Good Comics, Key Comics Just Not Marvel or DC
Super high grades, super keys and super hyped auction events have been delivering some very impressive sales results lately. This week I thought I’d try to check out what’s happening just under the radar of these headline grabbing comics and events. I picked key, quality stuff, each has had its day in the sun but all are now being overshadowed by the attention the Marvel and DC key hero books have been getting.
Let’s see how the market is treating these comics.
All Top Comics #8, Fox Features Syn. (11/47), graded by CGC at 6.5 with Off White pages sold for a cheap $641.00 on eBay on November 3rd. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 6.5 is approx. $1,044.00 if you calculate the 6.5 price as adding ¼ of the split between the 6.0 and the 8.0 price and then adding this figure to the 6.0 price. This is just over 61% of guide and a bargain if you ask me. All Top #8 has always been a key to serious Golden Age collectors. Classic bondage cover, Blue Beetle, Phantom Lady and Rulah start a run here as well. I think everyone was recovering from the Mound City Auction (covered here on CBD in last week’s Auction Highlights) hangover and missed this gem.
Popeye #1, Dell Publishing (4/48), grade by CGC at 7.5 with Off White pages sold for a solid $234.50 on eBay on November 3rd. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 7.5 is approx. $164.00 if you calculate the 7.5 price as subtracting ¼ of the split between the 6.0 and the 8.0 price and then subtracting this figure from the 8.0 price. Selling for 43% above guide is more than justified for this comic. Popeye #1 features new stories and is the launch of the definitive Popeye run.
Casper #1, St. John Pub. (9/49), graded by CGC at 4.0 with Cream to Off White pages sold for $565.65 on eBay on November 1st. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 4.0 is $506.00. This is a key comic. Casper #1 features the origin and 1st appearance of Baby Huey and 1st comic appearance of Casper (1st time Casper is used as the character’s name). Fetching 12% above guide I think is a healthy sale since the grade was only a 4.0 and the page quality was weak.
Four Color #16 (series 1) Dell Pub. (1941), graded by CGC at 4.0 with Off White Pages sold on eBay for $2,500.00 on October 30th. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 4.0 is $2,500.00. Strict guide for Mickey #1? When you consider that this comic is THE Four Color comic, that this comic guides above all the Barks Duck Four Colors, the Dick Tracy’s, the Roy Rogers’ etc., this may have been a bargain. Four Color #16 ranks up there with any of the big Golden Age Keys and I think the buyer did well here.
It seems to me that there are some very solid deals out there on very important and very valuable comics. If you could just grab on to a rock and pull yourself from the raging river that is the high grade super hero key craze you just might be able to find yourself some true bargains.
Walter Durajlija is an Overstreet Price Guide Advisor and Shuster Award winner. He owns Big B Comics in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
