I agree. I really don’t care for blowing all my money on ASM 238 when I can buy a mint facsimile of it for $3.99 and use the $250-$300 I was going to spend on that issue to buy the entire hobgoblin saga in its original form? At the end of the day, my collection is for me, I don’t need to try to impress anyone
Thanks for the education. I haven't bought single issues in 20 years so was unaware of the facsimiles. Really cool, I might get a couple just to browse the original ads.
The only thing that is a negative to me is that color and paper texture on some of the Marvel ones. I have a couple of the Spider-man ones and the papers is shiny, and colors flat. I would prefer the original halftone coloring and a texture more like newsprint. Are the DC ones any better?
Reprints of old comic books are a 'yes' for me. Facsimiles, in particular, are a perfect way to taste how comics were reprinted and bring me a sense of history. I have the first appearances of my two favs: Batman and Hulk, in their reprinted replicas.
I really love reprints - cheap and pristine!!! The colors pop. I recently found out about a group of J C Penny reprint ya and I was able to get about five.
I looooove reprinted comic art - floppies, trade paperbacks, oversized hardcovers, you name it. That’s my primary collecting interest. My only complaint about reprinted material is that exact replica comics are sometimes presented as the real thing, and used to rip off neophyte collectors. One of the oldest examples is that the earliest DC “Famous 1st Edition” reprints, like Action 1, were exact duplicates of the originals, printed at treasury size with a card stock outer cover. All a scammer had to do was cut away the outer cover with an Exacto knife and presto, they’ve got what appears to be a beautiful original copy. I’ve seen a Craigslist ad in my hometown where someone was trying to pull this nonsense.
Square bound comics were a NIGHTMARE to keep in good shape! The new facsimile edition of those Giant-Size Defenders is a VAST improvement as far as durability!
I enjoy the DC facsimile editions (and Dollar Comics when they were still going). My buying habits are pretty modest, so this area is something niche that provides quite a variety. My only wish is that DC would focus more on silver and bronze age issues, and less on fat $7 golden age issues.
I bought all the dollar comics. I actually want more reprints of older issues since I’ll never be able to afford any of those. They are so rare and the colors just pop.
Nice video. I am a fan of the cover changes on Marvel Tales and I liked that book's Spider-man logo as well. I'm surprised you didn't touch base on the Famous First Editions from DC in the 70's.
@@garagegeek4863 If you're not familiar, they are Treasury Edition sized reprints. They also reprint the entire book including the original adds. The outside cover would have Famous First Edition logo and a smaller version of the cover, and then there was an exact reprint(except for the size!) as an inside cover.
Dang. I need those. I’ll try to hunt some down. I just got a Conan Treasury Edition (I think it’s number 15 - I had a bunch as a kid. ) They should reprint them in hardcover like DC did with a Superman / Wonder Woman. I’ve seen the regular-sized comic versions of those - they have the original cover in the cover but smaller and usually at an angle.
@@garagegeek4863 There's also a fairly recent reprint of a Treasury book in hardcover of a Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes drawn by Mike Grell. I have quite a few Marvel Treasury's(in various condition!) Lots of Hulk and Conan! Marvel did reprint Captain America's Bicentennial Battles, although it was a larger book, it wasn't as large as the original edition.
@@sixdollarman1362 I bought that Legion. They should reprint more issues in treasury format. I also bought the gigantic Fantastic Four Galactus issues plus a few others. That book is a monster.
The only facsimile editions I think are really worth it are stuff from the Golden Age like Action Comics#1 or Detective Comics #27 where it is the only legal way most people can the whole issue and not just the main Superman or Batman story. If you want to collect for monetary value, the original printings are the way to go as the facsimiles will most likely not appreciate. If you're collecting to read, you are much better off with a trade. The list price of volume 1 of the Spider-Man Epic collection is $45 and it includes Amazing Fantasy 15, Amazing 1-17 and annual 1. To buy all of those in facsimile, even if they were all available in that format would cost almost twice as much.
I absolutely agree. However, there is nothing like seeing those original comics bursting with those bright colors in individual issues. I have the Epic Collections but having an individual Spider-Man annual 1 with a mint cover….its so cool. I do with they’d make more facsimile issues - I am not really interested in long-term value but more in collecting something in mint condition. I have lots of older comics but I can only afford best up issues. These facsimiles are a joy for that reason.
I have a love/hate relationship with comics in some ways, although I enjoy them to a degree too. I think Marvel shot themselves in the foot (and other companies) with all their reprints, and yet they and other places perpetuate the hype that comics keeps rising in price and that it's an 'investment'. That notion is bogus in my opinion for the most part. If indeed it (and vinyl records too) are an 'investment', they are a very soft investment, and not a very good way to 'invest' one's money. Comics and that hype is a good way for 'comic shops' to make money, but try turning that around and sell your comics to make some money it will be a very slow process and a hard way to make money on something compared to more legitimate means ie. stocks, index funds, certificate of deposit, etc. Why? Because of all the obstacles like: Where do you sell them? What price is a solid price since it varies greatly? If you can't sell them locally, then add in mail cost and service fees from eBay, etc., money to ship them, and also returns, and loss too. Why someone would want to pay $50. ( or higher) for an actual original comic of say Spider-Man, when you can buy an entire collected book like Marvel Masterworks or Epic that would contain that issue along with nine other issues bound into a nice book with better ink and production values, I don't understand. Once you have the issue to read with great production, why buy anything else? In the end the only comics worth anything will remain the Silver Age originals and they are pricey with yellowy paper, maybe slabbed (but who wants that--you can't even read and enjoy them), etc. and even then the price varies and is a soft price ie. negotiable, etc. Trying to get your money out of them will be a slog, and the return, not that great. Comics are fine and fun, if you want to read and enjoy the medium, but as an 'investment' for the most part, it's bogus. A better idea is read the book, You Have More Than You Think by David & Tom Gardner for investments and saving.
First off, I want to read this in my vid - you hit so many points on which I feel exactly the same. Since your response is so long (not a complaint at all!) I can’t see what I’m writing, so I’ll respond in two or three installments.
Comic collecting for me is a passion. I abhor key collecting and the FOMO it brings but I do recognize some excitement it brings. I did a video on this and lost a bunch of subs over it. I like owning old comics - I guess since I had some as a kid, it’s stuck in there. I love the modern collected editions, but having an original, even in bad shape is so cool for me. Selling them is impossible. I had to sell my childhood collection and got a pittance; I still regret it but had no choice really. I don’t really understand slabbing. Once you get to slabbing, it is leading to investment and that is not what I’m interested in at all. Not being able to open it and look through it? What is the point for a collector like myself. However, it makes sense in investment terms but you raised a lot of valid points about investment, which I won’t rehash. Thank you for your awesome comments. I love showing off my comics and I love reading your comments about them.
@@garagegeek4863 Okay, by the way I'm not casting blame, shame, or anything. It's just my observation and if anybody wants to buy, collect, or sell anything it's fine with me. It's just my two cents.
@@garagegeek4863 I enjoy seeing what you collect, and others as well. However, my point was: It's not really a very good investment. It's more for fun and enjoyment.
Absolutely and I also get annoyed because all of that drives up the prices of everything. If a character is slated to be in a tv show, forget it: the appearances of that character skyrocket in price. TVs and movies dictate what happens to comics now.
@@user-jo2wx2xm8h That’s terrible. I’ll never fall for it since I don’t buy expensive comics….I’ve already seen Facsimiles slabbed and going for high prices. Silly.
Amazing Spider-Man issue was 1974 and Marvel Premiere was 1975. Both weren’t far apart. The Marvel Premiere has his origin. I just looked it up (I didn’t know so I wanted to be sure). Both are very expensive!
Yes. I’ve reviewed some: Kill or Be Killed, Outcast, Walking Dead, Saga, Paper Girls, Gideon Falls, Ice Cream Man…they are the ones I recommend most for adults. I mostly have collected editions though.
Not very controversial at all and outside of comic book collectors, meaningless. Although it does have parallels in other areas. For example, if I have an original pressing of a rare album that I bought for a pretty penny (lol), and then it’s given a repressing, how does that affect the value of my original? With vinyl, there are sound quality issues to consider. It’s an interesting topic.
@@garagegeek4863 A pretty penny. That’s so quaint 😂 I think a an OG vinyl in good condition will always holds its value if it’s considered a classic or a prized rarity. What about comics? Is the content as important as the artwork? What makes one valuable besides age & rarity!
This sounds like a good topic for a video. There are a bunch of factors but recently it seems to be first appearances of characters. However, key events plus artists or writers also. Publishing can also play into it (first issues often get larger print runs, so sometimes issues with fewer printed issues can be more valuable.
I agree. I really don’t care for blowing all my money on ASM 238 when I can buy a mint facsimile of it for $3.99 and use the $250-$300 I was going to spend on that issue to buy the entire hobgoblin saga in its original form? At the end of the day, my collection is for me, I don’t need to try to impress anyone
That last sentence is a perfect sum up. It really depends on each collector.
I like comic books as an art form. I like the aesthetic of the covers. That's why I collect facsimiles.
Absolutely!!!!!
Most comics people i know are loving the facsimiles.
I appreciated your review of past types of reprints.
Thank you! I was hesitant to do it since many have. I thought showing some past versions was my ticket in.
Ooo flashing your high dollar hulk!!!
Id love to hear why that Spiderman is the best
I desperately want to sell them!!! I’ll make that Spidey vid for you.
Thanks for the education. I haven't bought single issues in 20 years so was unaware of the facsimiles. Really cool, I might get a couple just to browse the original ads.
They are fun. I’m sure a YTer goes through them page by page. You should watch that - save money!
The only thing that is a negative to me is that color and paper texture on some of the Marvel ones. I have a couple of the Spider-man ones and the papers is shiny, and colors flat. I would prefer the original halftone coloring and a texture more like newsprint. Are the DC ones any better?
Reprints of old comic books are a 'yes' for me. Facsimiles, in particular, are a perfect way to taste how comics were reprinted and bring me a sense of history. I have the first appearances of my two favs: Batman and Hulk, in their reprinted replicas.
I really love reprints - cheap and pristine!!! The colors pop. I recently found out about a group of J C Penny reprint ya and I was able to get about five.
I looooove reprinted comic art - floppies, trade paperbacks, oversized hardcovers, you name it. That’s my primary collecting interest.
My only complaint about reprinted material is that exact replica comics are sometimes presented as the real thing, and used to rip off neophyte collectors.
One of the oldest examples is that the earliest DC “Famous 1st Edition” reprints, like Action 1, were exact duplicates of the originals, printed at treasury size with a card stock outer cover. All a scammer had to do was cut away the outer cover with an Exacto knife and presto, they’ve got what appears to be a beautiful original copy. I’ve seen a Craigslist ad in my hometown where someone was trying to pull this nonsense.
I’d love a Journey into Mystery 83 facsimile. I hope they do one soon. 👍🏽
I wish they would release three or four a month.
Marvel needs to follow DC and start placing the UPC code on the back cover, excited for Batman Beyond #1 facsimile in Jan !
I love these facsimiles. DC should absolutely put the codes on the back!
Super research.
Square bound comics were a NIGHTMARE to keep in good shape! The new facsimile edition of those Giant-Size Defenders is a VAST improvement as far as durability!
True, but for some reason, I love those square-bound giant-size issues. I’m trying to collect as many as I can.
@@garagegeek4863 The sides/covers almost always SPLIT out
True! Many of the ones I got from my neice are doing just that.
I enjoy the DC facsimile editions (and Dollar Comics when they were still going). My buying habits are pretty modest, so this area is something niche that provides quite a variety. My only wish is that DC would focus more on silver and bronze age issues, and less on fat $7 golden age issues.
I bought all the dollar comics. I actually want more reprints of older issues since I’ll never be able to afford any of those. They are so rare and the colors just pop.
Nice video. I am a fan of the cover changes on Marvel Tales and I liked that book's Spider-man logo as well. I'm surprised you didn't touch base on the Famous First Editions from DC in the 70's.
I actually don’t own any of those!
@@garagegeek4863 If you're not familiar, they are Treasury Edition sized reprints. They also reprint the entire book including the original adds. The outside cover would have Famous First Edition logo and a smaller version of the cover, and then there was an exact reprint(except for the size!) as an inside cover.
Dang. I need those. I’ll try to hunt some down. I just got a Conan Treasury Edition (I think it’s number 15 - I had a bunch as a kid. ) They should reprint them in hardcover like DC did with a Superman / Wonder Woman. I’ve seen the regular-sized comic versions of those - they have the original cover in the cover but smaller and usually at an angle.
@@garagegeek4863 There's also a fairly recent reprint of a Treasury book in hardcover of a Superboy and the Legion of Super-Heroes drawn by Mike Grell. I have quite a few Marvel Treasury's(in various condition!) Lots of Hulk and Conan! Marvel did reprint Captain America's Bicentennial Battles, although it was a larger book, it wasn't as large as the original edition.
@@sixdollarman1362 I bought that Legion. They should reprint more issues in treasury format. I also bought the gigantic Fantastic Four Galactus issues plus a few others. That book is a monster.
The only facsimile editions I think are really worth it are stuff from the Golden Age like Action Comics#1 or Detective Comics #27 where it is the only legal way most people can the whole issue and not just the main Superman or Batman story.
If you want to collect for monetary value, the original printings are the way to go as the facsimiles will most likely not appreciate.
If you're collecting to read, you are much better off with a trade. The list price of volume 1 of the Spider-Man Epic collection is $45 and it includes Amazing Fantasy 15, Amazing 1-17 and annual 1. To buy all of those in facsimile, even if they were all available in that format would cost almost twice as much.
I absolutely agree. However, there is nothing like seeing those original comics bursting with those bright colors in individual issues. I have the Epic Collections but having an individual Spider-Man annual 1 with a mint cover….its so cool. I do with they’d make more facsimile issues - I am not really interested in long-term value but more in collecting something in mint condition. I have lots of older comics but I can only afford best up issues. These facsimiles are a joy for that reason.
The devaluing is a good possibility
I have a love/hate relationship with comics in some ways, although I enjoy them to a degree too. I think Marvel shot themselves in the foot (and other companies) with all their reprints, and yet they and other places perpetuate the hype that comics keeps rising in price and that it's an 'investment'. That notion is bogus in my opinion for the most part. If indeed it (and vinyl records too) are an 'investment', they are a very soft investment, and not a very good way to 'invest' one's money. Comics and that hype is a good way for 'comic shops' to make money, but try turning that around and sell your comics to make some money it will be a very slow process and a hard way to make money on something compared to more legitimate means ie. stocks, index funds, certificate of deposit, etc. Why? Because of all the obstacles like: Where do you sell them? What price is a solid price since it varies greatly? If you can't sell them locally, then add in mail cost and service fees from eBay, etc., money to ship them, and also returns, and loss too. Why someone would want to pay $50. ( or higher) for an actual original comic of say Spider-Man, when you can buy an entire collected book like Marvel Masterworks or Epic that would contain that issue along with nine other issues bound into a nice book with better ink and production values, I don't understand. Once you have the issue to read with great production, why buy anything else? In the end the only comics worth anything will remain the Silver Age originals and they are pricey with yellowy paper, maybe slabbed (but who wants that--you can't even read and enjoy them), etc. and even then the price varies and is a soft price ie. negotiable, etc. Trying to get your money out of them will be a slog, and the return, not that great. Comics are fine and fun, if you want to read and enjoy the medium, but as an 'investment' for the most part, it's bogus. A better idea is read the book, You Have More Than You Think by David & Tom Gardner for investments and saving.
First off, I want to read this in my vid - you hit so many points on which I feel exactly the same. Since your response is so long (not a complaint at all!) I can’t see what I’m writing, so I’ll respond in two or three installments.
Comic collecting for me is a passion. I abhor key collecting and the FOMO it brings but I do recognize some excitement it brings. I did a video on this and lost a bunch of subs over it. I like owning old comics - I guess since I had some as a kid, it’s stuck in there. I love the modern collected editions, but having an original, even in bad shape is so cool for me. Selling them is impossible. I had to sell my childhood collection and got a pittance; I still regret it but had no choice really. I don’t really understand slabbing. Once you get to slabbing, it is leading to investment and that is not what I’m interested in at all. Not being able to open it and look through it? What is the point for a collector like myself. However, it makes sense in investment terms but you raised a lot of valid points about investment, which I won’t rehash. Thank you for your awesome comments. I love showing off my comics and I love reading your comments about them.
@@garagegeek4863 Okay, by the way I'm not casting blame, shame, or anything. It's just my observation and if anybody wants to buy, collect, or sell anything it's fine with me. It's just my two cents.
@@garagegeek4863 I enjoy seeing what you collect, and others as well. However, my point was: It's not really a very good investment. It's more for fun and enjoyment.
Absolutely and I also get annoyed because all of that drives up the prices of everything. If a character is slated to be in a tv show, forget it: the appearances of that character skyrocket in price. TVs and movies dictate what happens to comics now.
I love the facsimile comics but I’ve heard about some unscrupulous people who are passing off the facsimile comics as the original ones.
@@user-jo2wx2xm8h That’s terrible. I’ll never fall for it since I don’t buy expensive comics….I’ve already seen Facsimiles slabbed and going for high prices. Silly.
i subbed ''
Thank you! I hope you’ll enjoy my videos.
l don't think thats the first appearence of the punisher '' is there a sgt fury 1 facimile
I don’t think so - if there is, I don’t have it. Do you mean the one with the Steranko art? I’d love to have that.
@@garagegeek4863 i think its a black and white magazine .
@@garagegeek4863 the punisher is in marvel preview. lots of money .
Amazing Spider-Man issue was 1974 and Marvel Premiere was 1975. Both weren’t far apart. The Marvel Premiere has his origin. I just looked it up (I didn’t know so I wanted to be sure). Both are very expensive!
Do you have any Image Comics?
Yes. I’ve reviewed some: Kill or Be Killed, Outcast, Walking Dead, Saga, Paper Girls, Gideon Falls, Ice Cream Man…they are the ones I recommend most for adults. I mostly have collected editions though.
Comic eh! Yep these looked like comic to me.
Was this one boring for you?
@@garagegeek4863 Of course not, but it wasn't very controversial. I'm just being a smarty pants. You know I love all things in the GG universe 👍
Not very controversial at all and outside of comic book collectors, meaningless. Although it does have parallels in other areas. For example, if I have an original pressing of a rare album that I bought for a pretty penny (lol), and then it’s given a repressing, how does that affect the value of my original? With vinyl, there are sound quality issues to consider. It’s an interesting topic.
@@garagegeek4863 A pretty penny. That’s so quaint 😂 I think a an OG vinyl in good condition will always holds its value if it’s considered a classic or a prized rarity. What about comics? Is the content as important as the artwork? What makes one valuable besides age & rarity!
This sounds like a good topic for a video. There are a bunch of factors but recently it seems to be first appearances of characters. However, key events plus artists or writers also. Publishing can also play into it (first issues often get larger print runs, so sometimes issues with fewer printed issues can be more valuable.