Earlier last month on December 17th, Steve and I from the Bruneau & Co. Pop Culture department embarked on a journey to Big Apple Comic Con at the New Yorker hotel on 8th avenue in New York City. The purpose of this journey was to advertise our New Year’s Day comic auction but more importantly get a feel for the comic market as we enter the New Year.
Big Apple Comic Con is no ordinary convention, it is a real convention. What I mean by real is instead of being clogged with knickknacks, t-shirts, and media glamour it is purely focused on vintage comics and comic art. It is where real collectors go to buy and sell comics, the main reason why we advertise our cataloged comic auctions there. What we observed was still a fun-loving group of collectors eager to fill their collection, but with a sharper, more conservative thought pattern. There is no denying prices are down from the peak the COVID pandemic caused last year and into early 2022. In some cases, by over 50% when it comes to modern and other high population comic books. However, the overall market is still hotter than it was a decade or even 5 years ago.
If you are home relaxing this winter and happen to bump into that box of comics you’ve always had, you might want to take a second look. Even with the economy entering a downslide, the market for pop culture collectibles is still hot and viable. While the market may not be what it was last year, it is still smart to take advantage of it before it gets any worse. When it comes to a comic collection it is pertinent to put it through the proper process. When utilizing the auction house your collection is managed properly, with the key books being pressed, cleaned, and graded before sale. Also remember it is not volume, whether you have 30 or 30,000 books, it only takes one to make it a great day. Stay warm this winter, but keep in mind we are always here to help.
