Is one better than another?

I try to investigate on how much a book is worth before I buy it. I have the Comic Buyer?s Guide that comes out every year. This is update once and I?m wary how reliable it is. I stopped collecting the monthly publication since they put a lot of features I like online instead of in print; they still have the price guide in the back which is a bit more current. I also use Heritage Auctions (HA.com), they seem to have a good data base and I can see what things sold for or what they are selling for. E-bay is another great tool to see how the market fluctuates.

However, the buy it now prices seem to reflect what the seller wants and not what the comic book is worth. There are a lot more places (these are the primary three I use) that helps dictate what a book is worth (sells for). Of course it doesn't matter if a book is marked a couple hundred dollars (or thousands) if a buyer is not willing to buy it. It could be marked too high and sit on the shelf (real or digital) for years.

Last year I received my ASM #129 signed by Stan Lee. I wanted to know how much it was worth and checked out E-bay to get an idea. I was fortunate because someone else had listed the same exact grade with the same exact page description. Everything was identical, except I liked where there signature was located better than mine. The book was labeled under the ?buy it Now? for $2500.00. This is great for insurance documentation but is my book worth this?

And then after it sells will these prices guides adjust for this sale. Will CBG make a notation? Will Wizard? Overstreet?s? And if so how will it reflect the market? And why is it worth so much? The grade? The signature? Both? And what happens if these guides get the facts wrong?

Thanks for Reading

Tnerb.