zhamlau

I will be the 1st to admit I thought the CGC 6.5 was going to go for between 70k and 75k....I was wrong!! A 6.5 sold for like 36k just a few months ago, with decent PQ as well. It was a solid book if i remember correctly. Thats coming close to a 100% price increase in same grade against the last recorded GPA sale back a few months ago. Thats stupid enough. These prices dont make sense. Now, now.....let's just calm down a bit here. Since the last CC auction back in March resulted in a CGC 5.0 copy selling for $57K and a CGC 4.5 copy selling for over $37K, are we not actually seeing a significant drop in prices for AF 15's or at best, a plateauing of prices here. If the same label/grade book can increase nearly 100% in 5 month, and not like 10 dollars to 20 but one of the most expensive books in the hobby....Houston we have a problem. Something is failing in the model. I got it, prices have gone up exponentially out of the blue across the board in just a few months. But that type of swing, I got problems with. And I'm not just sour-graping it because im left out, I just picked up a 5.5 OW/W before all this price explosion occurred. Even if on some level this benefits me, I still find it troubling. The smartest guys in the hobby who have decades of experience have said this wouldn't/shouldn't happen yet it does. Basic sense tells me a book as highly graded and easily available shouldn't da-n near double in price in 5 months (especially with how many raw copies out there coming into the market every week). I'm just saying, this doesnt make much sense. I find it problematic.

I will be the 1st to admit I thought the CGC 6.5 was going to go for between 70k and 75k....I was wrong!! A 6.5 sold for like 36k just a few months ago, with decent PQ as well. It was a solid book if i remember correctly. Thats coming close to a 100% price increase in same grade against the last recorded GPA sale back a few months ago. Thats stupid enough. These prices dont make sense.

6.5 @ 61k 4.0 @ 30.5k Yep, just as scary as the 7.5. I mean dear lord, where is all this money coming from? 4.0 for over 30k?!?! A copy just sold for like 21k a few weeks back. Thats almost 50% more in less than a month?!?! Yeah I got it grade variations, all 4.0's not created equal and all that....but dear lord that big a swing in a few weeks on a book that in theory should be equivalent? Either the grading system CGC uses needs to change (If the same numeric grade can be 50% more in a few weeks because of condition factors in grade, you need a better more precise system to document those variations)...OR...this book was criminally undervalued and some weird sorta 100 monkey effect is going on where we all just collectively agreed to double the prices in a few months after 50 years of slow building pressure.

How did the copies end tonight? A 7.5 I heard sold for over 100k, what did the rest do?

Sure, but let me first ask my financial comic guru for his advice. Wow that was fast he actually just responded down below. ? I dont follow. I was asking if anyone had seen a copy of the book for anywhere near 2016 prices, the lack of examples seemed to indicate there was a major price jump? Was this you disagreeing?

No, I'm not stuck. This is EXACTLY my point. The book across the board is up substantially in the last few months, and copies with good "Social Media" value have seen nearly 100% price increases in the last 5 month. That book that sold 57k was in average below average shape for the grade....and it sold for more than TWICE what 5.0 sold for in 2016 on average. Its FRONT cover appeal was awesome, everything else below average, and it destroyed the price point. This book is in structure wise infinitely better shape. Great page quality, no major staining, spine tight, running the table its a longer living nicer structure grade book. It sold for 21,000.00 US less. You could have at one point last year have almost BOUGHT another entire new copy of the book in the same grade with the differences in prices between the two. Basically in summary: 1. Front cover condition is all that is mattering it seems to this new class of buyer that has emerged in the last year. A. No intense marvel chipping, one chip at most if. B. Good cover color C. Decent centering D. Blue Label, CGC, Higher the number the better 2. Structure grades like PQ and qualifiers mean less to them than they should. Back Cover can be trashed, as long as front looks great (and pages aren't brittle/brown). 3. Prices across the board are up between 25-100% in grade, better that front cover the closer to the 100% you get. Is it right? Is it sustainable? cant answer that but the reality on the ground is pretty much established I think.

Not sure if this was discussed yet but just incase not. The AF15 5.0 OW/W on CL sold a few days back. it cleared 36,000.00US. It has great page quality, very off center, and heavy Marvel Chipping. I think this really makes sense with the "Social Media" argument. It didnt look very good but it was structure and general wear wise in nice shape so it graded well. All of its flaws were due to poor cover placement and cutting. The average selling price last year on that book was 27,000.00 US. A very poor lower end of the scale copy of the book just sold for 9000 over last years average price, exactly 25% over just a few months ago...and it was a very unappealing copy with dozen+ compounding chips out of it. Had the book had 1 or less chips and more centered Any question that same 5.0 sells 45-55k?

Anyone know what the cheapest available 4.0 is right now to buy? Not auction, not "make offer". Like who has the cheapest 4.0 for sale as of today anyone can buy? The average price for reported sales went from 13-16k (going up as time went on). Whats the least you can pay for it today? At the end of the day, what someone will sell it for right now tells you what you need to know about this book. Anyone willing to sell ANY unrestored decent PQ copy of this book for any price within 25% of 2016 prices?

In this crazy world, it will be 50k. No chipping, ok page quality, well centered, colors decent. Its a Social Media approved copy...expect 50k.

I see him as the editor, but honestly seeing the guys name on the tombstone I was thinking maybe he did some work on it. His name is the only one on the actual art. Side note, all the names signed at bottom are actually signed by the guys I discovered. Each is in different handwriting and Pen style...so bonus.

Art Day: Defenders 89 Cover 1980 Never thought I would own this. I remember the book, forgot it was the origin of hell cat. I guess in the Netflix show this issue was the origin of the Patsy Walker storyline on ALIAS so thats kinda a cool bonus. Whats really odd is that in the tombstone it looks like "AL MIL..." is being spelled out, either as a joke or a secret "I worked on this cover" hidden Easter egg? Whats more, Al signed the cover too along with the credited artists Nasser and Rubinstein. I should email him and ask, it has a milgrom feel to it to be sure, but his style was very marvel-y so a lot of stuff "Feels" like it (at least to my eye). What do you guys think, he work on it? Anyway, picked it up...yay...and its in PHENOMENAL SHAPE!!! You couldnt restore it to this nice. Ive always wanted a nice bronze age hulk cover, so Huzzah! I normally post my pick ups in the saved thread, but hell how many bronze marvel hero covers you pick up in a year? Posted it on CAF if you want to see there (or rest of my gallery). http://www.comicartfans.com/GalleryPiece.asp?Piece=1390631&GSub=145535

Fair enough, uninformed buyers.

Didn't we just have several posts by board members here that there were quite a few AF 15's at the Chicago Con this past weekend and apparently none of them sold? Even though some of them were apparently priced at only 2016 prices. Like, can someone give me the name of a dealer selling an AF 15 4.0 unrestored for 17k? Thats the 2016 pricing, if these CC and CL and HA sales are outliers or copies that can be upgraded, shouldn't I be able to find a 4.0 today for that price? Or at least under 20k with average PQ and Chipping? Thats what I cant understand. Im not a "take sides" guy but there seems to be 2 very clear camps here. 1. This is upgradeable book sales and outliers with maybe 10-15% price increase over the last 4 months. 2. There is a frame shift in how AF15 is priced and for how much its priced. The market has almost doubled in the last 6 months. There are some people trying to find the middle, and thats probably best way...but on some level either "A" or "B" has/is occurring. I think the quickest way is to find who is selling average PQ unrestored 3-4.5 copies of the book close to 2016 price averages. If they don't exist, its probably more likely option 2 is more accurate. If they do exist, Option 1 is more correct. Anyone have any evidence for either?

If the 7.5 goes to 6 figures...man...to go with a .5 selling for like 6500 yesterday on Comic Link. I think it will be more evidence that a frame shift has occurred in the pricing structure for this book. It cant just be upgrade-able and dumb buyers. Like a whole-cloth change in how this book is priced I would think. Im not sure its good for the prospects of new people joining the market. Anyone know of anyone selling this books for 2016 prices above 1.5? like 14k for a 4.0? Like is anyone willing to sell a nice copy of this book at prices below the standard of these new hyped up market? You can tell where the market is at by the cheapest price anyone legit is willing to sell the book unrestored (I think anyway). We have anyone going well under these auction prices at this time on in hand mid grade or higher copies?

Meh, I have a few lots in this auction. I dont think it should be a big deal.

When I say that out loud, it blows my mind. I bought an AF15 in higher grade recently...again mind blown when i pull myself out of collector mode and into "omg, how many months of mortgage payments did i put into this collection of staples and paper?!?!" I keep waiting for this ride to end and crash so i can buy art and comics for 10cents on the previous dollar...it keeps not happening for some reason. God, how great would it be if everyone agreed to start selling covers for few hundred bucks again (in today's dollars)!

Im not opposed to using the 6 months policy at all. Im looking at getting a nice Hulk 1 and that honestly would make me more likely to go with them.

New Mutants 60, only time I ever cried reading a comic. I was just a middle school kid but I had already built a huge collection and even a few pages of art. I loved the hobby, I loved the medium. My favorite book was New Mutants, and my favorite character was Cypher. He was a hero I could relate to. His powers were ones of the mind and spirit not god-like strength or invulnerability. He didn't fly or life buses. All other comic heroes have these amazing abilities or tech to shield them. On some level, them going into battle was less brave because of it. They always had protection, they always could use that unique gift to save their butts. Doug had his fists and his ability to just be smarter than anyone he faced. He was the bravest of the mutant superheroes...by a mile...In the issue the main villian pulled a gun on Rahne and was about to shoot her in the back, no question killing her. Doug jumped to push her out of the way taking fire knowing full well he had nothing to protect himself with. He just knew he had to save her. He died saving the woman he loved from certain death. She dismissed his acts like he was a baby before realizing he took a fatal blow for her. He died looking at her saying he was sorry. She held him, and he was gone. It was the most heroic act possible, by the bravest marvel superhero of all time, dying to save the woman he loved. Before he passed he was the hero i most connected with. After he passed I realized he was the Hero I would most want to be.

Dear Lord, that was actually a marvel comic book?!?! This page? Was it .75 cents?

All communications have to be done on ebay via their communication system so they can see if in a case. This is what I think you should point out in case to help out. 1. item said to have no restoration, sent in and the authority CGC cleared showed that to be a lie. 2. Seller is offering a full refund minus a "restocking" fee clearly indicating he acknowledges this is on him and is willing to take back. You want to refund but dont want to pay that usary level "restocking" fee.

European Swallow

Yep, Like i said...the world class forge we have been afraid of. Its when they figure out to do this level of fakery on pages...that we are all in a trouble.

I bid on this before i did my due diligence. Now the more i look at it, i'm glad i'm out bid since it saves me hassle of canceling my bid. This looks like the world class forge we are all afraid of. All this guy sells is drawings of high profile uncommon pop culture artists. He has had A Byrne that looks off I can see in his completed, and his feedback indicated he sold Schulz drawings and Neimans as well which are often copied. I dont like the trend of only these same types of items

If the run up was due to movie interest across the board you'd see rising prices across the board in many venues (as Foolkiller said earlier). We didn't see record prices on eBay before that or on other venues because the demand wasn't there. If you look at it forensically the run up in price IMO was specifically due to improvable copies giving the impression that demand is crazy and then other markets begin to follow as people panic to buy a copy because they believe that they'll be priced out. My only issue with this idea, is that the prices have been so high...even if you get an upgrade in numeric grade after dropping some coin on press...it still wont get to the traditional grade needed to justify these prices...like basically you couldn't realistically upgrade these book ENOUGH to justify the prices sole based on that... And yeah I get that the overall "rising tide" argument that is in play for later copies and their price jump. But the initial 2-3 books that seemed to be the canary in the coalmine for all this drama...i dont know if you could upgrade them enough to a point it would justify the prices they were getting (what do you think you can move a 5.0 to a few month back to justify 57k? full on 6.5?)

Chipped up copies and low grade seems to be selling very strong as of late which sort of blows up my "looks good on Facebook" theory on recent price spikes. I'm now not as sure whats pushing these prices.