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.
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!
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.
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.
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
@@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!
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.
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 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.
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!!!!
I've been a long-time collector and you really hit on a lot of good points. Like you, I will not stop collecting, but these recent trends make it a lot tougher. Just subbed up.
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 .
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
I Agree 100% with Everything you have said & i have made the decision a while back to slowing ween myself off all the modern stuff coming out and focus on getting grails and comics from copper age or before.
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
OMG!!!! I have a full run of Batman Adventures! never realized there was a key issue in there. Thank you for making this video. Now off to figure out how to send my comic to CGC for grading.
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 collect sports cards as well and that hobby has the same issue as variant comics. You can get a standard rookie card, a silver chrome rookie card, a blue variant rookie card... you get the point. Then, you have different brands on top of that. Collecting comics and cards are still fun to collect, but I understand your point 100%.
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 ???
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.
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.
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.
Yep seen a guy do online sales any and show like 5 or more different covers for 1 issue lol. some tried get certain ones and others try get ea cover lol. so as u mention in video certain covers sale out cause scalpers by chance. it seems scalpers/ resellers ruin everything now days lol. i do get comics cause cover some times or other reasons but i dont always know if it a variant but if got any then cool 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
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! 👍👍
Wow there was so much truth in this video. Agree with every point. As someone who collected comics in the 90s when I was a kid and am trying to get back into it nowadays, it's so annoying to see how every single book is a spec, how prices get driven up for certain issues just because a facebook group or subreddit made that happen, how there's just so many variants out there and everyone is acting like each one is worth $100. its nuts. just enjoy how you want to enjoy just like you said. Crazy. and worst of all... #wheresmycarrot??
#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.
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!!!💥
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.
Agreed on most points. On a good (and bad) note, I think we are due for a bit of a bubble burst soon, so a lot of those prices should fall to reasonable levels within a year or two. There are too many people buying right now that have no real love of the actual books… and that will eventually become evident when the market stats to soften. There are a couple of minor keys that I never got around to getting (Marvel Spotlight 5, Ghost Rider 1, etc), so I am going to have to wait this out until the crash happens. I have no real love for Cpt Carrot, but good luck to you… although I figure that was more to get an idea how many people made it to the end of the video.
This was an excellent video. You succinctly summed everything up in just 13 minutes, where some other comics channels on CZcams 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!
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.
Actually the reason prices are higher is because so many less people are reading. The larger the distribution the lower your unit price can be, as you pick up the profit on volume. The market has shrunk so much that only so small group of enthusiasts care, and are the only ones willing to pay.
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
Great list and I could personally add a few others...:) but love our hobby and been at it for some time now. Like you mentioned just enjoy and collect the way makes you happy. Any one with a problem with that. Can kick rocks! :)
Re: the cost adjusted for inflation compared to comics in the 70s; artists in the 70s didn’t get royalties the way they do now, so the cost to produce comics is much higher than it was in the 70s.
You made some great points. I also miss Captain Carrot and DC should do a series run I mean after all they already have so many titles, what’s 1 more and whilst they are at it bring back Space Ghost! I collect for different reasons. Sometimes it’s just for the covers cause I own the graphic novel, some times it’s for the rare ones like Star Trek Peter Pan Comics & Vinyl and sometimes it’s for those comics that will never be collected like the DC & Marvel run on The Phantom or The Batman Strikes Series. We all have our reasons and they are all valid. Thanks for the great videos, I’ll keep watching from all the way down under.
What a great video ,,,,I agree with most of what you said (not sure about the Captain Carrot statement though hahahahaha) Keep up the good work,, loving your Channel over here in the UK ,,,,
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.
Hashtag Carrot! This is one of the best comic book vids I have watched in a really long time! I would have added:" Too many number one issues." Every single month at the LCS...there are like 20 new #1 issues..If I see a number one issue from the 1970's...or prior....im interested....I suppose you covered this by "too many titles"...Great Video!! Thanks!
As an older comic collector/reader I find that newer comics are incredibly hard to read due to the lack of storytelling by the artists. As well as every story seems to be another multi title crossover building on stories I never read, just not an enjoyable read anymore
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.
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 .
Subbed!!! This guy is saying what 90% of collectors are thinking! Variants killed collecting for me. Now I only buy older keys when I find them at a decent price. That is getting really hard to do. There definitely seems to be a lot of artificial inflation. EBay is a perfect example. You’ll see an incomplete books with higher prices than the same complete books. My country has a smaller version of EBay and I still find some decent deals on it, without the huge shipping costs of EBay. Even still I find normies trying to sell 1991 Xmen #1’s for hundreds of dollars. Just cause you found a comic with #1 on it does mean it’s worth something!!! If that were the case we’d all be millionaires!
There is a listing on e-bay right now, where the seller is asking literally half a million dollars (!) for that issue. Gee, think they are price gouging much? lol
I stopped collecting comics about six years ago. I just wasn't enjoying them anymore. I was buying them but not reading any of them. The boxes were just piling up and I wasn't doing anything with them. Also, my favorite series was ended. But now I've moved on to another endless hobby, statue collecting.
Detective Comics restarted its numbering with New52. They’ve since reverted back to the original numbering….that’s maybe even more confusing because some numbers don’t exist.
Collecting comics first went shit in the 90s. That's when the endless variants and crossovers began. I stopped collecting until around 2008. A few years later and i stopped again. Too expensive, too many books to buy.
@@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.
You bring up great points and there are a few ways to look at this. First the variant cover is a sales gimmick that’s still working and won’t go away anytime soon. I understand that comic companies need to continue to sell as many comics as possible but the industry will suffer as it did in the 90’s because of over saturation. I’m an older collector, ( 57 ), so my focus is Marvel Silver Age. Over the last several years MSA books have and continue to rise in value and I don’t see that trend changing for the foreseeable future. I personally am having a great time tracking these down and virtually ignore the new comics. The only new comics I buy are the ones I get from ComicTom with his Mystery Mailbag.
This was such a well executed video… Clear concise and to the point and exactly correct on every level I especially liked the DKIII reference because honestly it’s getting to be a joke
Yea, i check videos and if they trail off and cant get to point i stop watching any lol. but u was straight and to point where was not wasted time any.
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
Just getting into comic collecting I agree, it’s WAYYY to many vol. assuming I have a key classic i have to make sure it’s the right year etc. they stop the runs in the middle of the 347 and then boom back at 1 like wtf. Then yes, way to many variants. I don’t wanna get overwhelmed looking for great comics and tryna keep up. At this point I’m starting with one and keep going till that run stops lol
I agree about the variants. You don't know which ones to collect. I go with which artist I like and covers. Instead of wondering is this one gonna be valuable. And the prices are to extreme. Its not even the value of the book Its what they say its worth. I could keep going on all you list. Great video
Agree 100% on there being too many variants to the point many otherwise become less significant. Is having “too many” titles to chose from a bad thing though? As human-beings, we are inherently selective. Who doesn’t like having options?! I’d rather have two isles of cereal to choose from vs a measly 2 boxes and I’d bet my left 🥥 that most others would feel the same way. All a matter of opinion in the end though and I understand that as well. Great video, thanks!
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
I absolutely love this. I need to apply this to my life in general!
@@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.
Me spending over $200 a month with comics Jesus
@@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.
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!
@Comic Lover Amen!
#11 should be shrinking page counts. Reading a '90s comic took 2x as long as a modern book.
Mmmm, not wrong. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
Very true. Modern comics don't even take 5 minutes to read!
They used to say the same thing about 90s comics.
Hasn't the page count been pretty stable, with some exceptions, just the amount of dialog has dropped off?
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.
Scalpers, the plague of every community.
Seriously. I still can't get a ps5 because of them. Not in the comic context but scalpers ruin everything
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.
Literally, not many people were able to get concert tickets as well and now they think someone’s gonna spend 300 for nosebleeds
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.
Since I posted this I now see that comics are up to $4.99 minimum for 2021 hahaha #whyyyyyyyyyyy
Yeah, Im pruning DC almost completely post-future state due to the price hike. (Still reading GL and Catwoman, and that's about it.)
In Canada that same comic Is over 6 dollars plus tax.
Good news is Spawn is still $2.99 I enjoy that book more than a lot of the stuff that has a higher price tag
@@paulfancy9099 UGH that's terrible
Yeah I refuse to buy
Another thing that sucks is having to pay high shipping costs now because you cant find books at your LCS
Exactly. Getting these rare variants not in store costs a ton in shipping and taxes
A lot of comic shops have closed up and are hard to find.
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
Comics are only fun if they're cheap
Haha you're not wrong. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
@@MintHunterComics #1 better be captain carrot
Marvel's the worst when it comes to the variant covers!
However the fun also comes when you find out the book is worth alot.
@@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 just stick with my favorite writers, and artists. I read them, touch them, and I even let my kids read them. 😨
Honestly the best move. I know people that ONLY collect Donny Cates. Or Denny O'Neil, or Neal Adams
I read what i buy, i buy reader copies and i enjoy them.
Funny thing is when I was little in the 80s and 90s I never read them I just collected for the covers now I’m 37 and read every day.
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.
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.
Saga is amazing. I think indie comics are the cream of the crop right now (I still love me my Batman though hahaha)
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.
I hear that Gary. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
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!!!!
Let's go DC give us our Carrot based character we need! Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
I've been a long-time collector and you really hit on a lot of good points. Like you, I will not stop collecting, but these recent trends make it a lot tougher. Just subbed up.
I'll never stop collecting, but I'll also never stop being annoyed by annoying collecting haha
Definitely agree, everything is so expensive.
Thanks
Sighhh it really is
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.
I'm done with vars - my collection actually started as a TPB collection - it's funny to read
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 .
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.
I love reprints, digital and graphic novels for the sole reason of I can finally read those bigger books!
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.
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.
I'm constantly at war with myself. I LOVE slabbing but it does drive price upwards. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
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
Oh wow. Sounds like you need a new LCS! haha
I love the disclaimer. We all gain intelligence when we have discourse with people we disagree with.
I quite agree Beerded one
Fricking killed it sir.
Hahaha thanks my man
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.
It's a lesson that I think will repeat every 25 years
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.
Cgc and movies have really f'ed everything up for back issue collecting i know that much!
It can be fun to speculate but too too much is too much
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.
100% absolutely between CCG and Speculators its a dieing hobby.
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.
Agreed ! Variants are getting insane !!
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.
I'm going to DC to my first show in YEARS this summer - I couldn't be more pumped. Plus I'll be fully vaccinated by that point!
I Agree 100% with Everything you have said & i have made the decision a while back to slowing ween myself off all the modern stuff coming out and focus on getting grails and comics from copper age or before.
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.
All those are so much fun. I still think certain 1:25 variants can be fun, as long as they're rare. I don't like regular multpe variants
@@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
OMG!!!! I have a full run of Batman Adventures! never realized there was a key issue in there. Thank you for making this video. Now off to figure out how to send my comic to CGC for grading.
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
New era same stuff! Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
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 collect sports cards as well and that hobby has the same issue as variant comics. You can get a standard rookie card, a silver chrome rookie card, a blue variant rookie card... you get the point. Then, you have different brands on top of that. Collecting comics and cards are still fun to collect, but I understand your point 100%.
#WheresMyCarrot
I loved reading Captain Carrot and the Zoo Crew!!!!
Woohoo!
My understanding is that printing costs have risen faster than inflation, which is at least part of the reason new books have jumped so far in price.
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 ???
It could be nostalgia but there are few comics I'm into unlike when I was a kid
That's how it always works!
Where's my...... SLEEPWALKER, Marvel!?!?!?! Great video man. Genuine issues without actually bashing the industry. I am subscribing for future videos.
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.
Newsprint is the best!! Check out the Alterna line of books! You'll love it!
Hahaha yes there are some books that fall short of an ending aren't there? Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
Yea, kinda miss the pre gloosy days and now u gotta hit back issues for news print comics any lol.
Couldn't agree more. Variants make me long for the days of polybagged books and having to buy 2 copies.
I canceled my variants and im just collecting the reg covers now. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
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
Hahaha yes! thanks for watching til the end!
They don’t overprint comics anymore most you can’t find after Wednesday’s.
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.
I agree way too many variants! Biggest problem!
It's exhausting!
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.
Man those just were better times.. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
Loving all your videos matey, trying to get through all your stuff... cheers :)
Glad you like them!
Hells Yes we need a new Captain Carrot and his Amazing Zoo Crew book, and no I'm not kidding.
Me neither! Hahaha
Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
I completely agree with you when you talk about the unnecessary amount of variant covers out there.
SOOOOO uneccesary
Yep seen a guy do online sales any and show like 5 or more different covers for 1 issue lol. some tried get certain ones and others try get ea cover lol. so as u mention in video certain covers sale out cause scalpers by chance. it seems scalpers/ resellers ruin everything now days lol. i do get comics cause cover some times or other reasons but i dont always know if it a variant but if got any then cool lol.
He expense of grading a comic seems to me to be such a barrier to getting a CGC grade.
It can be quite daunting! it's fun but sometimes disappointing
#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
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.
Ugh well NEVER be able to get it! Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
You won me over by the Captain Carrot love. One of the few sets I'm never giving up.
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! 👍👍
I can't always trust eBay. Accoridng to eBay every comic in the universe is NM until you get it in hand and it's like F- hahaha
@@MintHunterComics so true. this is why 3rd party grading is so crucial. buy a cgc 9.8 and youre guaranteed to get a cgc 9.8. 👍👍
Wow there was so much truth in this video. Agree with every point. As someone who collected comics in the 90s when I was a kid and am trying to get back into it nowadays, it's so annoying to see how every single book is a spec, how prices get driven up for certain issues just because a facebook group or subreddit made that happen, how there's just so many variants out there and everyone is acting like each one is worth $100. its nuts. just enjoy how you want to enjoy just like you said. Crazy. and worst of all... #wheresmycarrot??
#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.
Huh that's a good point! Man if comics got back to one dollar I'd buy frigging everything hahaha
@@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.
Excellent aspect man,concur on all points and where's my carrot?!.
WHERE IS MY CARROT! hahahaa - thanks for watching til the end!
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.
@@chadfarr6263 And for me that's so strange - I get driving value up but every single book? Crazy!
@@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!!!💥
Its nonsensical
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.
It can be a lot to keep up with... down eith scalpers! Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
I'm a Boomer. When I was growing up, scalpers sold tickets at rock concerts, lol!
Totes agree with preserving the keys and reading the digital copy online. Did that the other day when i purchased a complete run of the secret wars
Agreed on most points. On a good (and bad) note, I think we are due for a bit of a bubble burst soon, so a lot of those prices should fall to reasonable levels within a year or two. There are too many people buying right now that have no real love of the actual books… and that will eventually become evident when the market stats to soften.
There are a couple of minor keys that I never got around to getting (Marvel Spotlight 5, Ghost Rider 1, etc), so I am going to have to wait this out until the crash happens.
I have no real love for Cpt Carrot, but good luck to you… although I figure that was more to get an idea how many people made it to the end of the video.
Such a true list! Please make a video about top 10 ways That collecting comics now is awesome! #wheresmycarrot!
I did! Haha check out my recent vids!
New viewer and subscriber. Great presentation and on-point editing skills Mint-Hunter Comics. Nice job!
Thanks for the sub! welcome to the comics family my friend
I like to pick up a few variants, but 99 percent that I pick up are open to order. I don't want to chase anything new, and I do is sparingly.
I've actually stopped variants completely! it doesn't fit in my budget
This was an excellent video. You succinctly summed everything up in just 13 minutes, where some other comics channels on CZcams 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!
I updated all my orders to be just main covers and books I want and I STILL feel pressure to pre order more! blah
My opinion is that your editing is really good.
Great stuff and spot on. Captain Carrot is an under appreciated icon!!! Ha!
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.
the demand is there! hence the books go up up up!
Summed it up nicely!
Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
Actually the reason prices are higher is because so many less people are reading. The larger the distribution the lower your unit price can be, as you pick up the profit on volume. The market has shrunk so much that only so small group of enthusiasts care, and are the only ones willing to pay.
That means everyone needs to get out there and read!
Totally agree 10/10, it’s so frustrating!
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
Great list and I could personally add a few others...:) but love our hobby and been at it for some time now. Like you mentioned just enjoy and collect the way makes you happy. Any one with a problem with that. Can kick rocks! :)
Re: the cost adjusted for inflation compared to comics in the 70s; artists in the 70s didn’t get royalties the way they do now, so the cost to produce comics is much higher than it was in the 70s.
True - I knew couldn't be as simple as straight inflation
Was thinking to get them royalties now and signed i dont mind pay for a signature on a comic by chance.
You made some great points. I also miss Captain Carrot and DC should do a series run I mean after all they already have so many titles, what’s 1 more and whilst they are at it bring back Space Ghost! I collect for different reasons. Sometimes it’s just for the covers cause I own the graphic novel, some times it’s for the rare ones like Star Trek Peter Pan Comics & Vinyl and sometimes it’s for those comics that will never be collected like the DC & Marvel run on The Phantom or The Batman Strikes Series. We all have our reasons and they are all valid. Thanks for the great videos, I’ll keep watching from all the way down under.
What a great video ,,,,I agree with most of what you said (not sure about the Captain Carrot statement though hahahahaha) Keep up the good work,, loving your Channel over here in the UK ,,,,
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.
Hashtag Carrot! This is one of the best comic book vids I have watched in a really long time! I would have added:" Too many number one issues." Every single month at the LCS...there are like 20 new #1 issues..If I see a number one issue from the 1970's...or prior....im interested....I suppose you covered this by "too many titles"...Great Video!! Thanks!
Lol dude, another great video! Not feeling Captain Carrot, but the other reasons are valid.
Hahaha Captain Carrot needs love just like Spider-ham does lol
As an older comic collector/reader I find that newer comics are incredibly hard to read due to the lack of storytelling by the artists. As well as every story seems to be another multi title crossover building on stories I never read, just not an enjoyable read anymore
This is the first time seeing a vid from you. Good stuff
Glad you enjoyed!
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.
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 .
Oh man I've totally been victim to that hahaha - that's why I try to memorize what everything is so I don't look like "that dude" lolol
Just stumbled on your channel... Great video.
Thanks mate! Appreciate the kind words!
Me when I'm trying to have a conversation in the annoying person decides to but in 0:17
Subbed!!! This guy is saying what 90% of collectors are thinking!
Variants killed collecting for me. Now I only buy older keys when I find them at a decent price. That is getting really hard to do. There definitely seems to be a lot of artificial inflation. EBay is a perfect example. You’ll see an incomplete books with higher prices than the same complete books. My country has a smaller version of EBay and I still find some decent deals on it, without the huge shipping costs of EBay. Even still I find normies trying to sell 1991 Xmen #1’s for hundreds of dollars. Just cause you found a comic with #1 on it does mean it’s worth something!!! If that were the case we’d all be millionaires!
There is a listing on e-bay right now, where the seller is asking literally half a million dollars (!) for that issue. Gee, think they are price gouging much? lol
I stopped collecting comics about six years ago. I just wasn't enjoying them anymore. I was buying them but not reading any of them. The boxes were just piling up and I wasn't doing anything with them. Also, my favorite series was ended. But now I've moved on to another endless hobby, statue collecting.
Statue collecting is still the bigger collection for me - slabs are so fun to chase but statues is a slow long game and it's fun
# where’s my carrot 😅 thanks for the advice ! Awesome videos well spoken 😎👍🏻
Yeah, I generally agree with what you're saying. But for your #1, please replace Captain Carrot with Power Girl. Otherwise spot on!
Captain Carrot for life! Hahaha, power girl is greatly underused though. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
Detective Comics restarted its numbering with New52. They’ve since reverted back to the original numbering….that’s maybe even more confusing because some numbers don’t exist.
Hahahaha I know right? now it's a whole new number system we have to memorize!
Man really grinds my gears budget made me drop lots titles but I can't spend 9-12 on every character of team.
Same - I hate to drop some weight
Just followed your channel. Awesome channel and I agree with your episode here. Also, I just want to know where can I get your shirt.
Collecting comics first went shit in the 90s. That's when the endless variants and crossovers began. I stopped collecting until around 2008. A few years later and i stopped again. Too expensive, too many books to buy.
It's strange to see it all happening again
That comic shop pic under #2 scalpers looks to be Time Warp Comics in Boulder, Colorado.
I just grabbed a random pic online! man I'd love to get out there
@@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.
Great show!!I agree it’s a big bubble, saving my money for the Big Bang to come , then I will start buying like crazy 😜
It'll happen one of these days lol. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
You bring up great points and there are a few ways to look at this. First the variant cover is a sales gimmick that’s still working and won’t go away anytime soon. I understand that comic companies need to continue to sell as many comics as possible but the industry will suffer as it did in the 90’s because of over saturation. I’m an older collector, ( 57 ), so my focus is Marvel Silver Age. Over the last several years MSA books have and continue to rise in value and I don’t see that trend changing for the foreseeable future. I personally am having a great time tracking these down and virtually ignore the new comics. The only new comics I buy are the ones I get from ComicTom with his Mystery Mailbag.
I don't really see things going down either tbh. Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
This was such a well executed video… Clear concise and to the point and exactly correct on every level I especially liked the DKIII reference because honestly it’s getting to be a joke
Thanks mate! I appreciate the kind words! Top 10 BEST things about collecting is dropping today at 11am!
Yea, i check videos and if they trail off and cant get to point i stop watching any lol. but u was straight and to point where was not wasted time any.
Some very good points here. And a year later, still no Captain Carrot series.
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
Just getting into comic collecting I agree, it’s WAYYY to many vol. assuming I have a key classic i have to make sure it’s the right year etc. they stop the runs in the middle of the 347 and then boom back at 1 like wtf. Then yes, way to many variants. I don’t wanna get overwhelmed looking for great comics and tryna keep up. At this point I’m starting with one and keep going till that run stops lol
Detective comics has had 3 volumes.
All they did was return to the original numbering.
New 52 was in the middle there.
This is correct
#where's my carrot. Great video - you nailed it.
I agree about the variants. You don't know which ones to collect. I go with which artist I like and covers. Instead of wondering is this one gonna be valuable. And the prices are to extreme. Its not even the value of the book Its what they say its worth. I could keep going on all you list. Great video
Agree 100% on there being too many variants to the point many otherwise become less significant.
Is having “too many” titles to chose from a bad thing though?
As human-beings, we are inherently selective. Who doesn’t like having options?! I’d rather have two isles of cereal to choose from vs a measly 2 boxes and I’d bet my left 🥥 that most others would feel the same way.
All a matter of opinion in the end though and I understand that as well.
Great video, thanks!
Where's my carrot!!!!! Lol
Yasssssss
Great video!!! I love the ALL!!!