Friday, September 9, 2011

Investing In Comics

Any readers of my blog can tell that I’m a comic reader. Every week, I put up a review of the comics I bought for the week and that was my intention this week as well.

However when I reached my regular comic shop yesterday, I looked at the weekly list of titles which had been shipped this week and found that there had been quite a number of sold-outs on the list. I enquired and was told that there had been a number of buyers for the new DC Universe revamp. DC is revamping their comic titles, cancelling their current titles and putting out 52 new titles. Personally, I feel this is nothing but a marketing ploy as most of the titles aren’t exactly new but just titles with a new #1.

Despite my personal feelings, the marketing worked as speculators are buying up the #1 for “investments”. As someone who remember the 90s comic boom and the following collapse, I will tell the speculators this; be very, very careful about speculating in comics!

As a long-time comic reader and collector, I can safely say that most of the comics on the stands of comic shops will not be worth much in a few years time. In fact, I will say that most of the new 52 titles by DC will be cancelled within 2 years. Sure, there will be some that will be worth more money in a few years but the majority of the comics are not worth investing in and with good reason. Making money is not what comics are for!

Comic books are meant to be read and enjoyed. They are not sitting on the stands of your local comic shop for investments. For all those people who bought the #1, I hope you enjoyed them but if you bought them for investments and speculations; sorry but you are out of luck.

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