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Questions and Answers on Comic Books

© Robert Smithers

Question: For the new comic book collector, what to collect can seem very confusing. New comic books are for sale at retailers for cover price. Virtually all retailers have the same comic books for sale at cover price. So, if I buy a new comic book and put it away for a year, I can expect it to go increase in value. I can expect any given comic book to be worth more money than it was worth last year. Right?

Answer: Wrong. Comics are collectibles. Sort of like antiques, paintings, and porcelain dolls. In all of these markets, there is no assured profit. Buying to make money should not be a primary reason to buy comic books. Comic books are entertainment. The only people that should be looking to make money in comics are retailers and dealers that make a living off comics.

Question: Are there individuals that make money off comics that aren't collectors?

Answer: Yes. These people I call "big time collectors" or "speculators." They invest in a variety of Golden Age and Silver Age comics like other people invest in the stock market. Be warned that these people have done their homework. They know exactly what they are looking for and they have an excellent idea of the value increase of a given issue over a year, three years, and five years. These people are as adept at comic books as your broker is at stocks. AND they have the software and computers to calculate the trends and expected values.

Question: Do these speculators make a lot of money?

Answer: Yes, they can. As the advertiser selling commodities options or stock options will tell you "you may lose some or all of your investment."

Question: If I buy a variety of new comics, won't some go up in value?

Answer: That's unlikely. History shows that 95% or more of all comic books published have very little value for up to 20 years after they hit the newsstands. (Compared to the price, after including for inflation.)

T-bills would be a better investment.

Question: Don't you sell comics and make money at it?

Answer: Yes, I sell comics via the net. No, I don't make any money to speak of at it. Many comics I bought at $1.00 each I have auctioned off for 10 to 15 cents. I am selling a failed series from the 1980's (e.g. Booster Gold, Blue Beetle and Moon Knight) at less than half what I paid for them new, at a retail store.

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