December

December already? Time really does fly by, this year was a blur. As quickly as the last 11 months sped by December will be a blink, this is the month of office parties, friends gatherings, family gatherings, sorties to the mall, all the while trying to be more productive at work, good luck with all that. December is good for retail though, always has been, for comic book shops its the best month of the year, if you prepare for it. To do well in December you have to stick your neck out on the line in September and October and make those calls as to that you will load up on for the Christmas rush. Its impossible to guess right, the way we do it is pick things that, at worst, we can hope to make our money back on any remaining overstock, again, this is an easier exercise while its theoretical and on paper. Here’s wishing everyone an productive December, don’t beat yourself up about a few extra gained pounds, just don’t say anything you don’t want anybody to be able to play back to someone else when you’re at those office parties.

Our weekly icecollectibles eBay auction cares not for the holiday season, it just wants lots of lots loaded up every week. I did put some work into that end and these are some little tidbits I found while sifting through the “going to eBay auction” pile. Our Cover of the Week is this striking copy of Fantastic Four #112, this cover begs the question, which is the best Hulk versus Thing cover? Not which is the oldest, or most valuable but which is the most badass, the best of the best. I’d put FF #112 very high on that list, just a gorgeous cover and one a legion of comic collectors pine over, especially high grade copies.

Our Ad of the Week comes out of 1975’s Sorcery #11 from Red Circle Comics. I’m wondering if any of this stuff is worth real money today? Rock and Roll memorabilia is big business these days but I wonder how much of the stuff they were selling was authentic? Autographed pictures by say Lennon and McCartney of by Mick and Keef could get you some good coin.

Our Splash Page of the Week comes from the above Sorcery #11, its a really nasty page that provides a shocking visual and an even more shocking title. Artist Vincent Alcazar and writer Marv Channing provide the one – two punch.

Last night our latest icecollectibles weekly eBay auction ended with a flurry. I had my eye on our Marvel Super Heroes Secret Wars #8 featuring Spider-Man’s 1st Black Costume. Our book closed at $484, what worries me is the recent sale, the one before ours, of $935. Over the last two weeks 13 copies have sold withing a price range of $350 to $495, making our $484 on the high end of this range, but where did this $935 come from? Was there some news these last two days? Is someone planting this sale to prop the book? We’ll find out soon I’m sure.