The Blog has now moved

This is the final post on the "old blog". I am now publishing using a new system and you can find the new postings along with all important feed information at:

The Comic Book Secrets Blog

Enjoy the new format and see you on the other side!

Sean

Once in a Lifetime Opportunity

There is an auction on E-bay, ending in on Wednesday, July 24, that is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity.


CGC Restoration Secrets Lunch Auction


This auction allows the two winners to get a "behind the scenes" tour from the President and Vice-President of CGC. The winners will see how grading and restoration checks are accomplished by these two experts in the field.

If you are interested in this once in a lifetime opportunity, click on one of the links above.

All proceeds from the auction will go to The Hero Initiative.

Don't miss out!

Death and Burial of Captain America

Obviously the Death of Captain America comic book was huge, with both fans and non-fans mobbing comic shops as the press gave it front page billing. There was a lot of speculation that the only reason there was so much media coverage was because it was a slow news day.

Not so Cap fans!

The story linked to the headline of this post (also found here), made the first page of msn.com and I've found it all over the place, on what is definitely not a slow time for news.

The popularity and resiliency of this story attest to Captain America's status as an icon in this country and the impact comic books have had on our culture. As adults, even though most of us don't read the books anymore, we still have strong connections to the characters and their message.

We recall long, lazy summer days, spent outside playing and reading comic books in the shade. Captain America, Superman and others were always there, waiting for us with their next adventure. Perhaps that is why America is so drawn to this story - fond memories and to check in on our childhood "friends."

As we approach the 4th of July and celebrate our independence, fans everywhere await the final chapter of the "Sentinel of Liberty."

We don't know the what the final conclusion of this story will be, but we do know that nothing is ever permanent in comics.

So don't be long Cap, we miss you!

Are You a Renegade Collector?

I just posted the definition of a Renegade Comic Book Collector.

Do you think you're a Renegade?

Stop by and find out!

June 2007 Comic Book Secrets News

Comic Book Secrets June 2007 News

In this Issue:

• Comic Book Secrets Makeover
• New Comic Picks
• Back Issue Picks

Comic Book Secrets Makeover

By now you have seen the changes to the website, and there have been a lot of them. I am tweaking and adding almost everyday, so keep visiting, watching, and sending your feedback. Let's go over the major changes and how you should use them.

The first item is the back issue picks. This page includes links to back issues other than movie comics (more on that later). Within this category you'll now find Gold, Silver, Bronze and High Grade categories. I'll be adding more soon. These are the "blue chip" investments and under each page you will find E-bay auctions for the picks. Make sure you are keeping track of prices so you have a current market value source.

Next up is the New Comic Picks. Here you will find the latest new issue and recent back issue picks, along with more information about where these books are in the buying/selling timeline. Use these picks in conjunction with the monthly newsletter.

Finally we have the movie picks. The links are along the left side of this page. They may look like the links on the main non-subscriber homepage, but they are not! Click on one of the titles then come back. As you can see, these subscriber only pages contain the current comic book movie picks. I am adding news updates for each title as fast as I can. Remember - these are the exact books I'm looking at for increases in value as the movies approach! It is a big change from the non-subscriber homepage.

Other than the look of the website, those are the main changes. I'm welcome to suggestions, so please let me know at questions@comicbooksecrets.com. Over the next few newsletters I will be going into each area a little more in-depth. This month will be the Bronze Age picks.

New Comic Picks

The first issue out of the chute is Thor #1. This book is supposed to be released on July 5th, and no doubt it has been heavily ordered. I'm not looking at this particular issue so much as I am looking for another bump in interest in Fantastic Four #538. If you recall, this book is the now famous "Thor's Hammer" cover. If you have some of these stockpiled, be ready to move after Thor #1 and #2 are released.

The next book is a recent back issue and is Incredible Hulk #92. This book is moving and the Planet Hulk/World War Hulk issues are hot. Time to make sure you have locked in some cash on this book.

I'm also looking at the Endangered Species shorts that are running from June until October. This is the race against the clock for the Beast as he tries to save mutants after the "No more mutants" line. This will be a series of 8 page back-ups running in Uncanny X-men, X-factor, New X-men, and X-men. If this catches on the real picks will be in the under ordered titles. I think retailers may bump up their orders in anticipation, but if the storyline is hot, there could be a lot of action in some titles.

Let's look at the Endangered Species title numbers. X-men averages a monthly print run of about 75,000 copies, Uncanny X-men about 83,000, X-Factor 38,000, and New X-men 37,000. You can see the opportunity here. There is quite an opportunity for a spike in demand for X-Factor and the New X-men titles. It could be a good play.

Back Issue Picks

This month I'm going to feature the Bronze Age comic book section of the website.

Generally, I look at comics for profit in one of two ways - investments or speculation. I use the term investment based on historical returns and the ability to hold value. In my mind, an investment comic is sort of a "blue chip" stock. The downside risk exists, but much less so than say stocking up on 1000 copies of Thor #1 (new issue).

The books I highlight are what I consider "blue chips" of the age. Take a look at the list. These comics tend to always be in demand, both as high grade investor copies and as low grade reader copies.

There are a couple of things I like about this age. First, the books are relatively affordable (compared with many Silver and Golden Age books), and the main readers of the books off the newstand are now entering their prime "disposable income" years. The potential upside in price combined with the availability of cash make this some prime ground.

Keep an eye on these books, and make sure you are recording the values somehow. If one these "blue chips" of the Bronze Age comes along at the right price, be ready to pounce.

Wrapping It Up

That's all for this issue. Make sure you are checking the blog and this subscriber only section regularly, I will be updating every few days.

Until Next Time - Have fun and be a Renegade Collector!

Sean

If you aren't a full member yet and want to access the member only pages, visit here.

The Next E-Bay vs. Google Round

A great article was posted this morning on MSNBC.com, you can view it here.

Why did I post this and what does it mean?

Well, it could have a large effect on online comic book and collectible sales, so we will have to wait and see. I'll keep watching this story and keep you up to date with new developments.

Who knows, maybe we'll be selling comics on Google soon! It could open up a lot of possibilities.

Fantastic Four Movie Results

The Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer brought in $57.4 million on it's opening weekend. Not too shabby.

The news continues to be positive for collectors and movie fans with the success of the genre. But have you been watching the prices of books such as Fantastic Four #48? They are in the stratosphere! Without a doubt we are now on the downside of a lot of these movie "hype" books, so watch out.

I'm giving the readers of the blog and the newsletter a heads-up on the Comic Book Movie Profits e-book.

I've decided to pull the Spring/Summer 2007 Comic Book Movie Update off the market!

This will occur around midnight (PST) on Sunday night (June 24, 2007).

Why? Well. quite simply I don't want many more people to have the information, especially the sleeper pick. My wife thinks I'm crazy for publishing the information at all. So, due to reader feedback and wife feedback - the update is going away.

You will still be able to purchase the Comic Book Movie Profits book, just not the update. I'll be including a new bonus.

So if you still want the 2007 Update go here.

If you want the whole thing - the Comic Book Movie Profit Book and Update, go here.

Also, members, you will get the new comic picks this weekend, so check out the members site on the web.