"You know TOO MUCH about Comics!"

Wait that's a BAD THING? No. No it's not. Today we discuss the benefits of being EDUCATED as a collector, and even as a seller in this world of ours! Knowledge is power, but can it also be a weakness?
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Sentiment Depot Antiques and Collectibles
238 W Delaware Ave, Pennington, NJ 08534
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0:00 Like and Subscribe!
0:50 You'll never know IT ALL
2:13 Scaring Away Vultures
4:02 "Mr. Nostalgia"
5:33 Stay Educated!
6:39 New Trailer for the Shop!
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[@markleneker9923]

As a collector/buyer/seller -- Knowledge is Power. And yes, you can never know enough. the accumulation of knowledge is part and parcel of really any hobby.

[@dananichols349]

There is a gentleman who works at my local comic shop who is a retired history teacher. And that man knows about comics, characters, issues and publishers, going back to the 60s. He is a wealth of knowledge and information. And has helped me to figure out comics or character appearances I've been looking for. And occasionally helped me to track down what I'm looking for, or put me in contact with people who can.

[@RicardoVillalobos80]

Knowledge is your best asset when in conventions.

[@michaelcringoli9950]

I am the old guy that remember comics in the .25 bin that are 100 of dollars now. Joker #1 is a good example.

[@redskorpion75]

A comic is worth whatever you are willing to pay for it. 🍺

[@T-RexSuplex1]

Or others are willing to pay

[@dalemoyers8881]

Great topic!!! You can never know everything about everything. Best of all Knowledge is power.!! Keep doing what you’re doing. 😎

[@kestonsoldschoolcomicbooks6842]

Hi, James. Great video. I think too much knowledge about grading also has its downside. We're trained to find flaws, essentially. I'm trying to re-find my love for low grade books 🙂

[@Joeh1154]

I'm likely the OG here and I started reading comics in the 1960's. I've been at this for quite a while and I've stopped collecting and got back into it as well. I like the YT channels like yours here (Love those Comic book fun facts!), as well as Comic Tom, Collector's Comics, Bry's Comics Jerno's Comics, Captain Myke, etc. You guys keep me up to date on newer books, etc. I know what I know which is mostly about books I've enjoyed over the years but I never set out to know it all. You gain info as you go along. Comics are a fantastic hobby and I've pursued it as a hobby most of my life. So, whatever you like to read, keep it going. Best to all.

[@JSSBrooklyn]

To joke around - like Thanos said, you are not the only one cursed with knowledge…but it’s of course better to be knowledgeable. But also to never take advantage of those without it.

[@JCtheComicGeek]

You can never have to much knowledge about your hobby you love and enjoy!... Its always good to arm yourself with knowledge!...I mean you don't wan't to get conned at a (CON)vention!😊

[@peter2359]

You can never know too much about anything.

[@user-bi9fo3sx6l]

A comic is only worth what a consumer is willing to pay for it. ASM # 1 is not worth anything if you cannot find a buyer. I go back to buying new comics when they were .12 cents, since 1968. Love your channel James. 😅

[@timreierson26]

Knowledge is power. Either the person needs to work hard to close that knowledge gap or go shop elsewhere where you might be buying from a less informed seller. With the age of the internet, it is harder to find comic or antique deals because knowledge is readily available

[@monsterphile]

As someone who used to collect first appearances, some of those issues and numbers still remain in my memory.

[@sourcecode5273]

As an old guy I prefer to limit what I buy. Too many books to choose from so it is easier to stick to a limitation on myself.

[@deckerrobert7025]

Knowledge is power!!! Learn about what you love!!!

[@joelatorre]

It helps to know what you got. Also you had some 🔥 books at your last claim sale!

[@gregoryliedtka7510]

Knowing to much is a tricky thing. Grading shares the same boat. Resale it's CGC and fame. CBCS if the slabs match and it's a PC then it's golden

[@nathanchaffin6380]

Heres another problem with knowing too much about comics. You're no fun at block parties and family gatherings. My roommates are probably sick to death of hearing about what books I picked up this weekend..

[@theobsessedcollector]

I like the new video clip of your shop. Looks really nice.

[@wayneweidman1543]

It’s funny you mention Mr. Nostalgia. I sold a few guns at a local gun show recently. I had an SKS rifle priced at $500. I lost cost of how many guys that had to stop, scoff and tell me about how they bought one for $100 a few years back.

[@diceman74]

Knowing a lot about something you are passionate about is never a bad thing although I know it can be annoying to others I guess. I love film, seek out documentaries, read books, find whatever I can about the stories behind my fave stories. I find that this gives me respect for people like you James, who have put in the work to be knowledgeable. Funny thing is, it's not that different than other, more academic pursuits like archaeology or paleontology.

[@billykennedy7973]

Do you think Mr. Nostalgia goes into a gas station and tells the vender they can remember when gas was .98 cents a gallon.

[@leeniren3706]

The best thing about being educated when it comes to comic books is going into ones LCS and being able to have an educated conversation with others in the store. There is a reason why we call this a comic book community.

[@theohoekstra1244]

One of these days I am going on a road trip to see your shop and bring some books and have a great day buying and maybe some trading and selling.

[@monsterphile]

The opposite is also true. Sellers who know too little, especially about condition matters. Also, not everything old is desirable.

[@JoeReedy-xt3hc]

Thank you for these videos. I have a large collection that was feeling like a burden, but after finding your videos I feel so much better about them. Thanks again.

[@blairhartgrove7594]

Having knowledge is great that’s the best thing. Sometimes having knowledge is a little bad. Sometimes I run into people that try to use that and make sure they try to let you know they know more than you. I call those people well actually people. Because whenever they try to make a point or out do you they start off by saying well actually. But I do learn something new every day. That’s why I’m on KZbin every day.

[@dananichols349]

I do know too much!! I know what's hot and what's not hot. I've learned and continue to educate my self on grading and determining the conditions of comics. I have a list of the comic books I want to add to my collection. And I know what I like and what I don't like. After reading and collecting for more decades than I'll admit to here, I know a fair bit about comic books, stories, characters, etc. And sometimes, it gets a little hairy. Too, too often I come across a shop or flea market or garage sale where someone has comics. And thinks they have a treasure. Then I try to explain to them that the condition of the comic dramatically drops it's value. Or that copy of Flash #123 is from 1997, the second Flash series and not the famous Silver Age issue. Or that number one, or first appearance of..., is a reprint and not an original copy. And these people are never happy to be confronted with this information. Not to many years ago I was at a con and came across one of the "grails" I'd been searching for. The dealer told me that character in the comic was going to be in an upcoming movie and he would only sell it for $500. I explained that at that time it was selling for about $350. The dealer reiterated that he would only sell it for $500. I told him when it's value rose to $500 I'd come back and buy it from him. (Fortunately, while I was in NJ some years ago I found it a local shop for $315. And since I bought it and about $800 of other comics, the owner gave me a nice discount on the whole thing!) On the other hand it comes in handy. Over the years I've snagged a lot of really good books way below their market value. And I've helped others to track down a comic they've been looking for, or give them some much needed advice.

[@jabezcreed]

Yeah you can't just be the source shop for everyone else to make money. On the flip side, you sometimes have to entice buyers with honey. And you can't only sell all your books at the highest sale price. As a seller, you are finding the best balance in pricing and sourcing to bring customers and make profit.

[@archstanton8126]

I could have bought ASM #1 for $2000 and Daredevil #1 for $800, oh wait that was in 1991...

[@Barada73]

I'll admit that I know nothing about the value of comic books these days. I'm still occasionally shocked when I see a book that I once bought off the newstand, for 75 cents, is now regularly selling for over $100 raw and the very next issue in the series is like a $5 book. But I guess that kind of thing happens when you have a gap in your collecting of nearly 20 years.

[@jeffschmitt6977]

Like Gordon Gekko of Wallstreet said "Its Trench Warfare out there Pal !" Knowledge is not power. SPECIALIZED knowledge is Power. You mentioned dealers having over active brains knowing too much. How about the customer that tries to use the knowledge to take advantage of YOU! Had 6 flea market booths 60 feet long. Each 10 x 10 with 200000 books. With all those books to look through, a Guy comes in and spends 3 hours going thru the boxes. Slinking around, he slowly finally makes it over to me while Im sitting in a chair. He has 1 book. Its Eternals #1 in at least 9.0 condition, actually higher like 9.2. No price on it. Slowly raises his hand with the book and proclaims in Mickey the Dumb fashion, Would you take 2 bucks for it? This was months before the Eternals movie came out when the book was hot. I said, NOT for Sale, thats why it doesnt have a price on it and was sitting in the box under the table with the top on the box that was part of my personal stuff. And the book goes for about $180 right now. Sold later and then after the movie of course, it took a dive. It almost seems there are no collectors anymore, only pseudo dealers walking around trying to shark other dealers. Its become the one with the most Specialized Knowledge wins. Trench Knowledge Warfare. Thats why your on top and you should continue to learn as much as you can. Cause they will try and take advantage of you ALL the time. As the bobby evolves, one cannot know it all, so specialization is king. Im a Atomic Age Sci Fi collector. Put Strange Worlds, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 in front of me and I will expound on Atomic Monsters. Put Green Lantern in front of me and Im clueless!! And thats why I depend on your Green Lantern knowledge to guide me into what to buy personally and put a few away for myself. Now I know who Guy Gardner is and have a few of the key book which I have You to Thank for. Kudos for the channel. Been there since the beginning. TOo much knowledge, NO. I would specialize in Multiple topics. Like choose 5 and become a master on those 5. Anyway, I write too much. Thanks again.

[@roberthamilton4429]

The one thing that I may disagree with you is the difference between knowledge about comics and knowledge about the comic market. These are two completely different things, Comic knowledge never becomes obsolete or out of date. On the other hand knowledge of the comic market changes daily and I would say that market knowledge isn't knowledge at all but simply observations. What I mean is that you can know the comic market today (and just today) without ever having read a comic or having any idea of why that book is important (aka Comic knowledge) a person simply knows what it sells for online. The knowledge that Jim Starlin does a back up story in DC's Sword of Sorcery or that Reed Crandall did work for years in Treasure Chest comics will never become outdated and many of those people that you note as "Nostalgia Heads" are those collectors who have chosen to embrace actual comic knowledge about their hobby. The obsession with "KEYS" (gawd, I hate that word!) in the current market changes from day to day depending on what speculators believe one day will have enough demand so that they can resell it to another speculator who hopes to sell it again and so on, and so on, and so on. Yes in todays market first appearances are nearly the only things that drive value but my question is for how long. Earlier in the hobby important first appearances were limited to the most major of characters that had any little or no additional value to collectors. Origin stories, Major character deaths, ARTISTS were a huge driving factor (and not just the covers) important storylines, rarity and even quality of the work inside the book regardless of genre. Market knowledge that someone has may be helpful to them today to make a buck but "comic knowledge" will help a collector love and appreciate the comics he collects for a lifetime! Just my two cents worth! -Shawn (a nostalgia head and retailer for 25 years who has been out of the business for a decade))

[@steelbat54]

Granted, most keys fluctuate and gradually go up in value but what irks me is the speculation market that didn’t exist before all the movies and tv shows started ramping up twenty years ago. Let alone the all the 9.8ers that I blame CGC for. Professional grading is the other culprit for making collecting much more expensive. Raw books will sell cheaper but when there is a 9.8 out there that increased the value of a book ten times it most certainly will increase the selling price of the equivalent raw book. I have never had a book professionally graded and most likely never will and I exaggerate very little when I say I have some gorgeous keys. But.. to each his own..

[@tensixtythreecomics]

I love learning something new about a series that I know a lot about

[@TherealDCAvenger]

When I was diagnosed about autism they just had me ramble about comic book facts lol

[@richchappell]

I definitely wish I had purchased multiple copies of some books back in the 80s and 90s. ASM 300, New Mutants 98, etc. I bought those for cover price. Even the things that I bought from the back issue bins would be complete steals now, like near-mint first prints of all of the Dark Knight Returns books for a total of $45 (I still have the price stickers). I tell ya, if I could go back in time to give myself some advice... like not selling the first 30 issues of Wolverine for $1 each when I moved across the country after college. Ugh.

[@jamesparochetti5279]

I think I know too much about comics, but whenever I listen to other people talk about comics, I realize I know nothing.

[@PunguinYoga]

That was informative and thought-provoking. Thanks!

[@whatsonehteshaamgulamsmind2885]

Question MHC... if you got a killer deal on ASM issues like #78, 316 for $20 from a old head dealer would you tell them or take it? I took it.

[@johnnydropkicks]

Unless the shop owner or dealer is a really good friend, I’d take that deal as well. If they are a good friend, I’d pull those issues and let them know.

[@israelrocha8424]

I bought uncanny x-men 266 back in 1996 for 35 bucks. For me back then that could have been 1000. That was the most I've ever spent on 1 book.

[@DarkseidComicsofficial]

Man I get this all the time. I got back into comics 7 years ago after a 15 year vacation. And started reselling around 3 years back. I have one guy that goes to my booth at every con that tries to have me sell him my silver and broze age books for bulk prices. I'm a nice guy when pricing out books I sell less than sold on ebay and give nicer brakes when buying in bulk. Just like in your video he would always ask for 10 to 300 dollar books marked down to pennies on the dollar. He's a reseller that seems to never find or takes the time to find deals so he pesters the vendors at our local cons to get deals. I had to stop trying to deal with him when he wanted a batman 227 for 50 bucks. Mind you it's a solid 8.5 uncleaned and pressed. And that was from people who send in hundreds of books to have graded every year. I had to laugh at him and tell him no. I felt bad but he stopped coming by after that.

[@MintHunterComics]

I feel you man - I KNOW that type of person. and I always wonder... if we price lower, and give discounts and everything and STILL this person wants it all for a buck... what does he do at conventions where everything is triple the price? lol. he's just preying on good sellers like yourself!

[@DarkseidComicsofficial]

@@MintHunterComics All he did was complain about the other seller's price gouging. I hooked him up before with some Tomb of Dracula keys at the beginning of last year that was a mistake. He thought it was his way in for really cheap books but I had to put a stop to it the next time he showed up. Keep up the great work and videos!

[@polevaulter1983]

You might have books that slip through the cracks for others but you also don’t overprice your filler books so I have been able to complete runs from your shop for $1 a book as opposed to most lcs that have their back issues at 4-5 for even filler books.

[@midnightmodding4658]

I know too kuch about the Star Wars EU... which makes watching anything new Star Wars absolutely excruciating.

[@Kirok2005]

There are several flaws with "Mr. Nostalgia" thinking...but I'll start and end with just one. If nothing else, you have to factor general inflation, i.e., the decline in value of a dollar, into backward-looking price comparisons. A dollar in January 1986--when Punisher Limited Series #1 came out--had the buying power of $3 today. Yes, that's right, a 66% decrease in the value of a dollar. So, you'd be doing GREAT if you picked up a book at even three times the price of a book in 1985.

[@wayneweidman1543]

If I’m at an antique mall and I see a well organized and well priced booth of comics I usually don’t look too deep. I assume they’re priced about the same as eBay and if the other booths have comics they were already cherry picked by the knowledgeable seller.

[@joe3019772008]

good video, bro. have a nice weekend. take care and god bless. #WANTCAPTAINCARROTPLEASE

[@ssjrose14]

Any advice on were to start collecting the Wolverine 88 run?

[@BrokeBoyComics]

Nothing more frustrating when you’re trying to buy books from a collector and they price the books what they paid for them😭

[@silvbolt]

Question: does having knowledge doesn't always help to get around speculation when it comes to price? Some knowledge like what being optioned or what Hollywood is doing hurt more than help pricing. But I could be wrong on that. Just saying no one has a measure where they can determine what would be popular based on knowledge that isn't directly from the publisher or creative team.

[@lesun23]

Kinda bugs me when shops over price 5-10$ books (especially when they aren’t near mint) because odds are they got it buying a collection and it was peanuts to them. i know that’s how buying and selling works, but if retailers are obviously repeatedly overprice books, and won’t budge on it. it’s a good way to lose that customer . I’ve dropped two shops for that reason.

[@JohnEarlStar]

I prefer you to know your business. You are aware of characters created to sell a title compared to a recurring character within the title. Recognizing titles developed to expand the marketability of a popular character compared to a title populated by supporting and secondary characters. Capitalizing on the fandom, entertainment, and mythology of the entire industry is what keeps it going; but one aspect of commerce is balance: too much molasses can make poop green but it sure does stink! As Stan Lee would say Excelsior 7:11

[@ProfessorEchoMedia]

Since it’s HUMMEL “FIGURINES” and not HUMMEL “PLATES” like you said, I bet I could get some good deals on Hummel stuff from you! 😉

[@MintHunterComics]

Look up Hummel plates

[@kentedgar442]

You could sell a 10 dollar comic for 5 to 8 bucks bc you know you picked it for 35 cents but then again I buy what ever my store ask bc he only grabs nice books for me and he always knocks off the price on non keys sometimes free bc he knows a key he's going to have me sold

[@matthewallen803]

Not having enough knowledge and understanding can actually lead to over pricing. People who expect 9.8 graded money for raw books for example.

[@User8vfjhejf]

Don't forget the people that sell market value then wonder why comics are tanking...it's just a race to the bottom at that point

[@jcali2121]

Knowledge is power, but people also need to practice humility and humbleness. Those of us in this hobby need to be the ambassadors of comics, not gatekeepers keepers. Great video as always!

[@kwamelbenton9394]

Hey James, I tagged you in an IG post about some HTF Sonic comics - not sure if you're interested, but I know you collect Sonic 😎

[@johnnydropkicks]

Knowing "too much" isn’t a bad thing. Thinking that you know everything is. (this is *not* a reference towards James)

[@rc75905]

Everything, its why im rich.

[@scotthunter8321]

subscribe, like and comment this video

[@User8vfjhejf]

Most collectors don't know shit about comics. The Gerber books? Married covers? What's that??? Is Spawn 1 newsstand rare?? I get asked crap like this all the time. My question is that you've been dealing in comics for how many years and still don't know how to spot color touch??

[@williamhild7691]

As someone looking for steals, I don't purchase from knowledgeable & organized hobbyists. Just being straight

[@briansilverman1388]

WELL JAMES IT SEEMS YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE TO GET CHERRY BOOKS LOL

[@MintHunterComics]

lol

[@jamesgolding1485]

tool

[@GreekGeek66]

1st