Jaydogrules

We're talking books like HFH 1, ToD 1, MP 1, etc, right? Those books are too late (actually the HFH 1 could conceivably have one). The NDS inserts only ran from about April 1971 and stopped completely in early 1973. So you'd be looking for an ASM 100 or an IM 55 for example. I think you may be mixed up: Marvel Premiere 1 - April, 1972 Tomb of Dracula 1 - April, 1972 Hero for Hire 1 - June, 1972 Others would include Marvel Spotlight 2 (February, 1972), Marvel Spotlight 5 (August, 1972), Marvel Feature 1 (December, 1971), Defenders 1 (August, 1972), ASM 101 (October, 1971), FF 112 (July, 1971), Amazing Adventures 11 (March, 1972), and others. You're right the HFH 1 I caught, I don't know why but I mis-read the tomb of Dracula as "10" and not a 1 and then glossed right over the "MP 1". Must have been some kind of weird comic book tourette's like response. I know there's a boardie with a raw marvel spotlight 5 (I think Porcupine) with one, and I have never seen one in a MP 1. With the recent increased interest in that book I wouldn't mind having one in a 9.0+ if I could find one out there. -J.

I'm not sure how many bona fide "keys" are even in that narrow range of April '71- April '73 when they were issued. There were even a couple of months within that time frame they weren't used at all. Most of them were brought back from overseas and are in rough shape. But here's one that isn't: The star stamped on the issue number "55" also confirms the overseas provenance of this copy. -J.

That's a nice looking 3.0. Congrats. -J.

We're talking books like HFH 1, ToD 1, MP 1, etc, right? Those books are too late (actually the HFH 1 could conceivably have one). The NDS inserts only ran from about April 1971 and stopped completely in early 1973. So you'd be looking for an ASM 100 or an IM 55 for example. -J. NDS insert ? National Diamond Sales insert. The much harder to find precursor to the Mark Jewelers Insert. (thumbs u -J.

We're talking books like HFH 1, ToD 1, MP 1, etc, right? Those books are too late (actually the HFH 1 could conceivably have one). The NDS inserts only ran from about April 1971 and stopped completely in early 1973. So you'd be looking for an ASM 100 or an IM 55 for example. -J.

No. I believe the Mennen inserts were only used in Marvels for a month or two in '73. To add, all comics with a Mennen insert should have the MJ insert as well. This is correct. They only appear in July, 1973 marvels to be exact. However I do not believe they appear in conjunction with any other insert. *Edit- Actually, yes they do appear in conjunction with the MJ insert only. -J.

Why would someone pay any amount of money for any collectible that doesn't have a non-functional use? Some people derive pleasure from owning something that they perceive as rare. Some people are completionists. Those are two extremely common themes of collecting for many people. I'm surprised you've never heard of them. If you really want to talk rare, early and tough in high grade, try finding a bronze key with an NDS insert. -J.

Mmmmmmmmeh. -J.

What's $500 just to get it over and done with. To paraphrase Dan Gallo, sometimes you just have to bite the bullet. And as we are seeing, there may not be that many raw 9.8 candidates left in the wild. -J.

Seems like bad business to "flood" the market all at once. He says they're all in about 9.0 condition, so his prices are also optimistic. Especially considering there's a slabbed 9.8 waiting to be sniped for its minimum bid or thereabouts In another six days or so. -J.

I'll take both, please. -J.

Most people would say paying $2k for "any" comic is nuts. Who can rationalize the mind and heart of the collector. On another note, someone asked a few pages back what the "next" limited spidey variant to pop might be. I nominate Superior #20, Black Cat. It's also a 1:50 not as rare as the 678 VenomJ, and plenty more copies available in a 9.8 on the census but they do not seem frequently offered in a 9.8 and three have recently reached the $400+ level. My 2 cents. -J. Very true. People buy what they want their money. Just because they can buy 2 ASM #300 instead of a modern book doesnt really mean anything. People buy and collect what they want. Very few variants "stick", or have any real staying power. Those few that do and become famous for whatever reason, will almost never have a large enough of a print run to meet demand. An ASM 300 can be found everywhere. With these books you pay a premium for the rarity- to have that "trophy piece" that your friend doesn't have. -J.

Both of those books are certainly tough but they're out there. And they both differ from the 678 VenoMJ and even Superior 20, in that they are not wholly unique covers. You can get the sketch version of 648 any day of the week (there's also been an SS copy of the colour version available on ebay for months), and the 546 "Book Market" is essentially the identical artwork as the regular 546 cover that just doesn't say "Book Market" on it. As it is, the Superior 20 is already trading higher than either one in a 9.8 and it's newer. (And on a personal note, I also don't think either the 546 or the 648 has that "It Factor" that the 678 VenoMJ, 667 Dell'Otto or the Superior 20 all have.) -J.

There's actually all kinds of "PQ" in bewteen. There's light tan, then tan, then dark tan, and one or two after that before slightly brittle. I have never seen "Brown" before. These are supposed to pertaining to paper "quality" not "colour" anyway, so I don't know what that's about. Check this out: http://www.bipcomics.com/showcase/CGCWhiteness/ -J.

tanned too long ? That book has been posted before. I'm not sure what "quality" "brown" is, but this is another reason why I take the "PQ" on the label with a grain of salt (unless it's "brittle" or "slightly brittle", but even then I may not care depending on the book). -J.

I love how the picture of the back is just the backing board. That asking price is optimistic for a raw copy that is visibly, even from the front, not a 9.8 candidate IMO. -J.

Not but was watching it. Resonable price! Do you think a perception of Questionable PQ keep it down? Nope. The cover is the whole point of that book. -J.

Most people would say paying $2k for "any" comic is nuts. Who can rationalize the mind and heart of the collector. On another note, someone asked a few pages back what the "next" limited spidey variant to pop might be. I nominate Superior #20, Black Cat. It's also a 1:50 not as rare as the 678 VenomJ, and plenty more copies available in a 9.8 on the census but they do not seem frequently offered in a 9.8 and three have recently reached the $400+ level. My 2 cents. -J.

+1 -J.

Even this thing finished at nearly $150 with shipping. http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Amazing-Spider-Man-678-Mary-Jane-Venom-Cover-Sketch-on-Spider-Man-1-Blank-/291427589311?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_2&hash=item43da701cbf I kind of wanted it but once it crossed $100 I was . -J.

Not a fan of Olivia Munn as an "actress", and I'm not sure how (if or why) her casting (in a most likely limited-appearance role, like Bishop in DofFP) would affect the prices of Psylocke books. If Wolverine isn't (yet again) the main mutant star of the next movie, I don't see how Cable isn't. Any significant movement on prices for NM 87 yet ? That would seem inevitable IMO. -J.

Gotcha. Trickle down effect. That is actually one of the nicer, less over the top other ones IMO. -J.

+1 I figure the CGC copy to fetch $1600-ish. -J.

Gator, despite a "wall" of AF15s, you couldn't possibly know how PQ impacts buying decisions and prices, could you? Buy the book, not the label. -J.

-J.