Nobody wants Marvel Keys.
Got a Marvel Key and want to cash in big by selling it on eBay? Not so fast Pilgrim. Even Marvel Keys don’t sell if they’re not priced right. Lets have a look at what didn’t happen on eBay this week.
Tales of Suspense #39, Marvel Comics (3/63), graded by CGC at 4.5 (Signature Series – Stan Lee) with Cream to Off White pages did not sell when listed on eBay for $2,429.88. The listing expired February 2nd. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 4.5 is $1,350.00. The lister wanted an 80% premium over Overstreet guide and didn’t get it. The Stan Lee signature should have gotten the book a bit extra but apparently 80% was a bit too ambitious.
Avengers #1, Marvel Comics, (9/63), graded by CGC at 3.0 with Off White pages did not sell when listed on eBay for $795.00. The listing expired February 3rd. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 3.0 is $531.00. This comic was listed at a 50% premium above the Overstreet guide value. Being under $1000 and being one of the hotter Marvel Keys at the moment I thought this one might have had a chance.
Amazing Spider-Man #1, Marvel Comics, (3/63), graded by CGC at 1.0 with Off White pages did not sell when listed on eBay for $1,075.00. The listing expired on February 3rd. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 1.0 is $687.50. Here’s a Spidey #1 at a 56% premium above Overstreet guide and it does not sell. The thing with books like these is that a 56% premium at grades above 6.0 are bargains. A 1.0 was just too low a grade I guess.
Strange Tales #110, Marvel Comics, (7/63), graded by CGC at 7.0 with Off White pages did not sell when listed on eBay for $1,500.00. The listing expired February 4th. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 7.0 is $742.00. Just over double guide for a 7.0 Off White Hulk #1 would have flew. But, alas, Doctor Strange is no Hulk..
The silly thing with auctions is that when you start them at $1 anything can happen. Any one of these listings above could have come close to the asking price if the owner rolled the dice and let the bidders do their thing. Considering how much some of these people probably have into the books I can understand the reluctance to a no reserve bid.
Walter Durajlija is an Overstreet Price Guide Advisor and Shuster Award winner. He owns Big B Comics in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
