Here is my mantra “if my life was fine before I owned the comic, my life will be fine without it” do want you want and collect what makes you happy, but don’t be a slave to your hobby
@@MintHunterComics of course! When your “hobby” controls you, it’s not a hobby anymore it’s an addiction. And that’s the case a lot of times for hardcore collectors. There is a different kind of “high” but grabbing a high value graded 9.8 is definitely something to be excited for. But like any drug, over time it’s going to get more and more expensive to get that’s same high.
@@MJRLHobbyStuff It's a question of resources. Every type of collecting requires time and money investments. We all have to find the right 'balance' - there is no 'one size fits all' here, it's a matter of tailoring your collecting methods so that they are both fun and sustainable, in the long run.
Yup, compare the content of a bronze age book, dialog boxes , page count, cool letters from readers in the back and the classic ads vs a 15 page splash fest with a damn $5 price tag.
@@MintHunterComics You should make a video of the cheapest comics you bought which went on to be the most valuable, both ones you kept and sold! And comics you sold which you regret!
I think 'scalping' is a bigger problem in terms of tickets to live events (music shows, especially). I would think the biggest problem in the comic-collecting universe is simply that some choice items are hard to find, due to too much demand and not enough copies in circulation.
We are not a "community". We are enthusiasts. "Community" is what assholes like Mags and Ilk used to ruin comics. Collecting really sucks today because activists have ruined our heroes.
This is an excellent summation of the many reasons I barely read any modern comics at all. Ridiculous prices, an absolute swamp of titles, zillions of variants. I used to reject the old logic that comics readership was steadily dwindling because it was "too intimidating" for new readers to jump into the midst of a series that was on issue 400 or whatever. And that was when there were probably 40-50 titles on the shelves between Marvel/DC combined. But NOW...it can only be legitimately intimidating and confusing to even know where to start or what the hell is going on. Is continuity completely dead? There are a lot of amazing covers and even on rare occasions interior art that is good as well...but it's just all too expensive and chaotic to bother. I'll stick to what I love (and know) which is the Bronze Age and before just for the art and collectability. And the few modern things I can follow--Saga, Love & Rockets--to read.
I agree with almost every single one of your points, and that is why I have stopped collecting. Prices are too high, and everyone is just trying to make a profit. I remember when I was caught up in the fever of trying to collect everything and feeling like I was missing out on everything. I took a step back one day and realize that I was focussing more on collecting that I was on actually reading the books. Reading the comics is why I got into the hobby to begin with, and I lost touch with that and it made me really sad. Now I am strictly a reader. Sure I still buy trade paper backs and Omnis, but I am done with trying to collect individual issues. I stopped collecting about six years ago and I remember my friend saying at the time that I would be back in a matter of months. I haven’t looked back since
There aren't many "true"collectors out there anymore.true collectors have that passion that comes through when talking about our hobby! You my man have that passion!
I think they're plenty of true collectors its just that it's subjective. How someone collects is very different than how another person collects. And thats fine!
What ruined my fun collecting comics was my local shop only orders what people have on pull lists now so if I don't remember to put something on my list at the beginning of the month I'm SOL and there isn't the discovery of finding a new book just looking through the stacks on release day
Most annoying is those bloody leeches that crawl around the comic shop with their cellphones! "oh how much is this worth ? Is this hot ? Is this the first appearance of boogerman ? How much profit will I make on this? I"m outta here! My fun balloon gets deflated everytime .
I'm 54, and I bought my books for 20 cents or a quarter back in the day, and agree 100% with you! BTWLOVE Capt. Carrot! What a fun series! Met the creator, he's a good friend of the owner of my local LCS. I buy what I like, read what I buy, and don't care if it goes up. Not a spec guy. BRING BACK CAPTAIN CARROT DC!!!!
Great vid, one thing that is frustrating is the trade waiting/series pre-orde cycle. If you like a series and follow it but doesn't have enough of a following, it gets cancelled. But buying the issues monthly can be costly compared to waiting for trade and then gets cancelled anyway because not enough purchases...it's a headache for sure.
Nailed it!! There are way to many "speculators/scalpers" in this hobby. It will erode the hobby just like it did in the 90's (i.e. The Death of Superman, comes to mind). #WheresMyCarrot
They are out there, for sure. I recently saw an ebay action for the first Xmen comic from the 90s for sale. Guess what the asking price was? Half a million dollars! I am not making this up. I just hope no one was stupid enough to buy it.
Variant covers started decades ago and are still overblown. They’ve even tried them with paintings on the back instead of the add not to mention price variants all the time. Remember a variant is really a reprint. The prices asked are ridiculous.
after over 30 years I stopped in 2014. One of the main factors is with already clear inflation CCG casing blew it up even further. The change and inflation was noticeable when the paper upgrades happened in the 90s Image Boom. I just find it interesting that a video complaining about inflation actually uses one of the mechanisms that helped cause it.
You did a reverse! Hahaha. Man I used to read everything. Now I read probably 70 percent of what I buy to be honest. Stuff is amazing these days though!
I stopped reading a good bit when DC started going down especially before Future State. Marvel has started to suck too. Now I collect variants of the books I used to read as well as the books I still do.
Ahh yes I so miss the days when every comic cost .50 and even a poor sailor like I was at the time could put every marvel book on his pick list and could still afford to grab a couple DC,s or indys when he hit the shop. Good old days.
I was a 90s kid. I started collecting comics in 1989 at the age of eight. I fell hard for the speculators market. After the market crashed I made a promise to myself. I swore to never buy a variant cover again. I also promised to never buy a book just because it was popular. Recently I had to take a step back and look at my buying habits for comics. I was not getting joy from my unbroken runs anymore. This, coupled with the price, forced me to cull my pull list and embrace more creator owned books. I’m enjoying reading comics again. As long as I can say I’m primarily a reader over a collector than I know I’m doing it right.
I grew up collecting in the seventies. I read most of my books too. I have went in and out of collecting over the years. I started collecting and reading again in the last couple of years and I totally feel your pain. I am really enjoying reading some of the books I am following but because of all the things you mentioned I have a love hate relationship with collecting these days. Things have really changed over the years.
Not just comics but also sports cards, non sports cards and toys. Things that were abundant in the 90’s and very common all of a sudden people are grading them just to make the values go up even though most of the time there is nothing special about them.
Hey, almost everything on your list made me stop collecting back in early 90's. It actually started in the mid-80's. Nothing new here, just another generation. As you say: enjoy collecting however you want...before the whole industry implodes and consumes itself. (And yeah, I remember buying comics off the newsstand with a quarter). Uncle G
Yep. Stan Lee or Jim Shooter would write long editorials explaining (and justifying) why Marvel had to increase the price of each comic book by a nickel.
I grew up buying comics in the 60s when they were 12cents each,I just wished I still had them .Silver age was the best,especially the 25 cent 80 page giants, my favorites.
I know this video is a year old now but its still relevant. The speculation market and prices of comics have made collections less desirable than I was a kid. As of now, with some exception, I've abandoned floppies in favor of reading digital and buying the trades of stories I want. Its a peaceful life. #wheresmycarrot.
Intentional variants suck. Unintentional variants are awesome. $0.30. $0.35. Mark Jewelers. I love the 5000 + cpv Canadian price variants that everyone ignored for 25 years.
@@MintHunterComics Not forgetting Pence Variants :D Same book inside plate swaps for the price and top banner :) or 1960's just the old pence 'D' plate swap out, not so common in the states but are variants non the same and quite overlooked :D
actually its to do with less people buying comics, so the publishers raise the prices to make up for it and to show the share holders.... see we are not in decline .... all is good. get it ???
Really, it seems like CGC is the one thing saving comics. How much money do they make off of people sending brand new modern comics CGC? Just like the person in this video that’s a waste of your money. Brand new comics will be 9.8. Yet you blame CGC, yet it’s you wasting your own money.
I am not really sure how the speculation really works now. How speculation used to work would be a movie would come out and people outside the market and those not collecting that character would buy in causing a rise. This doesn't happen so much, Most of the jumps are speculators selling to other speculators, etc. It feels like a game of hot potato sometimes.
I've been a comic book reader since the 70s, but only a collector because I never got rid of them. I feel bad for the collectors at any time, because of market fluctuations, bubbles ( I remember the 90s well), and expense of finding & preserving issues. For me, it's always been reading the books, which means I'm happy with reprints and compilations, as long as I get to read the stories. Others can encase originals in plastic slabs and wheel and deal, but to read the stories is the hobby for me.
When I go to a show, I stop by the artists who have artwork from the issue. I like to purchase the artwork and have them autograph. There has been too many SJW’s in the comic industry and it had kept me away from what the stories I had growing up. My son and I will open a box and see a issue and read the issue together. I try to take him to shows and show how fun it was to go and see what comic collecting had become from when I first started going to shows.
This was an excellent video. You succinctly summed everything up in just 13 minutes, where some other comics channels on RU-vid would have made this a 45 minute video. I must admit, I fall victim to the FOMO once in a while. You see some limited variant coming out like three or four months from now, and you instantly rush onto all the comics sites to see where you can preorder. Only to be disappointed because the scalpers snatched up all the copies!
Hey a lot of what you say makes sense but most importantly I agree with the idea that everyone should collect in their own way. I only care if you love comics, how you love them is your call.
Hey I think you touched on all the key points in collecting and may even convince some that it's not for them/ get them really excited about comics, but it pretty much is a stock market type game these days IMO.
@@MintHunterComics "they had better watch out,going up to $5 a book will simply kill so much of these companies base fans and then well...back to the 90's crash!!!💥
#wheresmycarrot Cover prices are frustrating. They can put out True Believers and the like for a buck a book, but new comics are $3 more (at least)? You can't tell me paying the creative teams costs that.
@@MintHunterComics I really think they're missing the mark with those. They need to get these cheap reprints back into grocery stores - maybe in conjunction with LCS - get them in a bag and board on a rack with the LCS store information.
Yea, i have like kinda bunch of those true comics lol. i mean a buck cover price or cheaper cant beat that and it new? lol. was reprints but stil nice price. wont pay new cover prices unless want it really bad lol.
Almost agree with you on everything. I wish they would go back to cheap newsprint again so that the price of new books would go down. Getting rid of the direct market would be great again and classify comics in the same class as newspapers so we won't get charged sales tax. But I have to disagree with you on one thing in that there is a LOT of unreadable crap out there as well.
Finally somebody said these things! Been collecting for 15 years and wow I’m surprised how people actually are collecting now a days and the scalpers Damn.
Too many variants: Preach!!! I've been saying this for years. It is beyond ridiculous at this point. Price rising: dude, I feel you on the Batman Adventures 12. I am in the same boat. It's the only one I need to complete that run. Another thing, too, is the freaking key collector app (where everything is a key) if a run you're collecting gets a hit, you're almost forced to go get what you're lacking immediately before prices skyrocket. The Key Collector App is honestly a big problem I have with collecting these days. So many people just take what key collector says and jacks up the prices or buys everything up. As useful as it can be, it is also a huge pain in the butt.
for the books you missed when they came out and u cant find em, theres tons on ebay. unless peoole dont want to pay fmv for collectibles, then dont expect to fully enjoy the collectibles market if you dont want to pay fmv for the collectibles lol. know what else would be cool to collect for cheap? bitcoin, gold, real estate, sports cards, antiques, etc. gotta pay to play, its a competitive market, not a charity for fans. good vids, i understand the frustration and i see your points, but it is how it is. good vid! 👍👍
@@MintHunterComics I went to them for a decade before I moved. One of the best comic shop in Colorado. Big back issue selection, reasonable prices and awesome people.
Hey this is Bob in Connecticut I love that caption collecting comics now sucks. Well I gave up bartending about 10 years ago by collecting comics I don’t have any money I have to sell the books so I could never work again but I still have some of my key. The problem is collecting comics does suck because every comic book collector is not a movie star or hedge fund manager. I am Being a little facetious because if you want something like amazing fantasy 15 or X-Men 1 right now I am just giving an example you have to be wealthy. Yes I was bartending and I was a restaurant manager in Westport Connecticut. I didn’t save any money because I was dating beautiful women but when I had extra money I was buying comic books.And my best deals was journey into mystery 83 and X-Men 1 both ungraded I got those for $300 each and yes the X-Men came back 7.0 worth about $30,000 plus the journey into mystery came back 6.0 that’s about $15,000. nowadays you have to get lucky you are talking about Batman adventures 12 I have a 9.8 signature series there are only 36 copies total of that I only paid $1600 of course it’s worth more than twice that. You just have to get lucky now if you want a major key. I also got a great deal on my amazing fantasy 15 6.0 I was at the Jacob Javits center 10 years ago I paid $4000 that’s about $70,000 right now no question about that. Well basically I do absolutely nothing for years I am a New York Yankee ticket holder so when I need money obviously I have to sell a comic book. Listen I understand everything because I don’t work because of what you are doing but now you have to be rich to collect comic books like Vin Diesel Ryan Reynolds Mark Hamill Chris Brown Eminem🥳🥳🥳
I remember my first experience with Comic book scalpers was way back in 1979 with Amazing Spider Man #194. The first Black Cat. Not quite as bad as today but it flew off the shelves the first day and then it was gone. That is unless you wanted to pay a buck or two for a 40 cent comic! The same thing happened when the New Teen Titans #2 came out.
Soooooo on point...except #1...but that could just be because I’m a Marvel guy at heart. I’d add in massive crossovers. Recent case in point, X of Swords...uurrrrrggghhhh!! 😭😭
AMC's Comic Book Men got me back into comics. I bought old shit just to get on the show. Failed my camera test. Made it to the final round. I noticed I started spending more money on comics than I did on drugs. I ended up replacing one addiction with another. I have some wall hangers I over payed for Hulk 180 and first appearance of second Green goblin, but the money went to charity.
All great points; that is why I sadly am no longer into single comics. So every now and then I buy a trade paperback. Anyhow, the main reason I liked your video is your mention of Captain Carrot; I believe I’m only missing like three of the later issues to complete the 1-20 Captain Carrot and his amazing zoo crew ! LOL
In my neck of woods, during the 90s, we had a major issue with variants covers. They were running rampant with like 6 to 8 different covers. My budget usually allowed for 8 books. (Double that on special occasions, i.e. birthday or holiday money.) It felt a bit redundant to me to have so many varients. Don't get me wrong, I did pick up 1 or 2 of them, if I liked the artwork alot. (I am only human. Lol)
#where'smycarrot I was born in 1967, I was raised on DC's Weird War Tales, DC's Star Spangled War Stories and Marvel's Sgt. Fury and started collecting Marvel's Star Wars Legends. I've also started getting Captain Carter, but man, you're right, I ran smack dab into variant covers. I'm like "WTF!". I'm bowing out of new comics and just sticking to the Silver and Bronze age stuff of my youth. :) I love your attitude "Just collect what you want and screw the haters" attitude! :) cheers
I absolutely agree with this whole video, the prices of books has gone thru the roof, I actually had to cancel my subscription a few years ago when I lost my job and with the saturation of titles and restarts (Which restarts is biggest pet peeve. In my humble opinion they suck lol.) I just never renewed it. I am now just filling in my collections and reading the new stuff in trade. Great show as always. Love watching. Would love to meet up sometime and geek out over comics. 👍 #Wheresmycarrot
I agree with all your points. I recently sold most of my collection to focus on TPBs. Guess what? Nobody cared about all the variants I had when selling. I still pick up random issues of series I really love, but that's about it.
Yea, when got going again myself cause prices i was more selective on comics any cause price and stuff. but have been on a break again cause budgets and other reasons. besides pandemic now .
Know what you mean about the variants. Having been away from the hobby for over 20 years i the mid 90s ..spotted Gen 13 and couldn't believe how many different covers. Now the Vampirella & Gun Honey series is driving me nuts with my ocd ...and need to complete them..lol.
Yes yes yes I totally agree with everything you said. I agree with you about inflation of the market done by flippers, too many titles, and the companies inflation. The biggest problem I agree with you is your 1st problem the variants way to many it water downs the book and I like just have 1 cover that's it. Like asm 300 and the 90s comics
Totally agree on all points. The variants and price is ludicrous! Just sent 3 comics away to CGC for the first time. Been holding on to them for 30yrs.
Price is what drove me out. I collected from about 1980-2018. Prices kept rising and the quality was going down. It got to be a chore reading through the stories and I was collecting just out of habit. When my favorite comic The Walking Dead ended, I saw that as an opportunity to walk away (although that wasn't an easy decision). Haven't looked back.
COLLECTING WHAT YOU LIKE NOT WHATS HOT IT IS AN AMAZING HISTORY OF ART,WRITERS AND TIME PERIODS. JUST TO MEET PEOPLE LIKE MR.KUBERT, MR.KIRBY,MR.ANDERSON,MR.SWAN,MR.FINGER,MR.LEE. AND LEN WEIN AND TALK AND LEARN FROM THEM.
#wheresmycarrot New comic collector here. I bought and read them growing up, but never got into collecting them. I just stepped foot into my LCS (just found out what this means) and spent about $50 and walked out with some new TMNT and The Walking Dead reading material. Looking forward to getting into it, even if it's for the stories and not necessarily for the collecting.
Variants definitely are out of hand I’m fairly new to the hobby and it’s annoying when I’m forced to get a variant cover cuz my lcs does have any cover A’s. And this could be for a many reasons but I’m blaming the 10+ variants for each issue
I think I remember the guy too! He went around to everyone's channel copy and pasting the same stupid comment 🤣🤣🤣 what a pointlessly sour stance on things! Haha
variants are fun, but can be a pain....a lot of times, I just try for a variant if I like it (unless I think it's just too expensive, then I will just spend the money somewhere else). Grading plus Covid plus speculating has made these books have really gone up. Definitely might be crashing a little, although I think the keys will stay up a lot better than others. I think the key to that is just trying to stay within your budget rather than getting FOMO and over extending yourself. Very true about collect how you want and what you want. It's your collection and you have to live with it. Also should want to enjoy it. FOMO does happen, but just try and contain it or keep it in perspective if you can. Lots of titles, but for me still only a few I like, so it's kinda easy. I will try a new title, if it looks interesting or I hear good things about it, however still have to balance it out when books go up to $4.99 or so,...at that point, books will get cut....the volumes from X-Men almost made me quite my collection. They had one volume from 1-544 or so, and then they've had 4 or 5 volumes since then. I had the whole run, but almost gave up because of that. Not a good trend. Love Thor, Something is Killing the Children, Home sick Pilots, Stillwater, Marauders, and Vampirella right now. There's a few titles I like but they aren't as consistent to me as those. Still lots of fun stuff to read...plus I still like going back and getting bunch of back issues for cheap and reading them as well.....#wheresmycarrot
#wheresmycarrot Good list. I think there is so many good titles right now as a comic book reader and yes it's expensive. Scalpers are truly the worst but they are the worst for everything. Good list!
I agree 100%. I hate variants and virgin variants in particular...especially those virgin variants that have NOTHING to do with what the book is about.
#wheresmycarrot But for real... Awesome content! I just got back in to comics since my finances stabilized. It's been a bit confusing trying to catch up since the 2014 run of asm. heh
Recently I tried to comeback to comics. In fact I manage to complete Transformers 84: Secrets and Lies. I'm kind of an old school guy meaning I walk in on stores. I remember trying to get Street Fighter # 100 from a shop but told I can't buy it up front because people ordered. I was pretty bummed out. And if you're going to say a) Why not buy it off E-Bay or something and b) Why not go digital? Well shipping it to my country is way too expensive than the actual book and I would like to own a physical copy. Sure I can read it online but nothing beats a hard copy - at least for me. Then I tried to hook up with TMNT The Last Ronin. I went for a different shop and they said they are in stock in fact they have copies ready - only problem it's again it's only for those who ordered costumers. The sad fact is that a bunch of them haven't picked up by their "valued" costumers. It really bummed me out even more. Books that are not my thing are on the shelves while other books aren't available walk in folks. 😢 Look I may sound wrong at this and I'm not always online to know the latest release so please let me have this. This is really giving me a hard time to come back as if it prevents me in comic collecting and added that to the closure of my actual shop that I buy my comics from. Sorry for the very lengthy comment.
great video, I liked your comment(8:57) oh how batman detective comics just goes has issue numbers and not multiple volumes. Do you mind making a video on how someone could get into comics with no knowledge prior. I am trying to communicate is how could some learn/read about a character from the very beginning starting in today's day and age.
@@MintHunterComics thank you. I always wanted to get into the storyline of the character from the beginning and work my way up to the latest but I found it to be very confusing and complicated on what cannon and what the order of everything
Based off your part about the cost of modern comics and inflation, I mean I have to imagine it's not as simple as this is what it was then, add inflation and what it should be now. There has to be intangibles not being taken into account there. I mean I could be wrong, and I get that's the whole purpose of inflation. But all that inflation calculator is taking into account is simply what 20 cents back then equals now. I don't believe it's taking into account additional costs the publishers may be incurring on top.
@@MintHunterComics Yeah I mean I just have to wonder if there's something missed in all that. Fact of the matter is though you still pick up on an important factor, which is modern comics ain't cheap haha.
Not sure what I am....I guess I'm a Reader. If my LCS is out of an issue and I ask can they get it, they always ask "is 2nd printing ok?" I don't care, I'm not buying to resale, I just want my story! I don't like being strong-armed into buying titles I don't really want. Marvel has a short series about Namor, I want it cause, well, Namor is awesome. But this is a side series to King in Black. So I felt the need to buy King in Black, not that I want King in Black, but I might need to read it in order to fully enjoy the Namor series.
I stopped collecting issues of the big two as the pandemic began. Now Im just finishing avengers run by J. Aaron and Immortal Hulk by Ewing, and Im done with current issues. I found more pleasure collecting dollar comic reprints of marvel and dc and some fascimiles. Droped DC after finishing Death Metal and for their decision to NOT print the final three issues of the Terrifics (the only other monthly I was buying) And my digital library has grown thanks to services like Humble Bundle that have multiple digital collected editions from one dollar (Humanoids, Image Comics, Udon, Rebellion, etc) an the ocassional comixology sale of complete collected editions for $0.99 I know try to get my stuffin collected editions (TPB or HC) and mostly on the cheap whenever is possible (from overstocks on online stores special sales). Saludos desde Panamá
Comics are not worth the price they charge in terms of art or story. There's so many different comics being released at the same time that it's quantity over quality. Shonen Jump had this figured out and they have a certain number of titles in their magazine at a time every week. They also have a ranking system that leads to quality control. If your series doesn't stay in the top ten for ten consecutive weeks, it gets axed. That makes writers and artists work three times as hard to stay in the game. We get epic battles and epic stories as a result.
