ComicLink Focused Auction
The ComicLink Focused Auctions are never as exciting as the Comic Link Features Auctions. Still, some very interesting things transpired. Let’s have a peek at what went down.
Tales to Astonish #57, Marvel Comics (July/1964) Graded by PGX at 9.6 with Off White pages sold on ComicLink for $1,107.00 on September 23rd. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $775.00. I bid on this auction! I bid $1,007.00 with 15 seconds left. Here’s the thing, CGC 9.4s are selling for over $2500.00. I thought I’d win this auction for a cool G note, crack the PGX case wide open as soon as I get the book and then place it right into a shipping box and send the thing down to CGC. I’m figuring even if I lost a grade point I’d double my money! The problem is I think I got too greedy. I should have bid it up to ????. Hey, if the winning bidder is reading this please leave a comment at the bottom of this post. Advantage buyer (which should have been me!).
Bone #1, Cartoon Books, (July/1991) Graded by CGC at 9.4 with White pages sold for $1,049.00 on ComicLink on September 21st. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $300.00. Bone was one of those sleeper hits. A low initial print run combined with skyrocketing popularity makes this an in demand book. Most of Bone’s popularity came well after the comic series ended. The Scholastic graphic novels have been read by what seems like every kid in the world. It will be interesting to see if these kids grow up and search out this first issue as a collectible. There are only 7 of these books graded at 9.4 (there are 12 at 9.6 and 2 at 9.8). This is a modern book and a 9.4 grade does not cut the mustard for high grade on modern books. I also think that there are a lot of real nice copies of this book still ungraded. Advantage Seller.
Action Comics #666, DC Comics (June/1991) Graded by CGC at 9.8 with White pages sold for $5.00 on ComicLink on September 21st. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $2.50. So this book gets double guide. You know, this book really does represent the number of the beast for the poor shmo that had to sell it. Let’s go over the best case senario for the seller. Let’s say he picked this copy of Action Comics #666 up for $1 in a bargain bin. Then let’s say he got a deal off the CGC depot he submitted it through (they may have felt sorry for him). Then let’s say they sent it via snail mail nice and cheap. Then let’s say he arranged to pick it up off CGC at a local comic con. Well the guy is still out a minimum of $25. It’s tough out there gang. Advantage Buyer.
Sgt. Fury and his Howling Commandos #1, Marvel Comics (May/1963) Graded by CGC at 5.0 with Cream to Off White pages sold on ComicLink for $800.00 on September 23rd. Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 5.0 is $530.00. This is a very interesting result. Mid grade copies of this book have traditionally not performed that well at market. The GPA site shows good activity on 5.5 copies, they were getting around $500 or so but the last 5.5 just sold weeks ago for a whopping $640.00. Now we have a lower grade 5.0 fetching $800.00. What gives? I’d like to think it’s the fact that Sgt. Fury #1 appears on my list of the 12 most important Marvel keys! The book is a solid grade and I really do believe that it is one of the true Marvel keys. Advantage buyer.
This auction actually turned out to be pretty interesting. I’m still ticked I missed out on that Tales to Astonish!
Walter Durajlija is an Overstreet Price Guide Advisor and Shuster Award winner. He owns Big B Comics in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
