Collect icons for future ROI

Last weekend, while visiting a local toy show, I was surprised to see some vintage character items with really low price tags. One example was a Popeye game with awesome graphics from the 50’s that was selling for less than an unboxed Masters of the Universe vehicle that was sitting next to it on the same table. This got me thinking about the items that I collect and how they might fare on a vendor’s table 75 years from now.

As a collector, I have made the conscious decision to collect “icons.” But what constitutes an icon? For me, an icon is a character that has withstood the test of time, having been reworked and rebooted to adapt to the current market, and has a strong future ahead. The icons I actively collect include Batman, Superman, Spider-Man, the Hulk, and King Kong. Some of these characters have been around for almost 100 years, and have been seen in a variety of media ranging from comics to the big screen. These iconic characters are among the blue-chip stocks when it comes to collectible characters. I like knowing that when I am dead and gone, there will be others out there who will value the items I collected.

So what makes a hot property rise to “icon” status versus fading away into obscurity. The first consideration is whether a character is based on a real person. Anything tied directly to a person has a limited shelf life, with some lasting longer than others. Some examples include Mr. T, Marilyn Monroe, Elvis, James Dean, Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Hopalong Cassidy, and Peewee Herman. Once the person dies or falls from grace, his or her collectability rarely lasts more than a generation or two.

A second trait that most icons share is their ability to adapt to the times. Iconic characters may change their appearance, ideals, and surroundings, in order to reflect the current state of the world. The treatment of Superman as an ‘illegal alien” in the recent movie Batman V. Superman is an example of this. Superman’s backstory was massaged to tie in with the headlines you might see on a news website today. Characters like Popeye have not been able to adapt in this way and have been stuck in time to a point where they no longer have much of a fan base.

Collectors are often told to collect what they love, and I would never fault someone for doing so, but if you want to build a collection that will stand the test of time, then you may want to focus on icons. Listed below are some characters that I have placed into categories ranging from truly iconic “blue chip” status to those who are now virtually forgotten. Feel free to chime in with a comment if you disagree with any of these placements — we all have our opinions!

Blue Chip Characters

Characters who have been around a while and have a strong future ahead:

• Superman
• Batman
• Spiderman
• Hulk
• Wonder Woman
• King Kong
• Godzilla
• Star Wars
• Mickey Mouse
• Donald Duck
• Tarzan
• James Bond
• Barbie
• Universal Monsters (Dracula, Frankenstein, Wolfman, Mummy, Creature)

Blue chips on the edge

The future is uncertain for these once iconic characters:

• Buck Rogers
• Lone Ranger
• GI Joe
• Planet of the Apes
• Flash Gordon

Sleepers

Recent characters with a potential for a good, long run:

• Mario
• Harry Potter

Hot today, but warming fast

Hot now but probably won’t stand the test of time:

• Pokemon
• Transformers
• Dr. Who
• Angry Birds
• South Park
• Bakugan
• Ben 10
• TMNT
• Deadpool
• Pixar characters
• Harley Quinn
• Simpsons
• Dragon Ball Z
• Wrestlers

Downgrades

Characters who are slowly fading away as time passes them by:

• Popeye
• Peanuts
• Garfield
• Rocky and Bullwinkle
• KISS
• Star Trek
• Masters of the Universe
• ET
• Munsters
• Cereal Mascots
• Smurfs
• Hanna Barbera Cartoon characters
• Scooby Doo
• Yogi Bear
• Flintstones
• Jetsons
• Bugs Bunny and Looney Toons in general

Who?

Characters who have failed to keep up with the times:

• Yellow Kid
• Dan Dare
• Tom Corbett Space Cadet
• Matt Mason
• Alley Oop
• Bozo the clown
• Mighty Mouse
• Pogo
• Casper the friendly ghost
• Felix the Cat
• Betty Boop
• Six Million Dollar Man/Bionic Woman
• Gumby
• Woody Woodpecker
• Dukes of Hazzard
• Thundercats
• Micronauts
• Silverhawks
• Dick Tracy
• Howdy Doody
• Popeye
• Lassie
• Rocky and Bullwinkle
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Rainbow Bright
• Shmoo
• Dennis the Menace
•  Mr. T
• Marilyn Monroe
• Elvis
• James Dean
• Roy Rogers
• Gene Autry
• Hopalong Cassidy
• Peewee Herman

Notice that I didn’t call any of the above characters completely dead — a strong reboot could revive even the most tenuous ones, but it’s not looking good for some of them, even though they may have commanded a good bit of attention in their prime.

I’d love to have a few names into the “Sleepers” category, but I just couldn’t come up with more than two contenders. I expect there are a few particular properties on the above list that will rile up some readers, so add a comment below and let me know which ones I got wrong and right.