Level Four Thinking

This week Chris and Walt dive into the brave new world of fractional ownership of comics and collectibles. This is not a discussion on Non Fungible Tokens (NFT) which was discussed on an earlier show, this is partially owning a tangible item that exists somewhere in somebody’s basement or stock room or safe.

We end up taking the concept to unexpected places so listen up.

As always we encourage you to share your thoughts on the subject matter or on the show itself, please feel free to leave comments down in the comments field.

Walter Durajlija
Walter Durajlija

Walter Durajlija is an Overstreet Advisor and Shuster Award winner. He owns Big B Comics in Hamilton Ontario.

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Charlie
3 years ago

You disappoint me Walter. I’m sure you understand that buying shares is about being a part owner of a company… and Tesla does exist beyond a piece of paper, which I’m pretty sure is what you’ll get if you’re a fractional owner of an AF#15. Check out the one year decline of the USD against CAD:

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/chart/CAD%3DX#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–

Gerald Eddy
Gerald Eddy
3 years ago

I don’t do stocks other then the safe investments in my 401k… so I am a dunce at this. Say I buy a piece of a comic… 5 years from now the comic has quadrupled in price… I can sell my share for a profit? This really does take away the fun of collecting… but… at current prices of some books, I won’t knock it.

Chris O.
Chris O.
3 years ago

Gerald, I completely agree. But this goes strictly into investing. I’m with you. This doesn’t really seem like fun. But…making money can be fun. Soon maybe it’s worth looking into. But I think I’d still rather own something outright.

Charlie
3 years ago

If you love the art or the story, you can buy reprints at a fraction of the cost. Therefore, buying graded comics or high value comics is about investing. And if you’re investing, you wanna max out your ROI (return on investment). For me, I’ve got my collection of SA (silver age) facsimiles… and that satisfies my love for the books ^_^

Take a look at the link I posted of the declining USD… CAD is not much different depending on what you peg it to. It’s better to hold key comics than cash these days. I recommend buying multiple copies of highly liquid books like Hulk#181. You just know Kevin Fergie is working towards this movie… because it’s an iconic moment in comic book history. By the time the movie rolls around… $100-150k for a Hulk #181 in a 9.8 is very, very… easily achievable. Especially against a backdrop of the declining value of the dollar. It’s already a $50k book, so that’s only a double from here. I’ve heard folks say that the GSX#1 are beginning to sell for $40k. If this is true, then by scale… the current value of the Hulk#181 should be closer to $75k… if not now… soon. GPA is one thing, but you have to feel the pulse of the market… and listen to the whispers… and it says to me… Hulk #181… $100k… Hulk #181… $100k…

Spider
3 years ago

It’s a wonderful hobby isn’t it!

On the ride to work I listen to the virtual ownership of possibly tangible assets or tokens (that still rely on infrastructure just like the safes and companies that the shared-ownership does in my opinion).

At lunch I get to check on some feebay X-Men auctions, yep those Canadians are really putting the price of #121 into crazy territory, gosh they love their Calgary stampede.

Then I come home, send an email to Dylan at BigB about grading some issues and making some money…

and the night finishes up with me on the couch reading Punisher: War Journal #6 with Wolverine, cost: $4

The comic world spans such a wide spectrum and we all have the right of what to focus of for our pleasure and what to ignore.

Good night and good reading.

Klaus
Klaus
3 years ago

How cow, Charlie, could you find a longer url? It took me the better part of two hours to type that in. My cut and paste doesn’t work on it, for some reason.

Charlie
3 years ago

Klaus… I do my best work when I’m motivated. Have you tried pressing that button on your mouse… ie; “clicking”?

^_^

Charlie
3 years ago

Woo wee… This is why comics are better than money sitting in the bank:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K45ocW-nzAc

Klaus
Klaus
3 years ago

Charlie, I don’t use a mouse. My 286 runs DOS 5 and everything is typed in. Usually, I press a cut and paste key but that url wouldn’t highlight. The worst part was the final result was simply a blank page. ):

Spider
3 years ago

Klaus, you’re a mystery wrapped in an enigma…on one hand you use a 286 but on the other hand you don’t know about Hulk 181…aren’t they both produced in the same year

Klaus
Klaus
3 years ago

Spider, my old Wang 286 was a salvage from the trash which I was able to get running again. It’s worked so well, I never needed another computer, preferring to keep things simple.

Hulk 181 and most other Marvels eluded me, as I was more of a DC fan. My main focus are golden age comics in fair to good condition, which still look good but are relatively cheap.

I used to pick up some Archies for reading, back in the 80s, but sold them off because I didn’t have room in our small apartment.

Spider
3 years ago

Klaus, in future please don’t use the phrase ‘my old wang’ in this forum. Keep it clean, keep it civil.

But hero you certainly are!

Charlie
3 years ago

The market is parabolic!

$10k in the bank in 2017 = $9.9k buying power in 2021
$10k in GSX#1 in 2017 = $40k++ in 2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDsZHFN_IMg