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 Posted 10/17/2016 6:49:18 PM |
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ARE BATMAN FIGURES, ACCESSORIES, AND VEHICLES A GOOD FINANCIAL INVESTMENT?
Batman figure, accessories, and vehicle collecting can be profitable
when you know what you're looking for and, more importantly, what you
have. For those collectors who look to their collections as a
financial investment, knowing the value of each figure is extremely
important. If you hope to one day resell your figures on the
collectible market, you must determine its value according to the
demand for the figure and the condition (or grading) it's in.
VINTAGE BATMAN IS WHERE THE REAL MONEY IS FOR THE RESELLER.
HOT TOYs AND OTHER BATMAN RELATED COMPANIES WILL NOT ALLOW THE
RESELLER TO PROFIT TO ANY DEGREE IN TODAY’S MARKET.
Determining Condition
How much a figure is worth depends greatly on how pristine or how beat
up it is. The six basic grades of condition are as follows:
C10: Mint Condition: The figure has no discoloration, paint loss, dirt
or grime, has tight joints and includes all of its original
accessories. If the figure is still packaged, the package itself must
be in equally pristine condition without tears, creases or damage from
torn-off price tags.
C8-9: Near Mint Condition: The figure must be as close to original
condition as possible with the allowance of any minor issues, such a
single loose joint or one or two missing accessories. Dirt,
discoloration or paint loss is still not allowed in this grade.
C6-7: Fine Condition: The figure must still be complete (no missing
limbs or broken parts) but may lack most of its original accessories,
have some minor wear, discoloration or paint loss. You may often find
this grade described as "played with condition".
C4-5: Good Condition: The figure probably has none of its original
accessories and clearly shows excessive wear, including noticeable
discoloration, some loose joints and paint loss. Most collectors would
still consider this figure to be easily repairable.
C2-3: Poor Condition: The figure is in noticeably bad shape, with very
loose joints, major paint loss and extreme discoloration. A figure in
this condition may also show some minor breaks, such as the thumbs
being broken off. Most collectors tend to leave figures in this
condition alone.
C1: Very Poor Condition: The figure is an absolute mess, with limbs
broken off, major paint loss, bite marks from dogs, burn marks from
firecrackers, you name it. A figure in this condition is generally
considered trash.
Finding the Going Rate:
Once you've determined the condition of your figure you can start
researching just how much it's worth. But first, keep this in mind;
the prices for anything on the collectible market are not set in stone
and can fluctuate over time and from one venue to another. (The going
price for a figure in a tiny collectibles shop in a small town will be
vastly different than its going rate at a large toy convention in a
big city). So once you determine the value of your figure, know that
that is simply a rough estimate of the current going rate.
Where to Find Values:
Online - A quick search on online auction sites like eBay will give
you an excellent idea of the current value of a figure. When searching
for a figure, be specific. Searching for "Batman figure" will not give
you a narrow enough sampling nor accurate pricing as searching for
"1984 Super Powers Batman Near Mint Complete" will. Once you have
found a few, get a good average of what the going prices are and stick
with that for your figure.
Books - There are dozens of action figure price guides available at
your local bookstores and online at www.amazon.com. When buying a
price guide, always try to get the latest edition in order to get the
most accurate and up-to-date pricing. These books can generally be
trusted and are used all over the country by collectors. One excellent
price guide comes in an inexpensive three-volume set called Tomart's
Encyclopedia & Price Guide to Action Figure Collectibles.
Magazines - There are a couple of different magazines that focus
solely on action figures such as Lee's Toy Review, which contain
articles on the latest figures on the market and an extensive price
guide for dozens of action figure lines. The benefit of magazines is
that you get a month-to-month accurate update of the current market
values and with a subscription, it comes right to your door.
Pricing:
One thing to watch out for in collecting for a financial investment is
that an action figure's prices can rise and fall dramatically. So even
though you've found a price for a figure last year, you should check
again to see if the current market value has risen or fallen. Also,
keep up with trends and beware of fads. Some figures simply fall out
of fashion and others have a meteoric rise, only to fall just as
quickly and stay at the bottom.
When the first Star Wars movie was released, the action figures were
being snatched up from the stores and resold online for hundreds of
dollars. Now they can be found at toy conventions, mint in package,
for less than their original retail price. Also, keep in mind that the
value of a figure is how much a collector could be willing to pay for
it, but not at all how much a dealer will be willing to pay for it. So
if you decide to sell a figure that's valued at $100, a dealer, who
needs to make a profit and can only sell it for its current value,
will only offer you $50, possibly less.
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| Posted 10/20/2016 5:54:26 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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THE TELEGRAPH NEWS
BATMAN BEATS SUPERMAN: Early comic book sells for more than 1,000,000.oo.
Comic books featuring the first appearances of Superman and Batman have each set auction sales records and broken the $1 million barrier, in an age when traditional investments have fared badly and
superheroes look attractive.
A 1939 comic with the first ever appearance of masked crime fighter
Batman sold at auction in Dallas for a record $1.075 million, said
Heritage Auction Galleries.
Experts said the same edition of a comic can vary widely in price,
depending on condition. Three days earlier, a buyer paid $1 million
for Superman's world debut in Action Comics No.1, more than tripling
the previous comic book sales record set last year.
Shirrel Rhoades, former publisher and executive vice president of
Marvel Comics, said high sales for those comics was partly a
reflection on the poor economy.
"When the stock market is down, when real estate investments are over
the cliff, collectibles offer an alternative that you can invest in
that may have some growth potential," Mr. Rhoades said.
He said the 1938 Action Comics No.1 is arguably more historic than the
first appearance of Batman, but that this week's sales seem to be
following their own logic.
"We're probably seeing a little bit of a feeding frenzy," he said.
"With the sale of Action No.1 for a million, I think that's going to
keep prices up for a while."
Heritage Auction Galleries did not disclose the name of the previous
owner or the winning bidder for Detective Comics No.27, the first book
featuring Batman.
The previous owner is a savvy collector who bought the comic for $100
more than 40 years ago, a figure which at the time seemed a large
price, said Heritage Auction Galleries.
Back in the 1930s, both Action Comics No.1 and Detective Comics No.27
sold for 10 cents.
Experts said the same edition of a comic can vary widely in price,
depending on condition.
Heritage Auction and Comic Connect said the books they sold this week
were near pristine, well-preserved copies.
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| Posted 10/20/2016 6:00:46 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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MOST EXPENSIVE BATMAN COMICS OF ALL TIME
Batman has become one of the most popular comic book characters of all
time since his creation over 70 years ago. This success may be due to
the fact that, unlike most costumed crime fighters, Batman has no
superhuman powers; he relies on his extraordinary detective skills,
peak physique and an array of high-tech gadgets to defeat his enemies.
Of course, 70 years of continuous publication have made certain early
issues particularly valuable. These are the most expensive Batman
comics of all time.
Batman #1 (Spring 1940) – $359,000
Despite being the first comic to feature Batman in its title, Batman
#1 is not the first appearance of the caped crusader. A hero is
defined by his adversaries, however, and this historical comic
featured the first appearances of two of Batman’s most enduring
foes—the Joker and Catwoman. The former is, of course, the dark
knight’s most iconic nemesis while the latter has been Batman’s enemy,
ally and lover over the years.
Detective Comics #27 (May 1939) – $1,380,000
Batman made his debut in this issue of the pulp-inspired comic
magazine after which National Publications later took its name—DC
Comics. The Batman of these days was, however, a bit darker than the
Batman with which most readers are familiar. This Batman, as
originally conceived by artist Bob Kane and developed (uncredited) by
writer Bill Finger, had no qualms about taking the lives of the petty
criminals he fought. It wasn’t until the introduction of Robin almost
a year later that Batman began to lighten up on Gotham’s criminals and
leave them breathing.
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| Posted 10/28/2016 6:18:13 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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SO HOW DID DC COMICS COME TO BE?
The initials "DC" came from the company's popular series Detective
Comics, which featured Batman's debut and subsequently became part of
the company's name.
The corporation was originally two companies: National Allied
Publications, Inc. (also known as National Allied Newspaper Syndicate,
Inc. which was founded by Major Malcolm Wheeler-Nicholson in autumn
1934 to publish the first American comic book with all-original
material rather than comic strip reprints, and Detective Comics, Inc.,
formed in 1937 with Wheeler-Nicholson and Jack S. Liebowitz, listed as
owners. Wheeler-Nicholson remained for a year before being forced out
in 1938, and Detective Comics, Inc. purchased the remains of National
Allied Publications.
National Allied and Detective Comics, Inc. merged on September 30,
1946 to become National Comics Publications, Inc., which also absorbed
an affiliated concern, Max Gaines' and Liebowitz's All-American
Publications. National Comics was renamed National Periodical
Publications, Inc. in 1961.
Despite the official names "National Comics" and "National Periodical
Publications", the company began branding itself as "Superman-DC" as
early as 1940, and it became known colloquially as DC Comics for years
before the official adoption of that name in 1977.
DC Comics, Inc. is an American comic book publisher. It is the
publishing unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros., a
division of Time Warner. DC Comics is one of the largest, oldest, and
most successful companies operating in American comic books, and
produces material featuring numerous well-known heroic characters,
including Batman and Superman.
Random House distributes DC Comics' books to the bookstore market,
while Diamond Comic Distributors supplies the comics shop specialty
market. DC Comics and its major, longtime competitor Marvel Comics
(owned since 2009 by The Walt Disney Company, Time Warner's main
rival) together shared 70% of the American comic book market in 2016.
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| Posted 11/1/2016 5:19:31 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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HOW ABOUT BATMAN AS A BRONZE STATUE /SCULPTURE?
BEEN DONE ALREADY!
What the collector needs to know to appreciate bronze.
WIKIPEDIA did a good job of concisely discussing bronze.
“Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast
bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze". It can be used for
statues, singly or in groups, reliefs, and small statuettes and
figurines, as well as bronze elements to be fitted to other objects
such as furniture. It is often gilded to give gilt-bronze or ormolu.
The great civilizations of the old world worked in bronze for art,
from the time of the introduction of the alloy for edged weapons. The
oldest known bronze statue of the world dates back to BC 2500. The
Greeks were the first to scale the figures up to life size. Far more
Roman bronze statues have survived.
Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of
expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest
details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it shrinks a little,
making it easier to separate from the mold. Their strength and
ductility (lack of brittleness) is an advantage when figures in action
are to be created, especially when compared to various ceramic or
stone materials (such as marble sculpture). These qualities allow the
creation of extended figures, as in Jeté, or figures that have small
cross sections in their support, such as the equestrian statue of
Richard the Lionheart.
But the value of the bronze for uses other than making statues is
disadvantageous to the preservation of sculptures; few large ancient
bronzes have survived, as many were melted down to make weapons or
ammunition in times of war or to create new sculptures commemorating
the victors, while far more stone and ceramic works have come through
the centuries, even if only in fragments. As recently as 2007 several
life sized bronze sculptures by John Waddell were stolen, probably due
to the value of the metal after the work has been melted.
There are many different bronze alloys, and the term is now tending to
be regarded by museums as too imprecise, and replaced in descriptions
by "copper alloy", especially for older objects. Typically modern
bronze is 88% copper and 12% tin. Alpha bronze consists of the alpha
solid solution of tin in copper. Alpha bronze alloys of 4–5% tin are
used to make coins and a number of mechanical applications. Historical
"bronzes" are highly variable in composition, as most metalworkers
probably used whatever scrap was on hand; the metal of the
12th-century English Gloucester Candlestick is bronze containing a
mixture of copper, zinc, tin, lead, nickel, iron, antimony, arsenic
with an unusually large amount of silver – between 22.5% in the base
and 5.76% in the pan below the candle. The proportions of this mixture
may suggest that the candlestick was made from a hoard of old coins.
The Benin Bronzes are really brass, and the Romanesque Baptismal font
at St Bartholomew's Church, Liège is described as both bronze and
brass.
In the Bronze Age, two forms of bronze were commonly used: "classic
bronze", about 10% tin, was used in casting; and "mild bronze", about
6% tin, was hammered from ingots to make sheets. Bladed weapons were
mostly cast from classic bronze, while helmets and armor were hammered
from mild bronze. On one definition, modern "statuary bronze" is 90%
copper and 10% tin.
Making bronzes is highly skilled work, and a number of distinct
casting processes may be employed, including lost-wax casting (and its
modern-day spin-off investment casting), sand casting and centrifugal
casting. The term "bronze" is also applied to metal sculptures made by
electrotyping (or galvanoplasty), although these sculptures are
typically pure copper and their fabrication does not involve metal
casting.
After final polishing, corrosive materials may be applied to form a
patina, a process that allows some control over the color and finish.”
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| Posted 11/1/2016 5:25:10 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
Last Login: 12/4/2023 11:08:55 PM
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FOR THOSE OUT THERE WHO CAN’T HELP BUT WONDER.
Perhaps you have your own Batman costume and are pondering how much it
would cost to have yourself, while wearing said Batman costume cast as
a life size bronze statue. After all, your statue would probably be
around for several thousand years.
This would classify as a commissioned work and depending on the
sculptor’s reputation, level of meticulous detail, and complexity of
the pose would cost 45-75,000.oo and closer to 100,000.oo if you
insisted on having your cape in great detail flowing in windblown
fashion all about and behind your person.
OR
You could buy a solid bronze cast 7-inch tall Batman for 295.oo from
www.noblecollection.com
Check out a clay statue that would make an awesome cast bronze statue for a collection.
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| Posted 11/1/2016 5:47:59 PM |
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Supreme Being
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| Oooo...... I want that life size one for my grave marker when I die.
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| Posted 11/12/2016 8:02:52 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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BATMAN RELATED COSTUME COLLECTING
I know some of our members have their own Batman costumes and I hope they will share pictures and information with the viewers about their Batman costumes.
I will get this rolling with some information I found about a real Batman suit that sold at auction.
Someone Just Bought a Batsuit for $250,000
Batman's Batsuit from The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012).
Someone just bought what could be this year’s most expensive Halloween costume.
A private collector bought a batsuit worn by Christian Bale in “The Dark Knight” and “The Dark Knight Rises” for £192,000 ($250,000). Another bidder snagged the batpod—the heavily armed motorcycle used by Batman as he battled the Joker and Bane in two “Dark Knight” movies—for £312,000. And since crime doesn't pay, Bane’s costume sold for £96,000.
Featured in The Dark Knight (2008) and The Dark Knight Rises (2012), the Batpod was conceived by Christopher Nolan and production designer Nathan Crowley.
The costume was up for sale as part of an auction organized by The Prop Store, a U.K. memorabilia company. The offering of more than 500 costumes, props and other pieces of movie history brought in more than £1.5 million, auctioneers said.
In the end, about a dozen people were bidding for the Batpod online, over the phone and in person. Bidding opened online earlier in the month, but bids had only gotten up to £35,000 by the morning of the auction. It jumped to £180,000 online before the live auction opened and finished up at £260,000, before the buyer’s premium took it to £312,000.
But it’s probably a safe bet that an imposing caped crusader won't be ringing the doorbell to trick-or-treat anytime soon. “These don’t get worn by anybody, They really end up in glass display cases.
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| Posted 11/13/2016 6:55:18 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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Anyone know anything about this Batmobile and the Batsuit he is wearing?
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| Posted 11/14/2016 5:02:58 PM |
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Has NO LIFE!!
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NOTEs ON THE BatPod used in the Batman film.
This was not an exclusive buy and ownership.
Six BatPods were built for the films.
The Batpod sold does have signs of use and was sold as a "rolling
only" model without a battery, fuel tank, throttle controls, or any
fluids. It may be a fancy movie prop, but with minimal work, a Batman
fanatic could relive their favorite scenes on the same machine the
Caped Crusader used.
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