For anyone that collects or considers themselves a collector or what I like to call myself, a preserver of culture, you’ve probably noticed the price of “collectibles” have really gone up on the secondary market. Whether you collect records, comic books, vintage toys, vintage clothing or anything that has become favorable towards a very large demographic of people, it’s all become a cash grab especially with the resellers. As someone who has been collecting almost all my life, things were rather cheap and only of interest to a small circle of people. In the comic book and vintage toy collecting world, it was mainly old guys buying and selling, in the record world it was the old guys selling with a mix of younger “diggers” on one side and old men looking to fill their gaps in their crates with jazz and rock. And with the exception of certain things being priced high due to scarcity and demand, you could fill holes in your collection pretty easy. The price point of starting out collecting was still relatively easy and you could build a collection without breaking the bank with cheaper but quality pieces. Back in the late 80’s / early 90’s, taking $200 to a comic, toy or record convention went a long way and if you were serious about digging, you could really stretch that $200 far especially when looking for lesser known or sought after pieces.
There was a time before only resources like Discogs where you could “score” or talk down the seller on prices especially at flea markets where sellers assumed prices or based them on what they thought the value was. But somewhere in the mid 2000’s things started to change, there was an influx of “nerdiness” or people being into something that they never were into before but suddenly nostalgia struck and everyone became a collector or flipper and sellers could smell the scent of dollar bills like never before. Events like Comic Con became less about people there to buy comic books and more of a spectacle for Hollywood to promote their latest blockbuster which in a way was healthy for local comic shows and shops but sellers at the Cons began raising prices because they could and because of their overhead of setting up shop at the con. Covid hit and prices really shot up with collectors selling pieces to stay financially afloat while not working, PPA loan money coming in and buyers began splurging like money was being printed in their basements and once again, sellers to full advantage of that hunger that had struck collectors like Dracula sucking on the necks of helpless woman. Once the smoke cleared and the world went back to normal again, we began noticing that many of those people who spent big while they were stuck at home, began selling items and and started seeing price drops especially with graded comics that they assumed would appreciate in value. That proved that people weren’t buying because they were into it and enjoyed it, but buying because they thought they could make money from it. Grading might very well be the worst thing to happen to comic books and with the scandal that has happened with companies like CGC, real collectors that were into actually reading the books are enjoying the “we told you so” moment. Then we have to false sense of “limited edtion” tags placed on releases which generates fake rarity. 2000 copies of something printed is not limited edition, hell 300 copies of whatever bootleg / edit isn’t limited edition. Want it to be limited? Then press 50 numbered copies of the 45 and then you have a true fan club collectors piece.
Prior to online databases for comics and records, prices were primarily based on actual values and usually found in price guides like the Overstreet Comic Guide which would list prices based on the grade and not on the last sold like Discogs which most times is wildely inaccurate. If the medium price is $200 and one person chose to spend $500, the record doesn’t suddenly become a $500 record where sellers begin listing as close to $500 as possible which has become the case on most of the sought after records. There’s been plenty of speculation over the last few years in speaking with sellers in the comic world that much of the money spent beyond the actual value has to do with money laundering and “speculation” of future values which makes total sense giving the way the world seems to work now in all aspects of the financial sector. Why would anyone spend $300 more on a bidding auction when there are copies of it at a more reasonable price on Discogs!? Are people that lazy that they don’t actually research of “dig” to find things at this point?
But digging isn’t quite dead yet, it’s just not that easy to find things cheap as they once were and it means that you have to shift your focus on what you collect. Not everything is on the publics radar but that’s what separates people who really have their lane of interest versus those that buy what others buy or what is popular to buy. I still enjoy getting in the car and mapping out a course to hit shops or shows or even jumping on a flight to another city or country to look for items that I’m into and even though prices in those locations have gone up as well, the experience is priceless and you’ll always come up on something that you might not have found locally. It costs to be a player in the game and those willing to spend are you usually those who yield the best items, but those who know the connect most times will score for less. If you’re a frequent buyer who has built relationships with dealers, you’ll most likely be able to get what you’re looking for at the “friends rate” because you’ve probably already spent money with them, or they respect you that much as a collector and most importantly as a good human.
When I think about me and being a collector, I realize that I’ve amassed a nice collection of various things but realize just how hard it is for newer collectors to come in and build their showroom especially with the prices. I never would have had this much had I started in the last 10 years and probably wouldn’t even think of collecting in the way that I do now knowing that the dollar only stretches but so far. At the end of the day, collect what you love and enjoy, not what’s become hype or the trend. Collect pieces that speak to you, not ones that you think will gain you props by flossing on Instagram. Collecting is supposed to be a personal journey and not two collections are supposed to be alike.