When returning home for Spring Break or cleaning out an attic or basement, students might find a forgotten comic book or comic collection.
The aged pages may seem like gold to their finders, but often the reality of the comic book market dashes hopes of making some extra money.
In Muncie, students can take these findings to Trent Reeder, owner of Bob's Comic Castle, usually to be told their treasures aren't worth as much as they thought.
"People think something is going to be worth a million dollars," Reeder said. "They think if it's a No. 1 (issue) or more than 20 years old, then it'll be worth more, when generally it's not."
Reeder went on to explain that the market depends on demand to make the prices go up.
Comic books have more to them than just monetary value, according to Gerry Appel, a graduate student at Ball State, whose collection is made up of more than 600 comic books.
"Comics are more sophisticated and well-written than most people realize," Appel said. "The characters are more exciting than in real life."
Spiderman enjoys a wide readership and Reeder expects the title's comics and merchandise to gain in popularity after the movie "Spiderman" is released in May. Reeder backed up his prediction because of the popularity of the "Batman" movies.
"When 'Batman' hit the theaters, it sold all the Batman stuff in the store," Reeder said.
The interest in Batman spiked because people were able to see a darker side of the hero, he said, after the widely viewed portrayal of Batman in the television series in the 1960s.
Batman comics were an early favorite for Appel, who began collecting comics in the late 1980s. He explained he was excited about the movie when it came out in 1989.
"It was dark and edgy, which wasn't what I was used to because of the cartoons and the television shows," Appel said. "Batman wore black."
Appel said there are hopes that "Spiderman" will enjoy the same effect.
"There are already kids coming in and buying Spiderman comics because of the preview for the movie," Reeder said.
Green Arrow, a DC comic, is also popular because it is written by independent filmmaker Kevin Smith. Smith is the writer and director of movies such as "Dogma" and "Chasing Amy."
"Kevin Smith has a big fan following because of his movies and there's an adult edge to it, along with the humor," Appel said, explaining the popularity of Green Arrow.
Comics weren't always geared to mature audiences. When comics were first produced, they were written for a much younger audience than today. This audience had only radio for entertainment, and no television. Comics sold millions of copies.
Today the audience is growing older. Marvel comics and DC comics both have experimental lines of R-rated comics.
"The audience has changed because of shortened attention spans," Reeder said.
The rise in comic prices caused some college students to cease collecting.
"It's changed a lot as years go along," Reeder said. "You need a job just to buy comics."
Reeder said that although comics are more difficult to collect, they can be an engaging hobby.
"There's more to comics than just the value," Reeder said.
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