Comic Link November/December Featured Auction
The big year end Comic Link Featured Auction has just ended. All results below ended Tuesday December 3rd and Wednesday December 4th.
This was a good strong auction coming out of Clink.
I really liked the mix of strong Golden Age books in this auction, I liked it so much I bought one of them.
Superman was top dog in this auction, of the top 50 books sold by value Sups featured in 12 of them, 10 Actions and 2 Superman. That Superman #1 CGC 1.8 fetched a healthy $64,000 but was pipped for top spot by that CGC 8.5 Fantastic Four #1 that got $64,009.
Of the top 50 books 23 were a mix from the Golden Age and 22 were Silver Age Marvels. Only 2 Bronze Age books cracked the top 50, a CGC 9.8 Hulk #181 and a stupidly nice looking CGC 9.6 copy of DC 100 Page #4. A Walking Dead #1 CGC 9.9 was the sole modern book in the top 50.
Spidey was still strong; he featured in 8 of the top 50.
I kind of liked the Bound Spider-Man and Bound FF sets that made the top 50, on closer inspection these were good deals. It’s always nice to be able to pick up an AF #15 and a run of ASM #1-20 for only $8,446! Wish I considered this one more closely while it was live.
OK so what do you say we have a look at a few sales that caught my eye?
Strange Tales #115, Marvel Comics, (December 1963) Graded by CGC at 8.0 with White pages sold for $505. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 8.0 is $368.00.
My Undervalued Spotlight #170 featured this book so when I saw it up there I was keen on seeing where it finished. An 8.0 copy got $358 a couple of months back and I was expecting the price to push through that barrier, not because of anything I posted but because it just seemed obvious that pressure would build on this book considering the price increases Strange Tales #110 has been experiencing (110 is Doc Strange 1st app, 115 is Doc Strange origin).
This is a great result for this comic but I feel it still has room to climb in value. The White pages seals it.
Advantage Buyer.
Skippy’s Own Book of Comics, No Publisher Listed (1934) Graded by CGC at 8.0 with Off White to White pages sold for $3,144. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 8.0 is $2.639.00.
I won this auction.
I’ve always loved this book and always wanted one. Back in the old days the Overstreet Price Guide would list all the important Golden Age comics chronologically and give them a star rating for importance and influence. Skippy only got one star but for me the fact that the book was noted was important. I remember thinking it important because it was the 1st time one character carried a comic. Funny how stuff like that sticks with you.
A CGC 7.5 was up for auction a couple of months ago and I just missed that one, I’m glad I did because this is a beautiful copy. The page quality for a 1934 comic book is more than one could ask.
Finally got my Skippy.
Advantage Buyer
Defenders 10, Marvel Comics, (November 1973) Graded by CGC at 9.6 with Off White to White pages sold $215.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $140.00.
This is a good deal! I remember when CGC 9.4s were getting higher for this book. This book may be going down in price simply because it’s being forgotten. There are so many must have books popping up its easy to lose sight of this one. But I’m telling you the anchor book of the epic Avengers/Defenders cross-over should not be counted out!
Advantage Buyer
House of Secrets #115, DC Comics, (January 1974) Graded by CGC at 9.8 with Off White to White Pages sold for $325. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $38.
Meh.
No Wrightson, not even a cover.
I think the ship sailed on these “House” books a few years ago. Sure there are a few that remain because of dramatic covers but this is not one of them. Te power of the CGC 9.8 at work.
Advantage Seller
Batman #47, DC Comics (June/July 1948) Graded by CGC at 7.0 with Off White to White pages sold for $2,655.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 7.0 is $2,225.00.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but I’m big on origin issues.
This comic features the 1st detailed origin of Batman and it’s a beautiful looking 7.0 with high page quality. It delivers a lot for the price.
Advantage Buyer
Conan #27, Marvel Comics (June 1973) Graded by CGC at 9.8 with White pages sold for $2,100.00. The Overstreet price guide value for this comic at 9.2 is $22.
By Crom!
This is a lot to pay for a post Smith Conan; I’d even dare say it’s a lot to pay for a Smith Conan as well.
Someone wants that top registry set real bad is my guess.
Advantage Seller
Well? Did you pick anything up? Do tell!
To me, the Avengers movie was an epiphany moment bringing many to a realization of the pop culture importance of Marvel comics. If I am reading the market right, it was after the Avengers movie that collectors began going crazy speculating and buying up keys and potential keys (It feels like the ferver of the old California Gold Rush.)
Are we on the verge of a DC epiphany moment? Man of Steel was a box office success. With a new Superman/Batman (with Wonder Woman) movie, followed by Flash and Justice League movies all on the way, are collectors already reading the handwriting on the wall? Is now a good time to buy early superman while we can still afford it?
Notable for me was:
Fantastic Four #48
9.0 ended for $950
7.5 ended at $1000
The 7.5 is a white pager and admittedly, it is a nice looking 7.5 but even if the buyer was thinking to press and resub (which adds to the overall cost) I don’t understand the logic of this purchase.
Giant-Size X-Men #1
9.6 ended for $2158
9.4 ended for $2110
It’s nice to see these books climb back up, but again, for these books to be within $48 of each other does not compute. Am I missing something here? Also of note… there are 10 of these lined up (and counting) for the next auction. Talk about flooding the market…
Walking Dead #1
9.9 ended for $7609
Looking back on past sales, this book seems to have peaked in Nov. with a record $15k sale. Subsequent sales have fallen to $8963 and the recent $7609. The one that sold in this auction does not seem to be any of the ones that were purchased for over $7609 so I think the seller should still be happy with the result but perhaps could have done a bit better on eBay with a BIN listing. I wish I could say the same for the buyer who paid $15k.
Over all, it’s nice to see books recover pre-housing bubble. However, the high-end bronze age stuff remains in the hole. Key silvers are still hot, especially AF#15’s and Hulk#1’s. How high can these go… but more importantly, what colour Maserati are you gonna get Walt? Perhaps the sport version with the B Big logo painted on the side?
http://www.theonecar.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/2007-maserati-quattroporte-183.jpg
Peter, you must be from Venus, where as I’m from Mars…
The Big B color is blue Charlie, we’ll need a paint job. Though the one you sent could be used for our Halloween promotions.
I did notice a lower grade getting as much as a higher grade while looking through the books but forget which one it is. Oh yeah it was the All Star #3 restored 3.5 getting almost as much as the restored 6.0. There the 3.5 was Slight Amateur restoration and perhaps the buyer was going to scrape some ink off the cover and resubmit? On the ones you pointed out could it be straight eye appear?
Did you pick up anything Charlie?
Charlie, I think I am from a planet outside of our solar system.
That’s what I thought but if you’re already paying 9.0 price for a 7.5, how much more money can you squeeze out of that book? Plus there’s the cost of resubmitting and **hoping** to get the grade you want.
After holding this stock for 2 years, I finally sold at $27 to buy more comics for a sweet 150%. But sure enough, the week I sell, it pops… recently hitting an all time high of $74… doh! Same thing happened to me with Apple… as soon as I sold, the very same week it started climbing and never looked back.
http://finance.yahoo.com/echarts?s=SFUN+Interactive#symbol=sfun;range=1y;compare=;indicator=volume;charttype=area;crosshair=on;ohlcvalues=0;logscale=off;source=undefined;
In recent years, I’ve become a big believer in fate. Some people can do **jack** and fall ass backwards into money, while others can bust their humps and barely get past the gates. But this being my sunset years… I just gotta roll with it and be thankful for what I got.
I’m not sure where “Big B” comes from but you’re one of the few civilians who seem to understand **branding**. Ever think about putting on a suit and becoming a pitch man?
Tough breaks on the investing Charlie! Listen, tip me on the next time you are going to sell a stock 🙂
I agree with the 7.5 and 9.0 nonsense. Hard to figure out.
I’m realizing the gestation period for branding is too long. I’m thinking of switching to gimmicks!
Old world business is to make a widget, then try and get people to buy it. Modern business is find out what people want, then create a product based on desire. Branding is a communication tool… branding can’t improve or change the product.
I can’t believe XF #6 is now a $600 book (CGC 9.8s). The people who bought it for $1 just before the Apocalypse announcement made off like bandits… ka-ching!
I picked up the Avengers #4 9.2 submitting my max bid days before the close thinking I would get overbid, but didn’t. Maybe the date stamp in the center isn’t commanding a price point I expected?
im sorry but, are you F#%K/NG KIDDING ME on that CONAN #27?!? advantage seller alright! man o man is that WAY TOO MUCH for that book! does that mean my 6.0 copy is worth something?
1 year ago i took what was left of my 80’s comics to the Goodwill (i had 3 long boxes back home at my dad’s, too expensive to ship them i thought)… and i had the full X-Factor run in there (well the first 40 or so) – i never would have thought anything 80’s would be worth anything cuz i thought anyone that wanted them had them already…