Comic Crusader – A Collector’s Tale

JOHOR BARU: Seeing his classmate draw a superhero character, Vincent Chua became immersed in the world of comic books and today the 66-year-old Singaporean has accumulated about 15,000 books in his collection.

“In elementary school, I once saw a classmate draw a picture of a man who could shoot laser beams from his eyes, and this intrigued me as a child.

“I didn’t know anything about comics at the time, but I was fascinated by a drawing from a classmate. About seven years later, in the 1970s, a friend invited me to his home and showed me boxes of comics he wanted to sell.

“After looking at some books, I spent my Chinese New Year money and bought a few. This was the beginning of my collection,” he said when met at a collectors’ event at the Sultan Ismail Library here on Saturday.

Chua said his collection once took up a lot of space in his home, which forced him to sell some of the comics.

In 2010, he opened an online store on Facebook, which also gave him the opportunity to make friends with many other collectors around the world.

“There is a huge demand for comics not only in Singapore but also here in Malaysia.

“After I started selling my books online, I met many comic book collectors in Malaysia and our relationship developed into a strong bond,” he said, adding that most of the people he met were from Johor, Kuala -Lumpur and Kedah.

Chua said the price of an old comic varies depending on the number of copies published, the condition of the book, the author and the creator.

He said most of his books were published by DC and Marvel, but books published by independent organizations were also in demand.

“One book can cost anywhere from RM50 to hundreds and even more if it is a limited edition. If the book is in good condition, or if it is a signed copy of the author, or even if the creator is deceased, the price will likely increase.

“If a movie is made based on certain comic book characters, the demand for related books will also increase,” he added.

Chua said that as the value of old comics has risen, the industry, especially for collectors, has become a very serious business.

“Some collectors only want popular comics for their resale value, but I don’t see my books as a profitable commodity. I just want to sell them to people who I know will take good care of them,” he said.

It also allows Malaysian buyers to pay in installments due to the high exchange rate of the ringgit to the Singapore dollar.

“The main thing is to make friends and maintain good relationships with like-minded people,” he added.

Chua, who has two sons, said he hopes his children will one day continue his hobby of collecting and selling comics.