The economy may be down with people running for financial cover, but could this be the best time to buy collectible comic books?
Depending on the direction you think the economy will go in the next year or so, there may be no time like the present. If this is the time to buy, you’ll also have to make an even more important question – what to buy.
Why this may be the time to buy
The United States has been in a recession since December 2007 according to the “experts.” Comic book sales have held up remarkably well in the last year, but lately there have been some chinks in the armor. For example, the Denver copy of Marvel Comics #1 (CGC 8.5) sold for $172,500 in 2005, but sold for $155,350 in 2009. That is a decrease of $17,150 for one of the most desirable blue chip pedigree comic book. Demand may be softening for this type of book. But even if demand is softening you have to make a personal decision, is the economy forming a bottom, or will we see a recovery in the next year or so? Are we facing an end of the world scenario or will we make some sort of recovery?
If you think we are facing financial armageddon then the last thing you should buy is comic books. They are difficult to eat, of questionable nutritional value, and probably won’t be good for barter (try guns, ammo and food). But, outside of that scenario, if there is a recovery there is one thing that is almost certain to happen – inflation. If we have inflation we may wish we could get comics at this price again.
The position the government is taking in the U.S. is “reflation.” Call it what you will, it is inflation. An amazing amount of money is being printed, borrowed, etc. and the end result, save for any corrective action, is inflation. Inflation is a wealth destroyer, but in actual numbers, the dollar amount assigned to any hard asset usually goes up. It will take more dollars to purchase an asset – like investment grade comic books.
So, you have a decision to make. If you don’t think we are at the end of the road financially and the U.S. will recover, then you may want to start making purchases in anticipation of inflation. Once you make the decision to buy you need to know what to buy, and I’ll cover my recommendations in the upcoming issue of the Comic Book Secrets Newsletter.
You left out the scenario where the US$Dollar inflates so much that it burst (collapses) in favor of a new currency like the “Amero”, the “Euro”, or even some new World Currency. But in any case, “You’re Right”. If you look at comic books As a currency, then you probably going to be disappointed.
Still, every time an “End of the World” scenario is used to “make a decision, I am always reminded of Jeremiah when the Babylonians conquered Israel. Jeremiah prophesied that event (before the King and all of Israel), and then went straight out and began buying land. When asked, Jeremiah said; (basically) “the more things change, the more they stay the same”.
Now i’m no Bible thumper so don’t get me wrong. But if you want to know the future, you must first know the past. And to that end, you should probably do as Jeremiah did, and BUY!
Great points.
In my opinion, if the US $ does collapse and give way to a World Currency, it is sort of an end of the world scenario for the U.S. If the U.S. doesn’t control it’s own currency, the country will basically give way to some sort of “New World Order”, maybe not obviously or in the open, but it will be a slow migration (or maybe quick!). I think there would be panic in the streets if the dollar goes away.
I like your point about Jeremiah, BUY! (but maybe not comic books – land, food, clothes, staples and gold/silver may be a better decision) We’ll see what happens.
Thank you for your comments!
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Well for my money, I don’t believe the world will end in 2012 and I do believe the U.S. will recover and strive for years to come. I buy and sell comics everyday. The comic market, like any other will rise and fall, that continues to make the world go round. Now is a great time to buy and I’m spending all I can afford. If I end up being wrong, what the heck, life is a gamble and if you don’t make the bet, you’re not gonna have a ticket to cash in..
I so23rry0; mau sabe segurar um rifle e é muito atrapalhado com a munição. Não sei como conseguiu acertar o alvo. Para uma caça desse porte, pode-se usar um calibre menor, tal como um .22 mag ou .38 win. Usar 7.62 faz muito barulho e usa-se com caça acima de 90kg. ok?!