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.

One of my interesting collections purchases (or part of a collection as you’ll see) happened when I lived in Arkansas. We ran a small classified ad and one of the calls that came in was for a collection of comic books found under a barn. My wife called it “the barn collection.”

What happened is this particular gentleman was part of a crew taking apart a barn when they found a stash of old comic books under one of the floorboards. I guess comics were taboo in that family since the kids had to hide their contraband under the barn. It’s a great story. I can imagine them sneaking out to the barn to read their secret stash of such controversial characters as Katy Keene!

We got the call and went to view the hundred or so books from the 1950’s. Needless to say, the condition wasn’t great on these books. Under a barn floorboard in the dirt isn’t the ideal storage environment for comic books. Miraculously, they didn’t have water damage, so that was a plus. The collection contained mainly television tie-ins, funny animal, and some girl books like Katy Keene. Not bad stuff, not great. The story got interesting when we started to negotiate.

It quickly became obvious that the wife of the gentlemen who uncovered the comics in this story decided since these books were a “find” like uncovered treasure, and they must be worth a fortune. We wouldn’t be dealing with the person who found the collection. No, he didn’t know what a find he had made. We were dealing with his wife now.

When the reality that these books were worth far less than she imagined came out, she would have none of it. Many were torn, dirty, rolled, missing pieces, coupons cut, you name it. They were very well-read to say the least, and probably had to endure many hasty returns under the floor to hide the collection. No, she had a “guide” in front of her and there were the “Near Mint” prices staring her in the face. She even thought those prices were low for some of the books in this amazing find!

Now, for many this would be the end of negotiations. But if you think outside the box you may just get something you want. I cover the technique of breaking out comics you want from the collection and making an offer in the special report. That’s what we did. We collected Katy Keene at the time, and for the collector part of us, these were the books we would keep. We made an offer on just those books which the wife found satisfactory. In her mind the Katy Keene comics were worthless because she hadn’t heard of them. She had heard of the television stars. The reality was the Katy’s were the more valuable part of the collection.

Some creative thinking and negotiation created a win-win solution. Those Katy Keene’s are still in our collection, though now being stored in a more comic friendly environment than beneath a barn. I can only imagine that the other books are still stored with that lady – the treasure that they’d found to strike it rich!

If you want to read more about how to buy entire comic book collections sign up for your free membership here before the report disappears!

That’s one of the most popular questions I get at Comic Book Secrets.

If you have valuable comics you want to make sure you don’t get ripped off, and just as important, if you have worthless comic books you want to try to salvage as much money as possible. If someone is buying comic books and you are looking to sell, you must protect yourself.

If you are looking to sell your comic books, whether they are valuable or bulk, Alan Collins has a very interesting Comic Book Selling System you should check out. His system focuses on both your gems and well, your not quite gems. He offers selling advice on:

- Brand new comics you just bought.
- Comics you’ve tried selling on eBay before — but couldn’t get your price for.
- Boxes of comics you’ve got lying around that are just gathering dust.
- Fair, torn, spine damaged, taped up or poor condition comics.
- Restored comics — no matter how they look.
- Old collectible comics….that just about everybody wants.
- Back issues…that practically nobody wants
- Comics that dealers are dumping 3 for $1.00 (in their bargain box).
- Marvels, DCs, Image, Independents….just about any of the other titles.
- Golden age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, Westerns, Romance, etc.
- “Hot” comics you invested in and hoped would go up in value…and didn’t.
- CGC graded comics – that grade out from from 9.5 to 2.5 or below.
- Just 1 single comic.
- Or 100 comics.
- Or 100,000 comics.
- Just about ANY comics you have…it doesn’t matter!

Plus, he has buying advice and many other great bonuses. Check it out!

If you’re thinking about buying comics for someone else, telling someone what books you might want, or just getting that “self present”, here is something to think about:

Pedigree Comic Books

What is a pedigree comic? Quite simply it is one of a kind from a comic book community accepted collection. These books were usually assembled by one person, stored, and later found in great condition by one or more lucky buyers. Since they are one of a kind they typically sell for multiples of Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide value. You can read more about pedigree comic books here.

Pedigree comics are amazing collectibles and end up being the cherished pieces of a collection. To start you off, take a look at a couple of the major pedigrees – Edgar Church/Mile High, Allentown, Crippen D, Larsen and San Francisco. I’ll be putting follow up information on the site in the upcoming weeks.

Enjoy looking at these beautiful books, and good luck scoring one for your collection!

You’ll find the Comic Book Secrets picks for this Christmas below. Don’t forget to use the Comics for Pennies strategies!

Avengers #1 – The Marvel Movie world is being turned upside down and this is the book that started it all. Go for the lower grades to score a good deal if you’re on a budget, but take a look at the higher grade if you can!

Avengers #4 – Can anyone say Captain America: The First Avenger Movie? The frozen in ice Silver Age Origin of Cap has been telegraphed and this is the book that tells the story. Almost certain to be a movie tie-in.

Ultimate Discount Avengers – Don’t want to spend the money on the actual books but want to share in all the stories and excitement leading up to the movie? If so, the Essential Avengers Vol. 1 is the book for you. It collects Avengers first 24 issues.

Incredible Hulk #181 – Wolverine will be released next year and this is the book that started it all, albeit quietly. Who would have thought this cameo appearance would become one of the most popular and sought after in all comicdom.

Wolverine mini-series and regular series #1 – These books could see some action with the movie, and if not, they are great additions to any Wolverine collection.

Ultimate Discount Wolverine – Again, you can gather the key stories by picking up a Marvel Masterpiece or two. Guaranteed to give hours of reading! Look for Essential Wolverine Vol. 1.

Thor Books – Thor is another Marvel character getting his own movie. If you want the real deal, look for Journey into Mystery #83, but be ready to pay some serious money. If you are looking for the stories for great discount, pick up Essential Thor Vol. 1.

The Spirit – A blast from the Golden Age past is here in this upcoming movie. Forget trying to collect the numerous old comics and storylines, grab a copy of Will Eisner’s The Spirit Volume 1 or The Best of the Spirit for some fun reading.

Take a look at the widget below for all of these books at a discount. If you really want to discover how to save some money, check out the Comics for Pennies videos.

One of the best ways I know to save a buck is with the Comic Book Secrets “Comics for Pennies” course.

All members of the “Member Only Site” get the Comic for Pennies Course and videos absolutely free. It not only tells how you could score comics for literally pennies on the dollar, but how to save time searching and have them come to you – magnetically!

You can get the video course here.

I’m talking books like Amazing Spider-man #1, Fantastic Four #1-48, X-men #1, X-men #94 and other key books.

If you’re looking for non-key books and are tired of paying retail you can get even bigger discounts. Don’t pay top dollar to fill in holes in your collection.

You can read more about the system at our Marvel Comic Books – Deep Discounts page.

You’ll discover more about the Comics for Pennies System and the Comic Magnets available to all members. Imagine , instead of searching for hours for discount comic books, have them come to you magnetically.

Check it out, you’re wallet and collection will thank you!

In the last issue of the member newsletter we discussed several buying strategies and touched a little bit on negotiating. Today I want to give you a couple more ideas to think about.

Negotiating Tip 1 – The Balance of Power

Any negotiating position consists of strengths and weaknesses. In the world of comic books it they usually consist of two items – the product (comic books) and cash. Let’s look at a couple of examples.

In some cases the comic book itself may be the item of strength. Action Comics #1 in VF+ CGC 8.5 unrestored condition? A power book if there ever was one. It is the highest graded copy, first Superman, etc. High end collectors will be falling over themselves to buy this copy when it comes up for sale. Definitely a strength.

But let’s look at the other item – cash. Let’s say the seller has a burning need for cash. They are in trouble, need to raise some money immediately. The seller now has a point of weakness that the buyer may or may not know. A buyer with a lot of cash may be able to diminish the strength of the book with his or her cash position. Interesting predicament, isn’t it?

The same ideas apply to lower cost, or common comics. Let’s say the seller has a huge stash of 1990’s common books. Not a lot of strength in those books. If the seller needs money they are in a real bind. If they don’t need cash they can hold out and see what happens. If you don’t need cash and have time, you can leverage a weaker position and hold out for more.

Ultimate Seller and Buyer Positions

The ideal situation for the seller is power books and no immediate need for cash.

It’s not always realistic, especially if you deal in comics. There is an opportunity cost you must take into account if you decide to hold on to a specific comic. Could the cash raised by selling a comic book now be used more productively? This use may be inside the hobby by purchasing other books you want more, or outside the hobby in some other investment or pursuit.

Also, you can’t discount the downside price risk to your comics. Will the particular book stay even or increase in price, or will it decrease? Who knows what will happen.

In the end, you have to balance the upside with the downside along with your personal situation. Try not to get into a bind where you have to let your comics go for an immediate cash need. You’re giving too much away to the buyer.

The ideal buying situation is cash. Cold, hard cash. No rush to buy, time on your side, and a wad of big bills to flash in front of buyers. A lack of cash means you can’t even get in the door (unless you have some great trades).

Even if you have cash you’ll have to speculate on the future price of any comic book you want to purchase.

Will it go up in price?

Will it increase in price faster than you can get a return on another investment vehicle?

Will you be kicking yourself for not buying it today for $2000 when it will sell for $4000 in two months (see the Avengers 1 post for more on that)?

These are all important questions only you can answer.

In any situation, buying or selling, just remember to keep that poke face. Oh, and keep the power, either in books or cash.

They are the Gerber Photo Guides to Comic Books. I received the first set way back in 1991 as a gift from my wife. It was the Gerber Photo Guides to Golden Age Comics. Later I picked up the Photo Guides to Marvel Comics.

Quite simply these books are beautiful and an amazing collection of comics that most people would never see in their lifetime. The Golden Age set contains two volumes and includes pictures of almost all comic books from that era (around 21,000 photos!). We’re talking all the “biggies” plus many other esoteric issues and titles. Many of the books photographed were from the Mile High Collection and other pedigrees. They are stunning. The Golden Age Guides are considered by many as the catalyst to an explosion in prices for many old comic books, including Suspense Comics #3.

The Marvel Guides contain every Marvel Comic Book from 1961 to 1990. Again, amazing pictures of beautiful comic books.

The Golden Age sold for around $200 when it was released and the Marvel set was at least $100. You may be able to score these sets at a significant discount through the links to auctions in this post.

I have to warn you, this collection can be a real time vampire and may be detrimental to your wallet. The stunning colors and art of these covers can suck you in for hours and may uncover several issues you must have. I know I added several books I would have never even known existed to my “want list” after receiving the set.

I highly recommend both of these volumes, they will be a cherished part of your comic book collecting library.

Good Luck!

Gerber Photo Guides to Golden Age Comics

Photo Guides to Marvel Comics

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I was reminded of this when I was looking over one of the Members Only RSS feeds for Iron Man #1. One book stood out with a lower price than expected. When I looked at the listing I noticed that the seller had put this book under the “superman” category on E-bay.  It brings up the point, do you do a focused search or a broad search?

If you are only doing a focused search you may be missing out on some great deals.  Think about it.  Let’s say you are searching for a Superman #233 comic book and you only look in the Superman category.  First, a lot of knowledgeable collectors are probably doing the same thing.  Also, the person selling the book is probably knowledgeable too since they knew enough and took the time to list the book in the correct category. Large number of bidders combined with smart seller = higher final value.

Now, think about a broad search.  This could be over all of E-bay or just the comic book section as a whole.  You stand to gain in two ways.  First, less people may be doing a broad search.   Second, the person listing the book probably doesn’t know what they are doing since they listed the book incorrectly.  Less bidders + inexperienced seller = less final value.  If you are lucky, you may find something like the Iron Man #1.

The lesson here is think outside the box.  Sometimes being less precise could snag you a great deal!