until I got a request for coverage about this new app, I’d nearly completely forgotten that the comic industry used to be driven by collectors, speculating on which comics were worth a lot more money and which would increase in value. I’m only interested in reading them these days, which has become much much easier with the greater availability of both print and digital reprints.
Key Collector Comics is available for both iOS and Android devices and promises information on “over 7,000 crucial issue comic books”, including a price guide, so the user can avoid “the clutter of uneventful comics”. I’m guessing, not having investigated, that they’re covering only superhero comics (as indicated by their logo), considering that they focus on first appearances and other character-based events, including origin stories and deaths. (Although they also list “recalled cover” as a category.)
You can also catalog your collection, considering that “the ability to mingle a hobby with investment potential is a win-win in our (comic) book”, and build a want list. The app is available for free, so I’m not sure how the developer plans to make money, but maybe that’s indicated by the “for a limited time only” note next to the price on their web page.
Of course, any time someone is advertising a reference database, especially price-related, you must ask where the data is from and how they’re sourcing their values. They nod to these questions on the site, without specifics, talking about hours of research and “data found on the web referring to recent sales of raw comics over a 365-day period.” They also welcome input from users.
I suspect (hope) that the pure collector market is declining, but it seems that this is well-focused for that limited audience. and if you’re investigating that market, it’s always interesting to see which issues are considered the crucial ones.
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