forums out there that critique every book and share ideas, that it isn't beyond belief that you could see if a story is worth picking up or not. There will always be impulse buys, aka the dollar bin. Any comic enthusiast will tell you that the dollar comic bin is what makes many comic shops able to operate. Do not mistake dollar bins as garbage comics, but merely an efficient way for retailers to move product quickly and make some of their money back that they invested into their stores. I think most people get the notion that they will find the diamond in the rough while going through these bins, but don't count on it. Not to break any hearts, but the fact is that most dollar bins were sorted a long time before you got to them, and have probably been looked through a thousand times before. Not that you have no chance of finding something special, but your time could be better spent elsewhere.

     Movies and TV shows based on comics have changed things. There was a time when making an investment in comics seemed like a wise decision, but now a lot of those investments rely on how the rest of the world turns. The biggest example I can give you is "The Walking Dead," that comic would not be worth the $1200 dollars its worth now unless the show became the hit that it did, and the amount of copies produced was as low as it was. New #1 issues are being produced weekly now, and there are some pretty fantastic stories being printed, but the odds of speculating a comic going up in price, to help pay your college loan, are slim (My college debt gives me hope.)

     Let's talk about key books for a moment. Key books are milestones in the comic industry, a first appearance, death, anything of note for a character. Although there are hundreds of these books to look for, there are only a hand full that you may encounter in your weekly search. I highly recommend familiarizing yourself with these book covers, because while you are skimming through those long boxes, you have a better chance at getting a glance of the cover, rather than the book number. So, you may be asking, where is the best place to find these key books if not the dollar bin? Well, obviously, if you are in it for the hunt like me, you will want to avoid most comic shops. Most comic shops will have already set aside the books they know are worth money and have them behind the counter somewhere. Lets face it, this is what they do all week long, and the good shops will know how to price books so that both the customer feels they are getting a great deal and the store makes a profit. But going to a comic shop is the easy way out, if want a real challenge, steer elsewhere. My recommendation is second time around stores. If you have a used book store in your area you may want to check with someone at the counter. Comics are something they might keep in a box behind the counter. I have had some very good luck with used book stores, partly because they didn't know what they had, and it's not unheard of for people to just bring in their old collections to make a quick buck. Garage sales are a great place to find some great titles and there is always the chance that your Grandfather may still have his old comics tucked away somewhere. Like I have said before, the hunt is the fun for a collector, and once you nail your first key book for a really great deal, you too will be hooked.

     I know that most of what I have had to say in this article may not be anything new to people who are avid collectors, and I definitely don't claim to be professional one. However, I do feel that in my time as a collector, these were some of the main focus factors I look at when trying to build my collect. I buy comics for reading just as much as I do for the potential to make a profit from them. I would love to get feedback from everyone that has recently started collecting, and if they have had any recent purchases that were above and beyond fantastic. As always, thanks for reading, and feel free to join my facebook page for updates by clicking the link below. Till next time.