The Future of Silver Age Comic Investing! More Comic Book Investment Advice!

There's no doubt that recent news about certain silver age key issue comics breaking sales records and going for six figures has caught the attention of the public and many investors. The question of "Are comic books good investments" have been asked many of times by new speculators in comic investing.
However, the truth is that those comic books that have sold for ridiculous prices are what's called "Pedigree Comics" in the comic book industry. That means that they are the highest graded books of a certain issue. Silver age comics are rare as opposed to bronze age comics or modern age comics. However, those at NM or a high near mint are extremely rare.
The truth is that these books are extremely hard to come by. A few lucky collectors during the 70s and, perhaps, 80s paid top dollar for these books at the time, stored them safely, and then later had them graded by CGC. They had the foresight to see a comic's potential value decades earlier.
But what about now?
It's true that the demand for silver age comic books are high right now. Certain silver age key issues are selling extremely strong in all grades. It's true that most right now are gunning for the high grade books. As life teaches us, everything that comes up must come down.
No, I"m not talking about the value of silver age comics dropping. I'm talking about the market's current demand for high grade silver age books flattening out. The normal, average collector, cannot afford $100,000 for a single comic book. That's the cost of two homes in certain parts of the country. Ridiculous!
What I foresee happening with comic investing, and many experts agree with me, is an increased interest and demand for lower grade silver era comics. Grades at VG and even mid grade comics will start to pick up dramatically, because the higher grades are way too expensive.
If you think about it, many collectors started looking towards silver age comics as comic investments when high grade golden age comics became too expensive. Now, even though silver key issues are still in demand, many average collectors and comic investors are buying lower grades of both silver and golden age books.
This trend will continue and increase in the coming years. Lower grade books as long term comic investments is a wise choice, as comic book movies are rapidly pushing demand for these silver age key issues.

What are the top comic books to invest in for 2012? Click the link to read more articles about comic investing and which comics you should have your sights on right now before they become too expensive to get in the future.
Love comic books? Visit my blog www.totalcomicmayhem.com for everything comic book related!

A Powerful Secret in Comic Investing In Order To Make Wise Comic Book Investment Choices!

Last year the stock market roller coaster had a lot of investors wary about investing in stocks. In a single day, investors lost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Quite a few IRA's were completely wiped out and many took nose dives. While all this happened, comic investing flourished. Demand for certain issues rose in value, and certain golden and silver age comic books set record prices in 2011.

A CGC 9.6 Amazing Fantasy #15 (1st Appearance of Spider-Man) sold for $1,100,000 in March 2011, while a Fantastic Four #1 CGC 9.4 sold for $300,000 in 2011, beating its previous sales record of $210,000 in 2010.

There's no doubt that long term comic investing can be quite profitable, and for those who are new to the idea, there's one simple secret that can help you when it comes to investing in comics.

What is it?

It's comic book movies. Yes, Hollywood has turned to the superhero genre for fresh content when it comes to movies. What's better is these movies are extremely successful.

Learning about which movies are rumored or even coming out for a certain superhero is critical in choosing comic books to invest in. Researching and keeping up to date on the development of a certain comic-related movie is vital, because the hype pushes the demand and the value of the comic a lot quicker than it normally would.

A movie about Superman will spark interest and demand in his books. Pretty simple, huh? Not really.

Not just any comic will do. Sure, Captain America: The First Avenger did spark more interest in Captain America comics, and they sold quite well during the hype of the movie. However, we are talking about investing in comics that will rise in monetary value. Just because it's a Captain America book doesn't mean it will rise in value.

In this case, the values of only certain comic book issues are increased during a movie's hype. Finding these key issues is just another important part of making wise comic book investment choices. You need to research what's going on with these movies, and not just grab any thing off the shelf just because that character will come out with a movie.

So know you know one simple secret to help guide you to smarter investment comic choices. Now, it's time to find out just which of these key issues you should be on the hunt for.

Discover the top comic books to invest in for 2012? Visit the link to read more articles about comic investing and which comic books will increase in value quickly and steadily for the next few years.

Are you a comic book geek? Visit my blog for investment comic advice as well as news, rumors, and everything comic book related! Come geek out with me.

http://www.totalcomicmayhem.com

Comics & Graphic Novels

You can choose from anime, manga, cartooning, genre, characters, children's, cult graphic novels, history and of course there are many different series that you can start to read as well. What anime and manga books are out there to read? If you are new to this type of reading or you are just wondering what is available, you have a wide selection to choose from. There is Maison Ikkoku, Nausicaa, Pokemon, Ranma 1 and Sailor Moon. Some of these come in volumes or in a series such as the Pokemon books. This is one of those books that children of all ages seem to love.

Of course, there are volumes and series that not only are for teenagers but for adults alike. Comics such as Batman which includes the Joker and the Dark Knight, Watchmen and of course V for Vendetta seem to be for people of all ages. There are also comics such as V for Vendetta and Dark Entries as well.

What Authors Are Available?

There are many different authors that have written these books. These would include Alan Moore, John Byrne, Warren Ellis, Garth Ennis, Frank Miller, Neil Gaiman, Todd McFarlane, Grant Morrison, Art Spiegelman and Grant Morrison. These authors have published some of the comic books that have become very popular. These include League of Extraordinary Gentleman, The Complete Maus, Watchmen, Batman and V for Vendetta. Some of these comic books have been made into movies which of course has increased their popularity. For those that do not like to read as much, they can catch one of them in a movie.

Cult Graphic Novels

Cult graphic novels tend to be about super hero's or comic hero's. You may be wondering who you or what would classify as a cult graphic novel. If you are curious to read about them or know who they are, here are some examples of just what you can get. They include: Astro City, Batman, Hellblazer, Invisibles, Judge Dredd, Justice League of America, Maus, Preacher, Sandman, Sin City, Spawn, Starman, Superman, Swamp Thing, Transmetropolitan, Watchmen, X-Men and of course the classics. Maybe you have read one of these great comics or perhaps you have seen a movie. No matter which you have done, you will be hooked no matter what your age.

The General Population

Now that you have read about some of the more popular types of comics, you may be wondering what is left to read? There are actually quite a few comic books in the general category that are both single editions and volumes. Some of these to select from are The Animators Survival Kit, The Boys (Volumes), 100 Bullets: Wilt, Fables, From Hell, Nemi, Skeleton Key Graphic Novel (Alex Rider), Angel (Volumes) and Lost Girls.

There is something for everyone when it comes to comic books and graphic novels. As stated earlier, you may think that comics are just for the young but as you can see here, there are many different books that are available and at your disposal. But what if you are not sure what to read or how to get the books that are of interest to you?

You can actually join a book club or a discussion group and get the opportunity to talk about a book or books that you have read and that others have read as well. It gives you the opportunity to be able to ask questions about the stories you have read to get answers to parts of the book that may have confused you.

They also give you the chance to give your opinion on the books that you have read as well. It is also a healthy way to have a great debate about a particular section when you feel one way and someone else feels another way. Having the opportunity to be able to discuss your favorite comic books with others gives you the chance to be able to make friends and spend some time speaking with others that understand your passion for comic books.

The Genre

One last category that is very popular is genre. This category actually covers horror, crime, mystery, fantasy, science fiction, super-hero's and magic. In this category you are going to find the stories that can provide you with the thrills, chills, excitement and guessing. Here you will find books such as Vampire Knight, Angel, Homecoming, Dark Tower, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sandman, Bleach, 100 Ways to Create Fantasy Figures and Jack of Fables.

All of these books fall under the genre category plus many more. By joining in a group discussion you are going to find other people that are just as interested in this category as you are. This means that you will be able to find someone that you can share your thoughts with about Angel. It is not as though you can walk down the street and just talk to anyone about this.

If you are wondering about what other books are available in the comic and graphic section, just take a look around and you will be able to find many different ones that are available for you and your children to read. Who knows, maybe with a little bit of research and finding out what your kids like to read, you may be able to find something in common and have something that you can share and talk about.

Tips For Collecting Silver Age Comic Books (1955 - Early 1970s)

The Silver Age of Comic Books ran from 1955 to 1970. It was a time period when superhero books become popular. There are several tips and techniques to collecting this period. But to understand these tips, you first need to know about the history of this imaginative art form.

Comic books in the United States first started appearing in the early 1930s. These early comic books were just collection of newspaper strips. Then, in the late 1930s, comic books started creating their own characters - most notably Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman. By World War 2 (1939-1945) there were hundreds and hundreds of superhero comics. (Most of them forgotten to today's audience ). This time period was considered the Golden Age.

Superhero comics disappeared after the war. The public was more interested in crime, romance, and horror. For a variety of reasons, however, Superhero comics came back in the late 1950s. In 1956, DC brought back an old character - the Flash - but reinvented him. He was no longer the same person (or the same looking character) as the Golden Age Flash.

Showcase #4 - the first appearance of the Silver Age Flash - spawned a new generation of superhero comics. DC reinvented most of their popular characters. Marvel followed suit. And other publishers did the same. The Silver Age of Comic Books had begun!

If you are interested in collecting comic books from the Silver Age, here are my top 5 tips.

Tip #1 - Make sure that you have the proper size bag and board to protect your investment. Not all bags and boards are created equal. Basically, comic books have been shrinking since the 1930s. Golden Age books are the widest; Modern books are the skinniest. And Silver Age Comic Books are right in between. So make sure you buy the right bags and boards or you'll ruin your comics. (They should be labeled "silver age" bags and boards).

Tip #2 - A quick way to determine whether a comic book is from the Silver Age is to look at the original cover price. If the price is 12 to 15 cents, it is probably from the silver age. Ten cent comic books were generally from the Golden Age (pre 1950s) and 25 cent comics were from the Bronze Age (1970s).

Tip #3 - Quality is extremely important! If you look at a price guide for a specific comic - you might see that the price ranges from $6.00 to $600.00. The spread is a result of condition. If the book looks pretty beat up - as if 10 or 20 people have already read it - then it is probably going to be worth the $6.00. (And you might be able to find it at a convention or store for $1.00 or $2.00). If instead, the book is mint - as if nobody has every touched it before or read it - then the comic might be worth the $600. Condition is one of the main drivers of value. (The other two drivers are scarcity and popularity).

Tip #4 - The best place to get silver age comic books is usually at a convention or through the internet. There are fewer and fewer stores that sell books from this time period. Most stores make their money on new stuff and don't want to take up floor space with older items. So if you want to find the best deals on the internet, use a search engine to search for "silver age comic books" and see what you can find. Or look for comic book conventions in your area to buy your comics.

Tip #5 - The most expensive Silver Age books are from DC and Marvel and tend to be superhero books. This is due to the fact that DC and Marvel have been publishing continually until the present day and have thus developed a large fan base for their characters (Batman, Superman, X-Men, Iron Man, Avengers, Hulk, Wonder Woman, etc). However, if you want to start your collection without paying an arm and a leg, you might try collecting other publishers besides Marvel and DC (Harvey, Dell, Gold Key, Charlton Comics) or try other genres besides superhero comics (Horror, Crime, Romance).

Mick Davin has been collecting comics since he was 10 years old. He used to own a comic book store but closed it recently. He now sells at conventions. Mick also runs a resource website devoted to Silver Age Comics.

To find out more about silver age comic books, please go to his website at http://www.silveragecomicbooks.org