Jaydogrules

+1 These two books shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath. On the one hand, you have a timeless, iconic character that's in the same league as Batman and Superman in terms of pop cultural awareness, and impact on the entire hobby, in a million dollar book in a comparable grade (9.6), regardless of how many "under copies" of it exist on the census. And on the other, you have a fad book that has been over valued for a very long time, featuring novelty characters from the '80s that should have gone out along with Garbage Pail Kids. But hey, if you like your Turtles, more power to you. No contest there at all. AF 15 all the way baby. (thumbs u -J. In the 80's Spider-man was a fad. TMNT #1 is the AF 15 of the Copper-Age. It ain't going down anytime soon. "Copper Age"..... the most reviled age of comic books. What's your point? -J.

+1 These two books shouldn't even be mentioned in the same breath. On the one hand, you have a timeless, iconic character that's in the same league as Batman and Superman in terms of pop cultural awareness, and impact on the entire hobby, in a million dollar book in a comparable grade (9.6), regardless of how many "under copies" of it exist on the census. And on the other, you have a fad book that has been over valued for a very long time, featuring novelty characters from the '80s that should have gone out along with Garbage Pail Kids. But hey, if you like your Turtles, more power to you. No contest there at all. AF 15 all the way baby. (thumbs u -J.

That was cool thanks for sharing ! -J.

The biggest test is normally to see whether or not the buyer leaves any feedback at all. As of now, there still isn't any. The problem with scams like this is that there is always a dreamer who is willing to gamble. Therefore the scams will continue. There is an action 13 on ebay right now, and even though the real owner of the book has come forward the auction continues to get bids and has not been removed. A book offered at 10, 15, maybe even a 20 percent discount to get a quick sale. But THE mega key of the silver age offered at 50 percent off ? Come on. -J.

I saw that before the auction ended. Thought it was too good to be true and that the seller's account might've been hijacked so I passed. Might have been the stupidest decision or smartest decision I've made. I'll never know My vote would be for the latter.What's that old saying about when something seems too good to be true? It's not like it's hard for somebody to figure out what that comic is actually worth. Seeing it offered at literally half FMV is more than just a huge red flag.....it's a red herring. Even though PayPal will cover whomever decided to dream big and take a chance on it, it can still be a pain in the arse and take awhile to get a refund. -J.

This CAN NOT have been a legit sale... http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-Fantasy-15-CGC-6-0-Marvel-Silver-Age-comic-Origin-1st-app-of-Spider-Man-/281271119855?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item417d10afef&nma=true&si=%252BwopUWxqnjgIthDOHBUwxj2VTtw%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557 Thoughts? -J.

I actually saw that when it was first listed. It had a buy it now of $2700 and I was so close to pulling the trigger. Then some guy placed a bid and the buy it now optioned disappeared . So it closed at $3K. That's a strong price. But who knows if it's because the market is picking up on SC4's, or just lower grade SC4's, or if there was a pent up demand for any decent copy since one hasn't been auctioned with no reserve in awhile? Either way, it's still the rarest of the major silver age keys in a blue label (only 198??, that's rarer than some GA keys even!!), and with the Flash getting another shot at TV/movies, the next 12-36 months should be good for this book. -J. I can't gauge where the Flash is going. I picked up a SC4 for around double its GPA from the last sale. That one is going up fast. Where the ceiling is, I have no idea. I wanted one, now I have it. The only reason why I was so aggressive and overpaid is because I have a 105 and a 123. At the time there were no 8's to be found that were close to GPA 27k average and I would love to know where those sales materialized. The 105 and the 123 were soft (around 20%) compared to what they should have sold for, but the SC4 is defying gravity. We have a boardie who has turned down offers of his SC4 7.5 for 25k, then we had another boardie list his for 36k in 8 and no one knows what it eventually sold for. These are record prices. One was listed on EBay in 8 and it failed to sell. The listing poofed. I think it only went into the low 20k area. It had cream pages and didn't look like an 8, but CGC said it was. Is it the movie run up? I've become weary of any DC movie speculation. I've never really noticed TV shows driving up prices that much or even at all. When people talk about SC4 they are referring to a new era of comics being made with its launch. Up there with FF1 and AF15. CGC says they are scarce, but I always assume that any book has only a third of its copies graded. A lot of old timers want nothing to do with CGC and don't want a bunch of kids (age comparatively) telling them what their book is. I don't mind if it skyrockets. I'm will probably never sell it. Up or down it's in my collection. Everyone is right. Why the sudden interest in it? "Cream Pages" didn't keep the price of that 8.0 on ebay low. So-called "PQ" doesn't much affect keys, especially rare ones, unless of course it has slightly brittle/brittle pages. It was the fact that they were auctioning it off on ebay (wrong venue), with an extremely high starting bid, and then putting a "reserve" on it, on top of that. It probably ended up selling privately for exactly what they wanted, as it has not re-appeared on any other auction site since then. -J.

I actually saw that when it was first listed. It had a buy it now of $2700 and I was so close to pulling the trigger. Then some guy placed a bid and the buy it now optioned disappeared . So it closed at $3K. That's a strong price. But who knows if it's because the market is picking up on SC4's, or just lower grade SC4's, or if there was a pent up demand for any decent copy since one hasn't been auctioned with no reserve in awhile? Either way, it's still the rarest of the major silver age keys in a blue label (only 198??, that's rarer than some GA keys even!!), and with the Flash getting another shot at TV/movies, the next 12-36 months should be good for this book. -J.

Nice copy! One wonders how much higher that grade would be if it were not for somebody apparently deciding to calculate their bills on it. -J.

Johnny Depp as Dr. Strange??? That would be epic!! -J.

Maybe sell one of the SC 4's in your sig line? -J.

I would think that there are more Google hits on Catwoman just for the eye candy alone. We have to agree to disagree. I don't think Luthor is very popular with the general public at all(or even with comic fans. Every time Luthor is announced as the villain for the next Superman movie, collective groans of "Luthor AGAIN?" are heard all over the interwebs). Catwoman is one of the most recognizable comic book characters to the general public, while Luthor is so one dimensional(at least in his GA and SA appearances) that the movies had to have Hackman and Spacey camp it up for the character to make any kind of impression. Don't get me wrong, I thought Hackman was great. He has some of the best lines from any comic book movie. But he was barely playing the character that was being featured in the comic books at the time. And as far as crossovers in the comics are concerned, Catwoman faced off with Superman in two issues of Lois Lane in the sixties, and with Wonder Woman during the Bronze Age. I personally like the "Smallville" portrayal of Luthor, and Rosenbaum did not camp it up at all and made quite an impression. And I would argue that the best screen portrayal of Catwoman to date was by Pfeiffer, who most certainly camped it up right along with Danny devito in the Burton Batman sequel. Hathaway was utterly forgettable in her portrayal and the Halle Berry movie was an abomination. Luthor's character has certainly evolved over the decades right along with the rest of our other favorite characters. It's what has allowed him to become iconic and timeless, and yes because superman does not have nearly as many foes as batman, he will eventually almost always show up in the movies, if as nothing else, the string puller, the master manipulator behind the action. If you think super man's rogue gallery is weak with luthor, my goodness what would it be without him? -J.

I don't know if people would put Luthor on the Joker's "level". I think what people are saying is that Luthor is to Superman as the Joker is to Batman. Luthor does pre-date the Joker as the first "arch nemesis" of the GA, that alone vaults him ahead of Catwoman in terms of "historical significance", but the Joker really took off in popularity thanks to Miller's re-imagining in the Dark Knight Returns, then the inspired casting of Jack Nicholson in Burton's first "Batman", and then all over again with Nolan's take on the character. -J.

True enough. But I see a lot of Black Cat cosplay models too and I wouldn't put her in the same league as Catwoman. Luthor is a male character so obviously we're never going to see that with him . He is also not a costumed villain. I do think that, thanks to "Smallville" and even the putrid "Superman Returns" most gen Y's know who Luthor is as well, and certainly those Boomers and X'ers who came up with the first four Superman movies do. But I do agree, if it came down to a strict popularity contest, the hot, curvy girl that wears the tight latex outfit will always win, hands down over the smart, bald megalomanical guy. No matter how rich he is . (thumbs u -J.

I love the debate but no, cat woman is not in the same league as luthor. He is superman's arch nemesis, just as the Joker is batman's arch nemesis. In fact i believe luthor is the first arch nemesis created in the golden age of super hero comics, who is still around today, and is widely considered to be in the top 3 all time comic book villains. Catwoman is just another batman villain and might be in the top ten somewhere. An early villain, yes. A popular one, yes. But she is not in the joker's league and she is not in luthor's league when it comes to villains, by any stretch. And guys, are we forgetting that luthor has crossed over multiple times and battled batman as well? Hell he's the big villain coming up in the batman superman movie. Though don't get me started on the casting of the role.... -J.

You really hit the nail right on the head. I've been fortunate enough to own some great books over the years, but none of them could compare to my Batman #1. If I had to choose between Tec #27 and Batman #1, I'd choose Tec #27 because of value and rarity but in terms of overall enjoyment, it's Batman #1 all day long. There's many more Bat pages in Bat 1 than Tec 27. And someone called the Joker I think. This is something that is a bit overlooked IMO. In the CGC era that we live in today, many books remain encapsulated. When looking at a slabbed Action #1 or Tec #27, it's easy to overlook the fact that the majority of those books are comprised of non-Superman and non-Batman content. Fewer stories, fewer pages = less history in respects to a page by page measure. While I do feel that the supporting stories of both books are a bit underrated, they still do not hold a candle to their superhero counterparts. If they did, pre-hero issues of Detective, More Fun and Adventure would sell at rates comparable to their superhero counterparts. Those of us who love the history of the medium can appreciate them, but we're not likely to see billion dollar film franchises based off of them either. Batman #1 doesn't just have bulk-content -- it introduced, arguably, the two most famous villains in all of DC Comics -- in addition to being the first issue of the solo series dedicated to DC's more popular hero. Joker, yes, but Catwoman is definitely not more famous than Lex Luthor. +1. I love Bats 1 for the joker's first appearance. I would want it just as much if catwoman had nothing to do with it. She is incidental to this book's importance/value IMO. It's all about the Joker baby. Did Luthor's first appearance in action slightly pre date the joker's in bats 1? The "DC Comics Publication" bullet on each one makes me think yes? -J.

Did anyone honestly think it would? -J. I am actually amazed at how high it did close. It was a beyond ugly copy and incomplete to boot. +1. It petered out at just under the highest I thought it might go for, though I am a bit surprised it even broke 8k with such poor eye appeal. Looking forward to that 4 on comic link now. Any thoughts on FMV on that one? -J. I would guess in the $35k to $40k but given how high prices have been, maybe I am low (thumbs u That's the range I'm figuring as well. -J.

Did anyone honestly think it would? -J. I am actually amazed at how high it did close. It was a beyond ugly copy and incomplete to boot. +1. It petered out at just under the highest I thought it might go for, though I am a bit surprised it even broke 8k with such poor eye appeal. Looking forward to that 4 on comic link now. Any thoughts on FMV on that one? -J.

Did anyone honestly think it would? -J.

There's really no right or wrong when it comes to preference. I mentioned this in a thread not too long ago, but I believe in situations like this, it really comes down to what you value more as a collector... Historical significance/content --or--- condition/preservation. It's certainly not definitvely black or while, for anyone really. I can only speak for myself by saying that naturally, the higher the grade the better. But when it comes to expensive books, that's just not practical. With books like Batman #1 --and we're now talking the 4th most valuable book on the planet-- most can't afford to be picky. If 10K or so is the entry level price to acquire a copy with at least the front cover, a collector has to decide if they want to own a copy of one of the greatest comics of all time, or if they want several higher graded copies of forgettable issues. I find that a lot of non-key GA books are mostly appreciated for their artwork and/or the desire to complete a run. You probably won't hear comic book historians talking about Batman #5 in any documentaries. So the value of the book to most collectors is not related to the content of what's in between the pages. We collect whatever we enjoy, so again, it's all subjective. But a lot of collectors really treasure the content and historical significance of books like Batman #1 so much so that it easily overshadows the sacrifice in grade usually needed to obtain a copy. I don't know if a .5 batman 1 is a 10k book, but I would be surprised if "that" .5 goes for 10k. But who knows, stranger things have happened. It just won't be my 10k. I'll gladly wait for one that doesn't make me angry whenever I look at it. -J.

It won't be sniffing my 12K regions. Well one never knows : this particular book is the poor man's tec 27 More like "moderately well-to-do man's" Tec 27. With a low grade copy such as this, there's always the potential to see bids from collectors who view this as their holy grail comic book, especially since Tec #27 is out of most people's price ranges. But no "poor man" is getting close to a Batman #1, the prices are exceedingly strong. I'm with you Wayne-Tec. This book could fetch more than it normally fetches because of the "out-of-reach" Tec 27 prices. (thumbs u To whoever ends up winning this copy, it's hard to go wrong with a blue label Batman #1. It is hideous. A very ugly copy in my opinion. Agreed. I'm definitely passing on it as well. There comes a point where a book is so ugly to look at and/or too incomplete, there is just no pride or point in even owning it. Especially at an exaggerated or exorbitant price point. Sometimes "just having one" isn't enough. There was a low grade cap 1 on ebay a while ago that I felt the same way about. Guess I'll just have to keep waiting... -J.

click on listing. click on "see original listing" next to listing title. scroll down, below the seller's name and info on the right hand side of the page you should see "report item" and "print" click "print" a new page will open showing the accepted offer. Worked like a charm. Thank you kindly gents. (thumbs u -J.

Hey guys, this was discussed once in this thread so I figure this is a good place to ask this....eBay seems to have corrected the glitch that allowed you to see the accepted offer amount on a buy it now on a mobile device. Anyone know another way to see that kind of data? And ideas are much appreciated. Warm regards -J.

(thumbs u -J.

I would possibly agree with that if they were the same slabbed copies going for ever increasing amounts. But these are different sellers cashing out of their raw copies. Fact is, this particular comic is legitimately rare, has apparently become a modern grail, and its homage cover has quickly attained a cult status, for obvious reasons. Although I would say that this is beyond wishful thinking, at least for now : http://www.ebay.com/itm/Amazing-spiderman-678-venom-variant-/161206703742?pt=US_Comic_Books&hash=item2588ab167e -J.