The comic strip went from the peak of circulation in the 80s of the last century when it was almost one book per person to the absence of scenery and disappeared; From the end of the 90s of the last century, it has changed again, turned around gorgeously, entered the field of collection, once in full swing, sky-high prices, ranked among the fifth largest collection, and now it has gone through more than 20 years.
As for the price of comic strips, some people think that it is too high, which is caused by market speculation, while some people think that the economy is in a downturn, and the price is not as good as it used to be compared with the previous few years, and there is a risk of losing money, all because of different perspectives and different views.
Since comic books have become collections, or even as a variety of investment, they are affected by the economic environment, governed by the laws of the market, and the price will fluctuate, which is a normal phenomenon! For the Chinese art collection market, the market was hot around 2011, with sky-high prices and a hot market, but two years later, the market adjusted and the turnover plummeted! Later, it once recovered, but due to the epidemic and the international and domestic economic environment, the market has remained in a relatively sluggish state in the past two years.
For example, in May 2022, painter Zeng Fanzhi's Union Hospital Series 3 sold for HK$48.45 million at Christie's Hong Kong, while the same lot sold for HK$113 million at Christie's in 2013. In the past ten years, the price of the same work has halved, which shows how volatile the price of art is affected by market factors.
In the comic book market, such as 2009 and 2013, high prices are frequent, and tens of thousands of varieties are not uncommon, which is of course related to factors such as the economic environment, sky-high manuscripts, capital investment, and market speculation. Compared with the heat of the previous years, with the rationality of collectors, the adjustment and continuous maturity of the market, as well as the impact of the economic environment and the market of used books and newspapers, the overall price of comic books in recent years has been lowered compared with the previous years.
Although sky-high prices are rare, by monitoring the transactions in the used book market, we can see that comic books still account for a large proportion of the daily transactions in the used book market. In addition, more than ten yuan, dozens of yuan of characteristic comic books are also actively sold, these comic books are mainly nostalgic, like to enjoy their own appreciation and reading of a part of the favor of friends, they generally do not have high requirements for quality, more concerned about low prices. In general, buyers are more rational, pay attention to cost performance, and will not blindly pay high prices.
Some people say why his comic strips can't go up at a price, or even if no one cares, so you can see what kind of comic strips you are, and whether your comic book version, price, and condition make people feel that they are worth the money. Just like the restaurants on the street, some are crowded and bustling, and some are cold in front of the door, there is nothing strange, there is no cause without cause, there is no cause without effect, a few are happy and a few are sad, this is the normal state of the world.
From the perspective of collection, famous masterpieces, good products, award-winning works, old editions, scarce works, comic books with these core factors can be called "excellent stocks" in the collection market. In the long run, even if this kind of work is affected by the market, for a period of time, the price will fluctuate or even fall, but it will not fall very much, unless a few varieties that are wantonly speculated, most of the market will rebound, overall, the appreciation and preservation potential is large, and the market prospects are promising.
Some people say that the price of comic books today is because of hype, and the comic book market has developed for decades, of course, it has been affected by hype, but it is not because of hype that today's price has been. The hype boost can only be temporary, and it is impossible to support it for a long time. Waste paper is waste paper, garbage is garbage, although garbage can also be used through science and technology to turn waste into treasure into industrial raw materials and daily necessities, but that is the need to "reborn" reconstruction. Just like an ugly duckling can be dressed up as a white swan for a while, but it will always be an ugly duckling and will never become a real white swan soaring into the sky. Those horse books, those comic books with huge prints, huge survival, and average paintings, and poor quality will not double their value no matter how much they are hyped, and they can become valuable collections.
The history of comic book collection in the past 30 years shows that although the price of those high-quality comic books with the collection conditions has fluctuated, the overall has been steadily rising, (now 500 yuan can't buy a set of more than nine products in the 50s of the last century, the first edition of "Chicken Feather Letter", right?) The price has not fluctuated greatly, on the contrary, those varieties that violate the laws of the market and are overhyped will return to its rightful position after a new round of market reshuffle and market rationality.
Comic strips should be included in the field of old book collection, although comic strips are called "paintings" (except for the original manuscript) but it is a printed matter, it is actually a picture book, it is not like calligraphy and painting works are genuine, there is only one real handiwork, basically in the publishing house, for most of us it is impossible to collect, to collect close to the real comic book, then collect the earliest and best version, the collection of comic strips depends on the painter but more important to him The quality of its version. Its value is mainly reflected in the comprehensive factors such as edition, condition, painting, age, and scarcity.
Some people think that with the death of the older generation, comic books will become worthless on waste paper, no one collects, one-sided think that comic book collection is just a product of nostalgia, of course, it is undeniable that a large number of people are because of nostalgia, but it is not only nostalgia that supports it. Comic strips are not comparable to stamps, they are richer than stamps, more characteristic of the times, and more cultural and artistic content. Comic books are books, and if you look at the history of book collecting that has lasted for thousands of years, it can be seen that it has never been interrupted and passed down from generation to generation, not to mention that comic books are also a special kind of book, and people who like books and art will collect them even if they are not nostalgic.
In short, as a collection, the market will always give it its due value according to its own laws. The price is affected by multiple factors such as supply and demand, economic environment, etc., and it is the norm that it rises and falls, and it is not something that a few people can control.
Comic book collection should be calm, even if it is invested, it should be done within its means, not too utilitarian, suffering from gains and losses, and its value does not have to be devalued or deliberately exaggerated. It cannot be said that the value of the old version of the comic book and the representative comic book of a certain period will be higher in the future, nor can it be said that investing in the comic book will make a steady profit, nor can it be expected that the comic book will regain its former glory and become a mainstream cultural reading, but as a unique art form and a part of the old book collection, it will surely exist with the inheritance of human civilization.