kimik

I have started asking my regular buyers at shows how many copies they have. I am actually amazed at how many of them have accumulated multiples of IH 181 over the years (as well as GSX 1, ASM 129, and most other BA Marvel keys). In fact, even collectors that I would have never guessed as owning one copy actually have multiple copies (but they won't part with any of them since the prices are still running up ). My next question is how many are complete with the MVS. That is a more interesting answer, as most that accumulated their copies in the 80s and 90s will have one or two with the MVS missing. A couple have also mentioned knowingly buying copies with color touched spines since that was not as big a deal in the 80s (I love hearing the stories of them buying multiple copies for $5 - $10 way back when).

Just had a great transaction with Jerry for my NTT #2 - fast payment and good communication. I highly recommend him.

Nice. I will break out the 1980s GR 1s and Cosmic GR 1s for the show.

If I recall correctly, didn't the buyer of the Hulk #181 at $26K in 2009 also chase another copy or two to try to maintain the value? If you bought during the trough from 2013 - 2016 you are laughing now as a $13K investment would not be worth $20K+. The one to cry over is whoever bought the first CGC 9.6 GL #76 to come to market. That book cost him/her $30,500 when it first popped up (I bid up to $10K - thankfully that did not carry), and now that there are 9.8s on the census a 9.6 is only worth ~$6000. FWIW, the first 9.8 sold in 2010 for $37K and change, and the next sale was in 2014 at just over $31K. That is a hard to find book in 9.4+, but as its significance wanes over time the prices will follow suit. I will let you know if I find any more Shazam 28s.

A quick Google search shows it likely being a Loot Crate exclusive https://www.dccomics.com/comics/harley-quinn-be-careful-what-you-wish-for-2017/harley-quinn-be-careful-what-you-wish-for

The Hulk 181 9.8s dropped as more copies came onto the market post 2008 due to the miracle of widespread pressing. As more copies came into the census and market, the prices adjusted with the increased supply as they should. This is why BA and CA “top census chasing” is a mug’s game. Sooner or later another copy will be pressed into existence.

The GSX end price is not that shocking when you consider what 9.8 ASM 129s go to. The big three Marvel BA keys have all seen healthy gains this year and I expect the trend to continue in 2019 barring an economic downturn.

Hulk is basically a $500/point book under 9.0, which is an okay value for the top BA key. Like I posted earlier, for the price of a dogmeat bigger SA key you can get a nice mid grade to high grade Hulk 181. Right now CGC 0.5 AF 15s go for around the same as CGC 9.4 Hulk 181s. Which book would you rather look at? If anything, BA keys should see a nice run up now as the value for most other keys in CGC 9.4 = CGC 1.8 for second tier Marvel SA keys. We have seen this play out several times in the past 20 years. GA and SA run up, and then BA does. Now is the time to lock in the BA keys in CGC 9.4 as the Hulk 181 jump will spread to the other books as well.

Wow, the CGI for Venom looks crappy. I really hope it is cleaned up for the final release. Otherwise, it does look like outdated effects from Spawn. That would be brutal.

This just reflects what we see with the hobby in general. Over the past decade or so, the number of run collectors has been dwindling. That means great deals on more common issues for CDN newsstand collectors, I guess.

I would not be worried about Hulk 181 being in a bubble, or any other BA key for that matter. Based on what I am seeing at shows, collectors are buying lower value SA keys and the big BA keys because they are relatively more affordable than the better SA Marvel keys. We saw the run up in GA then SA and now it is BA’s turn. Hulk 181 is the top BA book, so paying $10k for a 9.4 is not a stretch when that same dollar only gets you a very beat up copy of AF 15 with hopefully most of the front cover still there. Books like ASM 129, GSX 1, HOS 92, Batman 232, etc are all dirt cheap in 9.4 relative to their SA peers. Now is the time to lock them in.

I would say the verdict is still out on Mamo. He is fine in Frontier, and was fine as Aquaman in the JL movie. Acting was not the issue with the film......

I wonder what the price increase will do to the recent True Believers reprint? It sells steadily at local shows for $5 right now - I wonder if I will be able to move them at $10? Looking at eBay, CGC 9.8 copies of it are fetching $79.99? I need to send some in now, I guess.

When I search Hulk 182 CGC on eBay the only one that shows up is the CGC 9.8 sale for $1795 on April 29.

Lena Headey was great in the first 300 film. Based on that it was easy to see how she would star with a similar concept on GoT.

Where are you located? As research has shown, capital gains alone in equities will top real estate over time, and when you add dividends it is not close. You can use leverage for equities as well with investment loans. I made a nice return with leverage from 2010 - 2015 (I chickened out and exited the loan way too early due to rate hike fears). However, all it takes to buy or sell equities now is a minute or two - that type of liquidity is the key. Real estate works on an almost generational basis for the big price gains for the most part. From what I can tell having dabbled in it and in discussions with more seasoned investors, it is the 3 - 5 year hot market that you need to sell into and then wait for 10ish years after that to buy in again during the long plateau/pull back. We built our house in 2004 and it has more than doubled in value, but putting that same amount into key comics or the stock market would have netted a much better return. Investing in a portfolio of the bigger SA and BA Marvel keys would have netted a 6 - 10X (or better return) in pretty much any condition, which is much better than gains in real estate. As I tell my wife, If I had held onto my keys from back then instead of selling over time, I would be retiring early.

Worthless?

Nice Moderns, Greggy. Where did you find them?

I don't know what the fuss is about TLJ. I finally watched it a couple of weeks ago, and it was a standard Star Wars flick. I did not mind the Force Ghost scene as much as I thought it would - it fit things well with Luke stalling Broodingweepymillenial Ren and the Order to let the Rebels escape. Basically, he sacrificed himself for the others to escape similar to Obi-Wan vs Vader. Did the movie have its down moments? Definitely - broody and weepy millenial Kylo Ren as the villain that looks like all it would take is a slight breeze to take him out, the milk scene, Leia Poppins, and the leader of the Order always spitting and yelling instead of talking (he has slight overacting issues, and is his accent real or fake?) . However there were plenty of fun moments, Rey is great as a Jedi (is she more powerful than Luke?), and I liked the scene with the boy using the force at the end as it sort of had a New Hope young Luke vibe. Going in with lowered expectations might have helped, but overall I thought it was a good, but not very good or great, Star Wars film.

I would say Batgirl and Supergirl as 1A and 1B, followed by Poison Ivy and then Braniac.

Restarting the Uncanny X-Men title will not impact X-Men 94 values. The dark cover and supposedly "hard to find in high grade" status is what drives the values. That being said, as long as GSX 1 continues to rise it will drag X-Men 94 along with it just like Hulk 181 increases move 180 up.

It is nice to be able to convert Shazam #1s and other issues into better books now thanks to the first movie trailer (which did not look great). I don't think it will have a ton of room to move since it is readily available and does not have any true 1st apps, but I am glad to be able to move them for higher prices.

FF 48 was one of those books that had not moved in forever, so it was due for a big jump up. While some of it is due to speculation, I also view it as a book that should have been higher due to demand outstripping the abundant availability similar to Hulk #181. Silver Surfer and Galactus > Black Panther or Eternals IMHO.

Don't pollute this thread with 40s and 50s Canadian drek. Just kidding. The ad is very cool though. How come Gordon Howe is not featured? Do you know if the contents/stories are the same as the corresponding US issue? Other 40s and 50s books have different content for the CDN issue than the US issue.