(or "The Hits Just Keep On Coming")
The obvious answer is, yes, they're worth something. They have value as objects of art, as entertainment, as memorabilia of your youth. They may not be worth money, but who really cares about that? Nobody buys DVDs thinking they'll be 'worth something' in ten years. We certainly didn't buy NES games in the early 90s because we thought there'd be collectibles fifteen years down the line, which they are. This isn't just an "oh for god's sake just read them" rant, either.
The fact that comics are still 'collectibles' from a market stand-point has a lot to do with how few people read them. Newspapers, magazines, and books expand their readership by going beyond the primary purchase. Newspapers and magazines calculate their audience based on sales, but take into account how those publications are passed around amongst readers. Novels are part of a thriving market in used books. The engine that drives both of these is that after the initial purchase, the cost goes down, not up, which allows readers who are only half-interested to give them a try 'cause, what the hell? A 350 page novel for $3 is a good deal.
Comics publishers are trying to replicate this through Free Comic Book Day, but that's not addressing the basic problem. Comics need to be cheaper. There's just no way around it. At the very least, there needs to be comics that are cheap and freely available in order for new readers to try them out, and this is where a healthy used (as opposed collectible) market would do us a world of good.
The things aren't worth money any more, so why do we continue to pretend that as soon as they're back issues, the price goes up by 25%? My only guess, with great respect and gratitude towards comic shop owners (except for One Eye at Warp One, I'm still pissed off at you for being a dick to Nathan Philion), is that it's a way to recoup the losses incurred because of flagging sales, but that attitude seems to be what's killing comics. Raising prices because readers are leaving only makes more readers leave. If you want to sell more of something it's blindingly obvious that you have to lower the price.
Basically, there needs to be a whole hell of a lot more bargain bins.
Posted by orion at August 14, 2005 1:41 PM | TrackBack