King of Collectibles' Ken Goldin Reveals Why Comic Books Will Continue to Grow in Popularity
Comics books are expected to continue to grow in popularity as an investment opportunity for buyers who engage with pop culture, according to Ken Goldin, the "King of Collectibles" and head of Goldin, one of the best-known collectibles marketplaces in the world, and one that regularly breaks records for auction prices of comic books and other high-end collectables. For decades, Golden and Silver Age comics have been considered safe investments, since scarcity has created fairly high price points. In the decade-plus since Iron Man hit theaters, though, not only has the market for older comics exploded, but key recent comics (like the first appearances of Deadpool or Spider-Gwen, for instance) have seen huge price increases, too.
Goldin says part of that is just as simple as awareness. Comparing it to the superstars of sports, Goldin says that superheroes are global brands who exist outside of a specific bubble of time or location.
"The great thing about comic books, and this is what I tell people about why I collect them, and why I think they're going to continue to grow in popularity: a large percentage of our audience is sports fans. Go to any 16-year-old, 13-year-old in the United States and say hey, do you know who Hank Aaron is? Do you know who Mickey Mantle is? Maybe a percentage of them are going to know," Goldin explained to ComicBook.com's Chris Killian. "You ask any of these kids who Superman is, who Spider-Man is, 100% of them are going to know. You go to Japan, it's the same thing. You go to Germany, it's the same thing. You go to Argentina, everyone knows who the superheroes are. So I think it's a long-term thing that will continue to grow."
Here's Goldin's rundown of some of the key Superman stuff he has coming up for auction soon:
Superman Comic #1: This is the first comic dedicated to Superman, which shares his origin story, and is widely considered a top five book in the hobby. This Golden Age classic has received the highest grade of any Superman 1 comic book.
Action Comics #1: This copy features the first-ever appearance of the beloved hero Superman. Superman's influence on superheroes and comic books cannot be understated as Superman has sold more comic books over his publication history than any American comic book character. This comic book only has 43 unrestored examples certified by CGC.
George Reeves Superman Costume: The Holy Grail of them all: Superman's event-worn costume, worn by the imitable George Reeves circa 1954-58 during his run as the Man of Steel. The costume currently has a bid of $55,000.