Comic Book Collectible Figure and Statue Values and Profit Strategies

Since the beginning of comic book publishing companies that owned the characters sought to profit from different products outside the comics themselves. There have been tons of products they’ve introduced over the years, from rings, costumes, movie serials, action figures and even collectible figures or statues.

Collectible Figure Values

I have to admit, I thought the collectible figure/statue was just another way to separate a fool from his money, and for the vast majority it is. The prices can be high for what in the end is a mass produced piece of plastic. If you enjoy the piece then and feel you’ve paid a fair price, then by all means enjoy it. But I did receive a surprise with a figure I was looking at and I want to talk today about a couple of ways to play this market. Let’s start with my quest for a certain figure.

My Quest for Captain America

One of my favorite characters has always been Captain America. I don’t know if it’s my past in the Air Force or what, but I’ve always been fascinated by the character and especially his WW II comic books and appearance. There’s a certain nostalgia and innocence of a time long since past. I was looking to have a unique decoration in my office other than the typical selection of planes I accumulated over the years when the Sideshow Captain America Exclusive caught my eye. Since I wasn’t involved in the statue market I was a little surprised by the $279.99 price tag. Take a look at the video below to see what I’m talking about.

In the end I didn’t splurge for the Captain America, hoping to find it on E-bay in the future for a reduced price. I’ll get to that later. Well, I did eventually find it on E-bay, at a much higher price! As of this writing (July 7, 2013) the only copy I can find is going for a whopping $2999.99! Ouch!

Exclusive Example: Iron Man

My experience with the Captain America has put me on the lookout for what is working in the collectible figure market. The latest example is the Hot Toys Sideshow Exclusive Edition of the Iron Man Mark VII from the latest Avengers movie. You can see the Hot Toys Iron Man Exclusive by clicking on the link, but unfortunately it is sold out. This sold via preorder for $249.95 but is now going for about $450-$500 on E-bay.

Right now I’m concentrating on the “exclusive” models. These seem to have the best chance of making the profits I illustrate above. If I were to speculate on these this is where I would focus my effort. The non-exclusive issues are a different matter.

Collectible Figures and Statues for the Collector

If you’re a true collector and don’t care about future price increases I’d stay away from the exclusive issues. If you are willing to wait a little bit you can find most statues for a significant discount to the original price. Typically if you go to Sideshow or another seller and find a statue you want is in stock, it’s worth it to visit E-bay and see what you can find. A recent example is the Sideshow Boba Fett selling for $179.99 from their site sold for $117.50 on the Bay. If you do want an exclusive for whatever reason, my advice is don’t wait and lock in that pre-order! Learn from my experience.

I’ll be adding collectible figures to the comic book related merchandise I track on the website.

Happy Collecting!

Comic Verification Authority – CVA

Last year a new comic book grading service emerged on the collecting/investing scene.  The company is called Comic Verification Authority or CVA.  According to their website their mission is:

CVA’s mission is to enable collectors, dealers, and investors with a wide range of experience levels to quickly and easily identify examples with outstanding relative eye appeal. In so doing, it allows for these examples to be readily distinguished within online buying and selling environments where comic books cannot be inspected in person before a purchase is made.

They further go on to say:

There exists a variance in eye appeal among third party graded comic books even within the same certified grade. There are examples which are clearly identifiable to an advanced collector or dealer as being strong in grade and sometimes the perceived value of these items can be substantially higher than that of a less attractive example.

The need for CVA in the comic book marketplace is the inevitable result of the subjective aspects of grading, even with established third-party certification. Regardless of the high quality of work performed by CGC, further distinction of examples with superior quality within a particular assigned grade is necessary. Collectors and dealers make this distinction, but not in a way that is systematic, traceable, or recognizable to the less experienced.

This new service is similar in concept to the Certified Acceptance Corporation (CAC) in the coin world. Scott Travers, in his excellent book “The Coin Collector’s Survival Manual” sums up the CAC as “grading not just the coin but the previous grader.” The CVA doesn’t seem to be going that far, after all it’s an impossibility since they can’t see the interior pages of the comic book. So what’s the purpose?

The CVA can only give their subjective opinion about the eye appeal of the already slabbed comic. I agree with their premise that although many comics may grade the same for technical reasons, there are often significant differences in the eye appeal or attractiveness of the comics themselves. Looking at a scan or viewing the comic in person allows you to make your own decision. The question you have to ask is do you need a third party sticker to validate your opinion? The CVA only gives an “exceptional” sticker, and these are only given to “premium-quality examples in any grade.” I would like to see them deliver a sticker that identifies when CGC has over graded a comic, but this won’t happen since nobody in their right mind would pay money to have someone downgrade their comic. So we’re stuck with only getting validation of “premium-quality” comics.

Why this is important

The CVA “exceptional” stickers have started to pop up at various auctions, and most recently Stephen Ritter at wwcomics.com has given an endorsement with about 350 of his comics getting this sticker. Since you will see these stickers pop up from time to time you need to know what they are. Whether or not you are willing to pay a premium for this third party service is up to you, and eventually will determine the viability of the CVA.

I’d love to get your feedback about the CVA so please post your comments below.

If you would like to read more about the CVA, see examples, or get other collector/investor opinions, check out the links below.

CVA – Comics Verification Authority
WWComics – come examples and Stephen Ritter’s comments about the service

Thread about the CVA on the CGC Boards
Long thread about the CVA on the CGC Boards

5 Good Signs for the Comic Book Market (and Collector/Investor!)

I saw this article (read it here) about 5 reasons comic books are currently thriving.  There are a few reasons we’ve seen impressive returns in rare, collectable comic books in the past few years, and in my opinion the continued popularity of the characters and stories no matter what medium they are portrayed is one of them.

Take a minute and read the article, I think you’ll enjoy it.