Tuesday, July 2, 2024
Scoop is a totally free e-newsletter, produced for the benefit of the friends who share our hobby!
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Josh Nathanson was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York. After chance
discovery of a Defenders Annual at age 7, he got hooked on comics. Later, he was
able to capitalize on his love of comics, his college education, experience on
Wall Street and familiarity with the internet to launch his business, ComicLink.
In recent years he has become a high-profile buyer and seller of Golden Age,
Silver Age and Bronze Age comic books, setting several records in
2004.
Scoop: What was the first comic book you remember buying and what were the circumstances?
Josh Nathanson: The first comic book that I bought was Defenders Annual #1. I was about 7. I found it at Silver Point Beach Club in the summer, where my parents took me as a child. People used to set up near the boardwalk to sell this and that and I remember walking back from camp one day and seeing the comic book sitting there in the middle of a pool of un-childlike things, like Tupperware and stuff. It was a beat up copy - these days, it would grade about a Good minus. I still have it for sentimental reasons.
Scoop: How long from the time you first bought a comic book until you considered yourself a collector?
JN: It wasn't that long after I bought that Defenders issue that I became hooked. Soon after, at the same beach club, I stumbled upon The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide and realized quickly that not only do I love reading them, but I could get my money back or even more if I took care of them. When I was about 10 or so, a counselor at Camp Sumner up in the Berkshires gave me a stack of old 1950s books. My favorites were the Lone Ranger comics (I used to fashion a lasso out of rope as a kid and lasso everything in site, including my sister (I am still trying to undue the damage). These Lone Ranger issues were so beat up - most were in about Fair condition, with deteriorating paper. I could not believe, though, that I was holding something in my hand that was so old and so cool.
Scoop: What were your early favorites? How did your collecting develop from that point?
JN: At first, Superman was my favorite. He became my role model as a kid. Then anything having to do with Spider-Man and X-Men were my favorites. The best birthday present that I ever got from a friend was a subscription to Uncanny X-Men back in 1982 or '83. I was 9. I became a big New Mutants fan because it was the first new X-Men title that I bought off the newsstands. Seeing characters develop from the beginning and going every month to see what happened next was a thrill that few kids in my class took part in.
Out of a class of around 30, there were only a couple other kids that I knew of that collected comics. I was friends with one of them, Johnny Dahan, and I couldn't believe what he had in his house. Nice kid. He had an older brother that collected comics and his room was full of back issues, including the Miller Daredevil run. I remember thinking how cool it was. I also remember the little investor in me thinking that having the comics strewn all over the place, unbagged and uncared for in the anal way I was used to caring for them ever since I got that price guide, was a little silly. I went to Pinocchio Discounts on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn every month and picked the best ones off the stands. I spent all my allowance money on comic books and baseball cards.
If she is reading this, I want to thank Bella (the store owner) for putting up with me when the best one on the stands didn't quite cut it according to a 10 year old's interpretation of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide's grading definitions. I asked her, very quietly and a little embarrassed, to let me select from the other copies under the counter so I could find a Near Mint copy.
Scoop: Did you have other collecting habits, too?
JN: Comic books and baseball cards were my biggest hobbies. To a lesser extent, I also remember collecting coins, stamps, stickers, and snails that I found in the ocean at the beach. I thought they were alive and put them in a bucket of water to store in the cabana. Eventually, they started to smell and my mother made me get rid of them.
Scoop: How did your family react to collecting?
JN: My parents were very supportive of my collecting interests. I think they thought it was a good thing. Until I was old enough to take the train, they used to drive me to the comic store and any time we passed one on the road, they would let me stop in. They were really good about that. They're great people. I owe them a lot.
Scoop: Did any of your family members collect comics or other items?
JN: My Dad had a comic collection when he was a kid. He even collected back issues and remembers having some Golden Age books. By the time I started collecting, he no longer had much interest in it. He worked a lot and didn't have much time for it. I read comics, he read the newspaper. My uncle Jeff collected baseball cards and Sporting News magazines. One of the most exciting moments of my childhood was when my grandmother found them in the closet and my uncle gave them to me. He had a couple of Mickey Mantle cards and some Willie Mays and Hank Aaron cards. That was so great.
Scoop: Did you drift away from collecting at any point or did you stick with them as you grew up?
JN: I was a pretty introverted kid when I started collecting comic books. I was in my head a lot and comic books were a great outlet. Then all of a sudden puberty hit and gradually I got less and less interested in comics and more and more into girls. So I stopped collecting in 8th or 9th grade. I think I started again as a junior in high school when I became a little jaded with school. In college I collected on and off. Off when I had a serious girlfriend, on when I didn't.
Scoop: Compare what excited you about comic books early on to what excites you about them now. Is it the same thing?
JN: This is an interesting question. What drew me to them early on was the action and the storytelling more than anything. Then it was the stories combined with the idea that they could be worth something some day. I still read comics on occasion, but I'm very selective because of time constraints. I have access to so many comics that I could read for a lifetime and do nothing else. I have to make a conscious effort not to. Now, what excites me most of the time about comics is finding the best books for my collection and improving on ComicLink so others can do the same. When someone finds something they really like on ComicLink and they couldn't find it elsewhere it excites me.
Scoop: What are the prizes of your collection?
JN: The Lone Ranger #1 Mile High is one of my favorite books. When I got it, I thought of how my collecting has come full circle. Those beat up Lone Ranger copies I mentioned before were later issues. So to have the opportunity to pick up the #1 in 9.6 from the best collection in the world, and to actually buy it, was a thrill. I also have the highest graded copy of Daredevil #1 - it is one of only two 9.6s - in the same condition. A few others I really like are the Curator copy of Hawkman #1 in 9.8, a Jackpot #4 in 7.0 (the first Archie Cover), and a Flash #6 (it is only a 4.5 but it is the second Flash cover and so tough!).
Scoop: What are you collecting at the moment?
JN: At the moment I am building a run of early Action and Detective comics. I'm also working on upgrading runs of Daredevil, X-Men, Strange Tales and some other Marvel titles. I also collect cool covers and high-grade books in most any genre if they are scarce and they strike me in some way. I have some original art that I've collected that I am considering parting with.
Scoop: What comics are on your want list?
There are a few Daredevil and X-Men issues that I am missing in 9.6 or better between 1 and 100. Also some Strange Tales in 9.4 or better - I love that title. It's the poor man's FF! And there are many issues of Action and Detective that I am still looking for.
Scoop: What do you find the most rewarding about comics and collecting in general?
JN: Right now, the most rewarding thing about it is that I turned my collecting interests into a business. I know so many people that hate their jobs and I am truly fortunate to be able to work in my lifelong hobby! It feels like a natural thing, not like work at all.
Scoop: What advice do you have for people looking to invest comics?
JN: Buy what you like and do your homework before investing. Make sure you study the market before jumping in and ask for advice from those who are knowledgeable in the field. That does not mean to wait for a bargain. In an up market that logic does not work because you will not get the best stuff. The most money has been made by people who are selective in what they buy, are willing to spend the money necessary to buy the best, and have the ability to hold the books until the time is right to sell at a profit. All three of these things are equally important.
Scoop: How does your business factor into your collecting?
JN: My business has caused me to rethink how and what I collect, and has changed the nature of my appreciation. Before I started the business, I read more comics. I read thousands in my lifetime and still have my childhood collection for sentimental reasons. Now, I am more of a collector than a reader. If not for this business, I would never have gotten as interested in collecting high-grade and scarce comics as I am now.
Scoop: Your business, ComicLink, offers an online exchange for investment-quality CGC Graded comic books. What types sell the best overall for you?
JN: I think sales on ComicLink are a microcosm of sales within the overall vintage comic book market. The best movers are Marvel, Timely, and DC comics. ComicLink sellers have been able to achieve record breaking prices recently for high-end Silver Age keys such as Hulk #1 9.2 $85,000, X-Men #1 9.6 $110,000, and Amazing Fantasy #15 9.0 $58,000, just to name a few. ComicLink also sold Flash #105 and Justice League of America #1 both CGC-certified 9.4 fairly recently for $110,000. We are currently ironing out the particulars on a deal for the Batman #1 CGC 9.0, listed on ComicLink.com for $285,000.
Scoop: Recently you have been having a large number of investment grade Silver Age Marvel Key sales. What do you attribute the record sales numbers to?
JN: I attribute that to trust in ComicLink, in myself, and in the market as a whole. The market feeds on itself and after setting one record, we turn around and set another one. That has become commonplace for us but it is always very exciting. I have spent about 10 years cultivating relationships with high-end collectors and building a large network of collectors that have the interest and resources to buy the best material. ComicLink was established in 1996, right when the Internet became commercially viable, and we have been able to form close ties with savvy investors from the start. Many look on ComicLink daily, or wait for my phone call on a good book, and that's all the searching they really have time for. The site gets millions of hits monthly so the exposure can't be beat, but it is the personal touch that really sells a book.
Scoop: How did you come up with the idea for an online exchange for investment-quality comics and collectibles?
JN: In college as a sophomore, I was introduced to the Internet. A friend showed me how to download sheet music from it for free. I couldn't believe the wealth of information that was out there, and the potential. Within a year or so, I was on rec.arts.comics.marketplace, a newsgroup devoted totally to the buying and selling of comic books. It was amazing! Never had I seen such availability. I started buying on there. In college I majored in Business Management and Marketing. I took a Futures and Options course and made a theoretical ton on money. Then I met a few actual traders and that was what I wanted to do. After college I worked on Wall Street for a while and got impatient filing trade tickets. I knew it would take many years to even know whether or not I would have a shot at being a trader. So, I tried to think of what else I'd be happy doing. I settled on comics and I came up with the idea of combining my Wall Street ambitions with my love of comics and the Internet. Great as it was, rec.arts was not well organized and you had to sift through tons of things you were not interested in to find one thing you were. I wanted to enable collectors to find what they want quickly and easily, and I wanted them to be able to do it safely by eliminating fraud from the equation.
Scoop: Can you explain how your service works?
JN: There are many aspects to the service, but basically sellers list comic books and original art on ComicLink and interested buyers can buy an item at the asking price or make an offer (submit a bid) which the seller can accept or decline. There is also a traditional auction section that can be used by sellers and a want list service that will notify buyers when an item they are interested in becomes available. If a seller is not knowledgeable about their collection, we can educate them and help them to set prices. If a buyer is interested in investing, we will help them to decide what the best options for them are.
Scoop: Do you have any interesting plans for ComicLink in 2005?
JN: I am always coming up with new ideas. Implementing them is the sticky part. In general, I just want to continue to improve the service so that buyers and sellers continue to be as excited about it as I am.
Scoop: Have there been any surprises in the comic book marketplace in the past year worth noting?
JN: There have been more $50,000+ sales then ever before, indicating a strong growth market, but that doesn't surprise me. The one thing that does, is that high-grade 1980s and 1990s material has started to fetch over $100 in many cases and in some cases, even over $1,000. Does that mean I am getting old?
ComicLink can be found at www.comiclink.com.
Scoop: What was the first comic book you remember buying and what were the circumstances?
Josh Nathanson: The first comic book that I bought was Defenders Annual #1. I was about 7. I found it at Silver Point Beach Club in the summer, where my parents took me as a child. People used to set up near the boardwalk to sell this and that and I remember walking back from camp one day and seeing the comic book sitting there in the middle of a pool of un-childlike things, like Tupperware and stuff. It was a beat up copy - these days, it would grade about a Good minus. I still have it for sentimental reasons.
Scoop: How long from the time you first bought a comic book until you considered yourself a collector?
JN: It wasn't that long after I bought that Defenders issue that I became hooked. Soon after, at the same beach club, I stumbled upon The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide and realized quickly that not only do I love reading them, but I could get my money back or even more if I took care of them. When I was about 10 or so, a counselor at Camp Sumner up in the Berkshires gave me a stack of old 1950s books. My favorites were the Lone Ranger comics (I used to fashion a lasso out of rope as a kid and lasso everything in site, including my sister (I am still trying to undue the damage). These Lone Ranger issues were so beat up - most were in about Fair condition, with deteriorating paper. I could not believe, though, that I was holding something in my hand that was so old and so cool.
Scoop: What were your early favorites? How did your collecting develop from that point?
JN: At first, Superman was my favorite. He became my role model as a kid. Then anything having to do with Spider-Man and X-Men were my favorites. The best birthday present that I ever got from a friend was a subscription to Uncanny X-Men back in 1982 or '83. I was 9. I became a big New Mutants fan because it was the first new X-Men title that I bought off the newsstands. Seeing characters develop from the beginning and going every month to see what happened next was a thrill that few kids in my class took part in.
Out of a class of around 30, there were only a couple other kids that I knew of that collected comics. I was friends with one of them, Johnny Dahan, and I couldn't believe what he had in his house. Nice kid. He had an older brother that collected comics and his room was full of back issues, including the Miller Daredevil run. I remember thinking how cool it was. I also remember the little investor in me thinking that having the comics strewn all over the place, unbagged and uncared for in the anal way I was used to caring for them ever since I got that price guide, was a little silly. I went to Pinocchio Discounts on McDonald Avenue in Brooklyn every month and picked the best ones off the stands. I spent all my allowance money on comic books and baseball cards.
If she is reading this, I want to thank Bella (the store owner) for putting up with me when the best one on the stands didn't quite cut it according to a 10 year old's interpretation of The Overstreet Comic Book Price Guide's grading definitions. I asked her, very quietly and a little embarrassed, to let me select from the other copies under the counter so I could find a Near Mint copy.
Scoop: Did you have other collecting habits, too?
JN: Comic books and baseball cards were my biggest hobbies. To a lesser extent, I also remember collecting coins, stamps, stickers, and snails that I found in the ocean at the beach. I thought they were alive and put them in a bucket of water to store in the cabana. Eventually, they started to smell and my mother made me get rid of them.
Scoop: How did your family react to collecting?
JN: My parents were very supportive of my collecting interests. I think they thought it was a good thing. Until I was old enough to take the train, they used to drive me to the comic store and any time we passed one on the road, they would let me stop in. They were really good about that. They're great people. I owe them a lot.
Scoop: Did any of your family members collect comics or other items?
JN: My Dad had a comic collection when he was a kid. He even collected back issues and remembers having some Golden Age books. By the time I started collecting, he no longer had much interest in it. He worked a lot and didn't have much time for it. I read comics, he read the newspaper. My uncle Jeff collected baseball cards and Sporting News magazines. One of the most exciting moments of my childhood was when my grandmother found them in the closet and my uncle gave them to me. He had a couple of Mickey Mantle cards and some Willie Mays and Hank Aaron cards. That was so great.
Scoop: Did you drift away from collecting at any point or did you stick with them as you grew up?
JN: I was a pretty introverted kid when I started collecting comic books. I was in my head a lot and comic books were a great outlet. Then all of a sudden puberty hit and gradually I got less and less interested in comics and more and more into girls. So I stopped collecting in 8th or 9th grade. I think I started again as a junior in high school when I became a little jaded with school. In college I collected on and off. Off when I had a serious girlfriend, on when I didn't.
Scoop: Compare what excited you about comic books early on to what excites you about them now. Is it the same thing?
JN: This is an interesting question. What drew me to them early on was the action and the storytelling more than anything. Then it was the stories combined with the idea that they could be worth something some day. I still read comics on occasion, but I'm very selective because of time constraints. I have access to so many comics that I could read for a lifetime and do nothing else. I have to make a conscious effort not to. Now, what excites me most of the time about comics is finding the best books for my collection and improving on ComicLink so others can do the same. When someone finds something they really like on ComicLink and they couldn't find it elsewhere it excites me.
Scoop: What are the prizes of your collection?
JN: The Lone Ranger #1 Mile High is one of my favorite books. When I got it, I thought of how my collecting has come full circle. Those beat up Lone Ranger copies I mentioned before were later issues. So to have the opportunity to pick up the #1 in 9.6 from the best collection in the world, and to actually buy it, was a thrill. I also have the highest graded copy of Daredevil #1 - it is one of only two 9.6s - in the same condition. A few others I really like are the Curator copy of Hawkman #1 in 9.8, a Jackpot #4 in 7.0 (the first Archie Cover), and a Flash #6 (it is only a 4.5 but it is the second Flash cover and so tough!).
Scoop: What are you collecting at the moment?
JN: At the moment I am building a run of early Action and Detective comics. I'm also working on upgrading runs of Daredevil, X-Men, Strange Tales and some other Marvel titles. I also collect cool covers and high-grade books in most any genre if they are scarce and they strike me in some way. I have some original art that I've collected that I am considering parting with.
Scoop: What comics are on your want list?
There are a few Daredevil and X-Men issues that I am missing in 9.6 or better between 1 and 100. Also some Strange Tales in 9.4 or better - I love that title. It's the poor man's FF! And there are many issues of Action and Detective that I am still looking for.
Scoop: What do you find the most rewarding about comics and collecting in general?
JN: Right now, the most rewarding thing about it is that I turned my collecting interests into a business. I know so many people that hate their jobs and I am truly fortunate to be able to work in my lifelong hobby! It feels like a natural thing, not like work at all.
Scoop: What advice do you have for people looking to invest comics?
JN: Buy what you like and do your homework before investing. Make sure you study the market before jumping in and ask for advice from those who are knowledgeable in the field. That does not mean to wait for a bargain. In an up market that logic does not work because you will not get the best stuff. The most money has been made by people who are selective in what they buy, are willing to spend the money necessary to buy the best, and have the ability to hold the books until the time is right to sell at a profit. All three of these things are equally important.
Scoop: How does your business factor into your collecting?
JN: My business has caused me to rethink how and what I collect, and has changed the nature of my appreciation. Before I started the business, I read more comics. I read thousands in my lifetime and still have my childhood collection for sentimental reasons. Now, I am more of a collector than a reader. If not for this business, I would never have gotten as interested in collecting high-grade and scarce comics as I am now.
Scoop: Your business, ComicLink, offers an online exchange for investment-quality CGC Graded comic books. What types sell the best overall for you?
JN: I think sales on ComicLink are a microcosm of sales within the overall vintage comic book market. The best movers are Marvel, Timely, and DC comics. ComicLink sellers have been able to achieve record breaking prices recently for high-end Silver Age keys such as Hulk #1 9.2 $85,000, X-Men #1 9.6 $110,000, and Amazing Fantasy #15 9.0 $58,000, just to name a few. ComicLink also sold Flash #105 and Justice League of America #1 both CGC-certified 9.4 fairly recently for $110,000. We are currently ironing out the particulars on a deal for the Batman #1 CGC 9.0, listed on ComicLink.com for $285,000.
Scoop: Recently you have been having a large number of investment grade Silver Age Marvel Key sales. What do you attribute the record sales numbers to?
JN: I attribute that to trust in ComicLink, in myself, and in the market as a whole. The market feeds on itself and after setting one record, we turn around and set another one. That has become commonplace for us but it is always very exciting. I have spent about 10 years cultivating relationships with high-end collectors and building a large network of collectors that have the interest and resources to buy the best material. ComicLink was established in 1996, right when the Internet became commercially viable, and we have been able to form close ties with savvy investors from the start. Many look on ComicLink daily, or wait for my phone call on a good book, and that's all the searching they really have time for. The site gets millions of hits monthly so the exposure can't be beat, but it is the personal touch that really sells a book.
Scoop: How did you come up with the idea for an online exchange for investment-quality comics and collectibles?
JN: In college as a sophomore, I was introduced to the Internet. A friend showed me how to download sheet music from it for free. I couldn't believe the wealth of information that was out there, and the potential. Within a year or so, I was on rec.arts.comics.marketplace, a newsgroup devoted totally to the buying and selling of comic books. It was amazing! Never had I seen such availability. I started buying on there. In college I majored in Business Management and Marketing. I took a Futures and Options course and made a theoretical ton on money. Then I met a few actual traders and that was what I wanted to do. After college I worked on Wall Street for a while and got impatient filing trade tickets. I knew it would take many years to even know whether or not I would have a shot at being a trader. So, I tried to think of what else I'd be happy doing. I settled on comics and I came up with the idea of combining my Wall Street ambitions with my love of comics and the Internet. Great as it was, rec.arts was not well organized and you had to sift through tons of things you were not interested in to find one thing you were. I wanted to enable collectors to find what they want quickly and easily, and I wanted them to be able to do it safely by eliminating fraud from the equation.
Scoop: Can you explain how your service works?
JN: There are many aspects to the service, but basically sellers list comic books and original art on ComicLink and interested buyers can buy an item at the asking price or make an offer (submit a bid) which the seller can accept or decline. There is also a traditional auction section that can be used by sellers and a want list service that will notify buyers when an item they are interested in becomes available. If a seller is not knowledgeable about their collection, we can educate them and help them to set prices. If a buyer is interested in investing, we will help them to decide what the best options for them are.
Scoop: Do you have any interesting plans for ComicLink in 2005?
JN: I am always coming up with new ideas. Implementing them is the sticky part. In general, I just want to continue to improve the service so that buyers and sellers continue to be as excited about it as I am.
Scoop: Have there been any surprises in the comic book marketplace in the past year worth noting?
JN: There have been more $50,000+ sales then ever before, indicating a strong growth market, but that doesn't surprise me. The one thing that does, is that high-grade 1980s and 1990s material has started to fetch over $100 in many cases and in some cases, even over $1,000. Does that mean I am getting old?
ComicLink can be found at www.comiclink.com.
