New Years Open Forum

The end of the year is here and what an interesting year it has been. Some great comics have come out this year, Reborn and Seven to Eternity instantly come to mind. 
While you are getting ready to go out tonight, or stay in, let’s open the discussion on some comic book topics
What is your comic book resolution this year? Mine is to actually list the books I buy with the intention of selling. 
This is the discussion Mel, Drunk Wooky, Poyo, Blind Adam and I have been having over email:
1. Best Dollar Bin find ?
2. Best Variant of 2016 ?
3. Best New Series of 2016 Big Two?
4. Best New Series of 2016 Indie?
5. Best New Character of 2016?
6. Best Licensed Property? 
7. Best Series Comeback of 2016?

81 thoughts on “New Years Open Forum”

  1. 1-2X Avenging Spiderman 9 in 9.6-9.8
    2-None.
    3-Seven to Eternity/ Mae/ Hillbilly
    4-See above
    5-Hillbilly Dude
    6-idk
    7-Deadly Class/Birthright/Low/Deadly Class. Yes they all returned from hiatus. Yes,3 of them are written by Remender??

      2. Same idea Kurt. Good to see you. In case you guys do not know Kurt Love he is a master bin finder. His finds are crazy.
        Sent from my iPhone
        >

      1. Ha! I’m sworn to secrecy under oath to the OFFICIAL verified CSHAT Brotherhood (Comic Shop Hunters and Assassin’s Team)…but if you reach out to me on the Google+ hangouts I’ll probably talk a little more???

  2. I once found 9.8 copies of new xmen 128 and 129 in the dollar bin. Sent them to Cgc needless to say I was pleased

  3. I also just bought a new mutants 98 87 set off the mercari app for 230$ shipped after applying a 30% off coupon that marcari sent me. Def worth checking out if you guys are looking for deals on comics. Use my referral code GGEXZP we both get 2$ credit.

  4. Best dollar bin finds:
    Forever People 1
    Hulk 92
    Savage Wolverine 14 (1:100) Noto Sketch
    Hokes listed this book in the top 20 most rare of the 21st century. Pretty cool.

  5. Just opened a bottle of Shiraz, when that’s gone I have some Jim Beam to sustain me through til midnight!
    1. Nothing :o(
    2. Artgerm Wonder Woman Rebirth one-shot
    3. & 4. Seven to Eternity
    5. Jonathan Kent as Superboy
    6. Only licensed I have bought is Darth Vader and Doctor Aphra, so they win by default!
    7. Too new back into collecting again to have an opinion.
    It’s good to be back in this world, I lost my love of comics for quite a few years, so happy to have rediscovered it!

  6. I had 3 pretty good dollar bin finds this year. I found 2 copies of the Superman: Lois and Clark #1 1:25 variant. They were at two different shops. They weren’t dollar bin finds, but back issue finds. I paid $20 each and sold one for $120 and the other for $80. I also found a Gen 13 #1 Gen-it Jackson Variant. Paid cover and just sold it for $60. Those few moments were you find a real gem for cheap is the best part about flipping. Other than the profit. ?

    1. dollar bins are rare up in Canada. Most shops keep back issue bins, but they all want cover price for the books.

      1. I have found the same in UK, unless the LCS has a sale to try to shift some over ordered stuff, they go in back issue racks but still have original price on them. I did pick up iZombie #2 and #4 for £2 each in back issues rack and sold them for £8.95, not a massive profit, but percentage wise it wasn’t bad.

        1. I will take a small sale any day. If it’s a profit. I work across the street from the post office so it’s not a big deal to take the stuff
          To work with me to mail.

      2. They can want but don’t always get. I have a honey hole around here that all books that go into the bin are cover plus 50 cents for the bag and board. So $2.99 is $3.50 and so forth. However he does $1 sales and 70% off sales all the time.

      3. Don’t forget that any issues that have anything even remotely of consequence in them never even make it to those bins. Plus, most shops outside of the cities dont have enough business to even get ratio variants!

  7. I”m with Tony on the comic resolution (though as rule I don’t generally do resolutions), get comics listed more quickly, especially if I am trying to flip them. Also, expand my search parameters, get to more shops on Wednesday and hunt for some back issue bargains more. So more like a better business plan than resolutions lol

    1. I applied some of those practices to my model these last two quarters and it does pay off. I have also started researching future titles and preordering them. I find this really helps you get a jump on the Wednesday winners. If you preorder, then you don’t waste time looking for the books, and in turn can have listed more quickly as you will be at home as opposed to driving around shop to shop. My first big pre order is for Dollface #1, from a purely spec/flip situation. Finger crossed my speculation pays off on this and I’m not left with 10 copies of Dollface. Lol

      1. We have been all over Dollface (ok sounds creepy but you know what I mean) since the Kickstarter. Waiting for my Kickstarters to come in. Then I will have the Baltimore Retailer, the Local Comic Day, Free Comic Day, and getting all the regular and variant covers for #1.

        1. I think I may kick myself over Dollface, had the kick starter page up, but was late, intended to contribute the next day, totally forgot and then it was past deadline by the time I remembered! Again my lack of basic organisational skills let me down ?

      2. I know you have, Tony. CHU was/is my main source when doing my research. This site is a great intro into spec’ing. It’s great because it points you in the right directions, but at the same time it doesn’t hold your hand. Good stuff.

      3. I’m trying to get in the habit of pre ordering as much as possible, but as you may have seen from my Wednesday Open Forum posts I don’t always get it right and scrabble around on the day trying to pick stuff up! Another resolution to add then ha ha

      4. I’m going in pretty heavy on Dollface too. For some reason I missed the kickstarter I remember reading about it here, but I just never got around to it. I did pick up another of the LCSD issues today. I do a lot of pre-orders, 80% of my pre-orders is for spec, everything at my main Shop in my pullbox is for the PC and most of my in store pickups are for spec.
        HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!!!!!!

  8. It’s a four-way tie for best dollar bin finds of 2016: 9.8 copies of Edge of the Spider-verse #2, First printing; Wonder Woman #184; Superman Adventures #5; and two copies of Avenging Spider-Man #9.
    Best new series? I’m enjoying Frostbite and Reborn!

  9. Best Dollar Bin find : Too many to remember off the top of my head, but Evil Ernie #1 1st appearance of Lady Death, Hulk 92 and a few copies of Captain Marvel 14 are up there
    Best Variant of 2016 ? Whichever one I was able to flip the quickest for crazy money
    Best New Series of 2016 ? Moon Knight by Lemire / Smallwood
    Best New Character of 2016? Beta (walking Dead)
    Best Licensed Property? Negan & Lucille
    Best Series Comeback of 2016? The Vision by Tom King. Technically it’s a 2015 book but I didn’t start reading it until 2016. Vision and Moon Knight are what happens when writers really think outside of the box and aren’t concerned movie hype or selling toys

    1. Oh yeah, my comic resolution is to stop buying cigarettes (again) and use that money for some nice golden age horror books

      1. Great plan on quitting smoking. Don’t smoke but there are other things I waste money on. Buying golden age horror is like buying blue chip stocks. Slow and steady increase in value and you cannot go wrong.

        1. Good luck on the quitting smoking…. I kicked that habit 5 years ago, best decision ever. If you all ever want tips or tricks, ask away. I can only say, it’s all in the mind…. I actually quit cold turkey when I did. Many times I would have loved to pick one up and almost would but just gotta stay strong. One tip I found is just avoid going into gas stations or convenient stops where they are sold, just pay at the pump and avoid going inside….. That’s one thing that helped me, cause it was so easy to go in for a drink but see and lose your control with an impulse buy.

    2. Moon knight is great. Speaking of Dollar Bin finds, Brian Pullado was at Baltimore Comic Con (and the retailers summit) and I ran over to a dealer that had Lady Death #1 for a dollar and had Pullado sign it.

  10. Way earlier this year I was still able to find copies of Hulk #92 second print for $2.50 to $3. Not dollar bin but not bad compared to what they are starting to sell for. Have to check but I think I bought five of them.

        1. Age of Ultron was okay but I wish they called it… The Rise of Ultron…. Cause the age of is when Ultron succeeded, in the future and was a completely different story in the comic books.

  12. I’m not big on the dollar bin finds but about two weeks ago I ran across a nice stack of Amazing Spider-Man’s mid and late 300s…. No big key issues but a bunch in really great shape, like 9.4 or higher type condition.. a bunch to fill some gaps and holes as I’m slowly…. Slowly putting that ASM collection together.

  14. Most of the shop’s I go to don’t have dollar bins, and if they do I usually don’t dig through them that much. I did just get that Guardians of the Galaxy one per store for $6.

    1. That’s nice! I paid for the 1 per store Venom and flipped it for a princely sum. Not a dollar bin pickup but again, take it when you can find it.

  15. Yup—Happy New Year boys and girls! Love this site as Tony and the rest of the usual contributors provide a refreshing point of view—I don’t see a lot of self-serving behaviour here….and that’s pretty rampant in the comic world. Cheers to you all and throughout 2017!

    1. Thanks Vann. I don’t need a lot. I have everything I need already. I have a great family, good friends, and some of the best people in the world who come and check out a little website I started for fun. Everything else is just the cherry on top. Cheers to all indeed and hope 2017 finds you all well (and wealthy!)

  16. What’s up guys. So as for my new years resolution, I am going to sell of my comic collection. I am just going to keep the books that I enjoyed reading and sell everything else. So I can work on my ASM collection.
    1. Best dollar find, is some ASM books to fill my gap. The books where in good condition. I would say 9.4-9.6. Best ones where a 341, and 375.
    2. For me it has to be MMPR #0 ( green ranger cover). Only cuz I made some good money on it ?
    3. It has to be Briggs Land.
    4. Also Reborn
    5. Best new character has to be Veronica from White. Man that shark is a beast.
    6. Star Wars. Always Star Wars lol
    7. Don’t have one. Since I dropped the books when they where getting boring and never picked them back up.
    That’s it for me hope you all have a great and safe New Year.

  17. 1. Best Dollar Bin find ? Detective Comics #444 in NM
    2. Best Variant of 2016 ? Harley Quinn 4 Bill Sienkiewicz
    3. Best New Series of 2016 ? Black Hammer
    4. Best New Series of 2016 ? Brigg’s Land
    5. Best New Character of 2016? Beta but the characters in Brigg’s Land and Black Hammer all rock.
    6. Best Licensed Property? Batman
    7. Best Series Comeback of 2016? Superman

    1. Oh CRAP, I completely forgot Black Hammer, the only book I actually go into a comic book Shop and buy on the day it comes out, and rush home to read(usually a couple of times!). Yup, I make the trip on the subway to Midtown comics specifically for this one book, often picking up a bunch of stuff I wouldn’t normally read, just for this.

  18. And thanks for the kind words Anthony- more often than not, my haul posts get hated more than liked, simply because I get lucky and end up at the right place at the right time. I don’t really consider it luck, I think of it as years (if not decades) of hard work and dedication paying off…

      1. I agree. Every week me and this other guy after we are digging the local shop for variants, we always turn and ask one another, “any gems?”
        People who get mad or hate on the fortune of others need a new new hobby..

      2. CHU is pretty much a hate free zone. That’s one of the many things I like about the site not that many haters.

    2. Kurt – “The more you know” right? When I was 12 or 13 I got the Marvel Universe handbook set and Overstreet guide and memorized every 1st appearance, Obviously there’s way more keys in the 30 years since then but knowing when to strike and what to look for earlier than others pays off. Too many shops either don’t know or don’t care and find out what is heating up too late. Case in point, a guy who works at one of my regular shops was talking about people asking for New Mutants 25 & 26 and how for some reason they have none laying around. I cleaned out their dollar bin of those and #14’s well over a year ago.
      Keep doing what you’re doing

  19. Best find this year: NYX 3 raw possible 9.8 for $99.
    Biggest disappointment in comics 2016: the number of new speculators in my area does not make it worth looking in back issue bins in any of my local haunts anymore.
    Best series in 2016: Low, Monstress, Saga, Rick & Morty, Invader Zim.
    Best series returning in 2017: Rat Queens (if anyone has a #1 blank variant let me know in a Hangout)

  20. Anthony, just noticed you put questions 3 and 4 as the same, wasn’t the first one suppose to be best new series of the big 2, as in Marvel and DC? And the other one is for Indie or Small Press.

  21. 1. Already provided this one further up.
    2. Best Variant of 2016
    The Ultimates #3 50th Black Panther Anniversary Variant by Tim Sale – I just love this cover. It just stands out in my mind when I think of this years past covers.
    3. Best New Series of 2016 (Big 2)
    Moon Knight (Marvel) Jeff Lemire – Just a great damn book.
    Flash (DC) Williamson – I never thought I’d say this but yeah, I’m loving this book by Williamson. He’s revived the Flash with some great story telling.
    4. Best New Series of 2016 (Indie)
    Black Hammer (Dark Horse) Jeff Lemire – Look another Lemire book, because he’s just awesome.
    Carver Paris Story (Z2) Chris Hunt – This one I think is underrated. It’s got underground indie all over it. Great art, great story. I loved it.
    5. Best New Character of 2016
    I just don’t know.. I got nothing on this one. No one stands out for me. Gonna have to come back to this one. Beta is a front runner just because he’ll eventually make it to the show and cause some havoc in TWD universe.
    6. Best Licensed Property
    I’ve got nothing on this one as well.. Star Wars is always a winner, at least long term. There will always be Star Wars fans, most haven’t even been born yet.
    7. Best Series Comeback of 2016
    I can only think Deadly Class made a comeback after it was optioned. It renewed my interest to pick up copies and start reading again. I even noticed my local shops stacks were a little bigger too after it got optioned.

    1. I almost had Seven to Eternity as well but figured that it was only 3 issues in for the year… Went with titles a little more established or finished.

  23. Coming in here a little later. Weird New Year’s Day being a Sunday. Regular football on tv, the parades & bowl games tomorrow. Like a skip day for holidays…
    Anyway here’s my go:
    1. Best Dollar Bin find ?
    Dell Four Color #456 (Uncle Scrooge #2) in VG+
    2. Best Variant of 2016 ?
    Supergirl #1 by Adam Hughes (pretty not pricey). Are we doing most overused variant? Please let me say how tired I am of action figure variants. Give it a rest now!
    3. Best New Series of 2016 Big Two?
    Not finding much I like at either, but I am liking Jessica Jones from Marvel, and at DC I’d go with Future Quest.
    4. Best New Series of 2016 Indie?
    Reborn…but I gotta say Die Kitty Die is a lot of fun. Hillbilly & Spookhouse from Eric Powell.
    5. Best New Character of 2016?
    Hillbilly. Well written, well drawn, and gonna be a cult favorite one day.
    6. Best Licensed Property?
    Star Wars. Not my favorite series, but you’re never gonna lose money on it.
    7. Best Series Comeback of 2016?
    Superman seems an obvious choice. Jessica Jones. The DC Hanna-Barbera character vin Future Quest. The Three Stooges (binge watched the IFC marathon last night! Woo-woo-woo, n’yuk!)

  24. 1. Tie between first app of Kyle Rayner and first app of Archangel
    2. Venom 1 – dellotto
    3. Aquaman and Daredevil
    4. Kill or Be Killed
    5. Mosaic
    6. Yeah…Star Wars stuff I guess
    7. Ummmm…Star Wars

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