Roger66

FF1 never lost heat since it started its' percolation awhile back. This blue-chip key remains at a hot simmer and has been for awhile. Not many 5.0's get auctioned off so you really shouldn't factor the last sold HA 5.0 copy as an indication or a sign of 'heating up.' I mean you can if you want to but focusing on one infrequent 5.0 sale is not how I would correlate the overall hotness of this book. Look at lower-grades that sell with more frequency perhaps. My 2 cents.

Covid19 and sitting at home in front of one's computer for hours on end as well as looking to supplement household incomes - is likely part of the perfect storm, which is the HOT collectible market now. I don't begrudge anyone one iota who sells these cards for lots of money or those who in turn buy them for said prices. From a purely mid-century man's spectator's viewpoint it just seems like an obvious self-fulfilling prophecy, which we have seen over and over and over in years past in various other forms of so-called collectibles that went from boom to bust seemingly overnight.

It seems unbelievable if not incomprehensible that individuals could & would all act in unison to suddenly create a market for what is IMO a trivial and semi-cool collectible. Maybe I am in the minority but it truly feels like a game of hot potato and when the music ends, whoever is left holding a card like this will be sucking wind. I love comics, comic related collectibles and pretty much everything related to this crazy hobby but I draw the line on this insanity. My 2-cents.

Many comic collectors are a funny ironic bunch (including me at times ). This particular key (ST110) not so long ago (feels like just last week) sat on eBay and similar sites in all grades and languished. Some collector-sellers felt like they couldn't even discount the book enough to give it away . Now there is a ripple in the shallow pond so to speak.. the silent siren call of "buy me buy me!"... and like moths driven to the invisible flame, almost everyone seemingly needs & wants this key when only yesterday they did not. We are all like dogs chasing our tails in this hobby. The lack of foresight for many collectors is sometimes only limited by a lack of seeing past our collective hands in front of our faces. What drives up prices these days is often simply speculators and their rumor-mongering but shhhh! don't ever admit that. My 2 cents In any "age" there are always waves, the first gold rush where there are many players, then the crowning of a few kings where everything converges to a few places, and the third wave where the market is stable enough to accommodate several small players who serve particular niches. — Anonymous

It is often just one's impatient 'snapshot' perception of the market but in fact I think in this case it is a reality now on the Boards. As the comic book market goes supernova and more and more specialty books set GPA highs (seemingly so with every Heritage Auction setting one or more records), most collectors are either inclined to sit back and hold their coveted books and see how far this tsunami takes us or hand their gems off to a well regarded auction house (HA) and let the highest bidder take it home. Unless the economy goes into a deep depression - I don't see any Boardie offering choice Golden Age nuggets for sale at reasonable prices in a killer thread like in the past. The sign of the times. My 2-cents.

You might legitimately think you have a grievance. My opinion is you resolve said grievance privately with the alleged party, who caused you harm or offense. Airing your dirty laundry so to speak and doing it in a haphazard fashion on a public forum will typically invite scorn, ridicule, jokes and mocking. I am not sure how much advanced thought you put into this posting but there are much better avenues and forms of redress then what you did here. I mean no offense esp. to a stranger. I just think more forethought and mindfulness would have better assisted you to the ends you hoped to achieve. IMO CGC is a standout and incredibly professional honest business. I see no personal animus between them and anyone who submits items for grading. You are taking a huge leap of faith if not making a bold unfounded assumption by connecting dots that are in fact likely unconnectable. Again my 2-cents.

I hear you but sometimes we must ignore the ranters, ravers, finger-pointers, aggravators, distractors and inane posturers online. Prior to the internet people sat down and wrote their grievances on paper, which often (but not always) lead to more personal consultation, insight, contemplation and consideration by the author, who wrote to a much smaller audience too. Nowadays just about anyone can spew any form of grievance, hatred, bigotry, stupidity and self-loathing they want by simply clicking their mouse and tapping away on their keyboard. We choose who to ignore and we choose whom to reply to online. In the end this is all meaningless chatter, which is like grains of sand on an endless and isolated windswept beach. My 2-cents.

I am sometimes nostalgic for the good old days (pre-any entombing of cards or comics etc) when it was like the wild west. During those times you had to use your own wits, acumen, guile and sometimes cunning when grading raw books etc and in the end if you were unhappy with a purchase or trade you really could only blame yourself for not doing your due diligence. We all suffer from some form of blindness be it a lack of objectivity, self-inflated ego, poor judgment, insufficient mindfulness or simply making bad assumptions. Owning up to that was easier before you could blame a third party grading service. My 2cents.

Agreed plus I never thought (and still don't) that the comic market worked the way this thread possibly implies. A 9.8 sale of an early bronze or silver age classic book like this doesn't and shouldn't ever trickle down to the lower graded more common copies. Those in the very small pool, who can afford to pay top dollar for 9.8s like this Bats are buying essentially something rare and uncommon (like art). When I saw the title to this thread I thought it was more about trying to provoke comments and attention and not about the author really honestly thinking this book was in Hulk 181 territory (at least I hope not). It is just not a comparison IMO. The iconic Hulk 181 has history and longevity in this hobby. Batman 227 is a super wonderful classic cover only, which is fun to own but let's not get carried away with its' value. Today's frothy market breeds all types of speculators and in turn flippers, who are looking for the next hot book based upon any seismic event (as well as what they might be personally stocked up in). While short term certain books realize huge bumps, historically speaking I look for longevity in my collecting purposes plus personal appeal. My 2 cents.

I would let your intuition and passion drive your decision and not a focus group assuming you are passionate about the collectible and not just the money. I personally find whenever I tune out the crowd, ignore GPA, roll my eyes at the prognosticators and just focus on what I alone covet and truly appreciate - I end up happier down the road. So for example if you really have a keen eye for original art and know what you love there - art might be the better decision - assuming it is isn't out of your price range now. If, however, you get greater joy from owning your cards - then keep them. Personally I might sell all your cards and buy the best AF15 I can afford but that is me you see and clearly not you. Spider-Man is eternal in my mind - while Kobe and Tiger are having their much deserved time in the hobby-limelight but that too shall pass. Good luck and well done in your card buying! My 2 cents

As noted above there is zero bias from CGC graders here. They are pros IMO and the best in their business. I would absolutely (carefully) crack the book open from its' case and personally inspect it from cover to cover as well as take some photos of it raw before packing and sending it off to CGC. You might possibly discover something inside the book that you would prefer to know now prior to grading. my 2-cents

High tides raise all silver KEY-boats in this current market. I think TOS39 is playing a deserved catch-up with its' mega peers as it should. In the past I was unhesitant in valuing TOS39 much more point for point over the more common X-MEN 1, however, after seeing the realized prices paid for lower graded X1 copies (some looking like rags) I think it is inarguable that X-MEN 1 might be more valuable point for point in the future. Maybe I am old school but I still think TOS39 should be more valuable point for point than X1 (assuming the same graded books present the same - i.e. no faded covers, writing etc) but new school seems to set the pace in this market. my 2-cents While some of these below books are not mega-keys - my top 9 list (in no particular order) of contenders for 2021 due for another sustained spike are: 1) TTA27 - below 6.0 (the Garrett Morris of keys - assuming you remember that SNL skit) 2) HULK1 in lower grades - say under 3.5 including restored copies 3) FF48 (such an iconic important key on so many levels - don't bother with FF49 I say if you have to choose between owning one or the other) 4) Avengers 1 (it came down some but I expect it will come roaring back this year esp in grades under 7.0) 5) Avengers 4 (why this languishes like it does is beyond me) 6) TOS52 (black widow rocks) 7) AF15 - truly the Action Comics #1 of the Silver Age, which every honest die-hard comic collector deserves in their collection. Watch this book in lower grades including restored and conserved copies (say under 4.0) start to rocket in 2021. 8) BB28 - This was my top 3 all time favorite silver age key always but the DC key market has been on life support / a coma - I hold some hope this spikes but my least favorite on this list 9) TOS39 in lower grades esp. Why not X-MEN #1? I believe there has been some market manipulation in lower grade sales plus when books start to get priced so high that so many collectors lament that they cannot even afford to own this key - it creates a broader disenchantment or detachment to the book. This in turn levels off prices, which brings them back to earth. Just my theory.

This attractive CGC 1.8 sold last night on Heritage Auction. Gives you an idea on how nice a 1.8 can look. https://comics.ha.com/itm/silver-age-1956-1969-/superhero/amazing-fantasy-15-marvel-1962-cgc-gd-18-cream-to-off-white-pages/a/122105-11043.s?ic2=mytracked-lotspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyTrackedLots-101116

He did not mean literally but figuratively.

Here is very solid and attractive looking AF15 CGC 1.8 ending this Sunday evening on H.A. Since the monsoon season of keys began rising and rising, H.A. has IMO been consistently raising the bar on these special comics. I wouldn't be surprised if this particular book's final hammer price raises eyes. My 2-cents. https://comics.ha.com/itm/silver-age-1956-1969-/superhero/amazing-fantasy-15-marvel-1962-cgc-gd-18-cream-to-off-white-pages/a/122105-11043.s?ic2=mytracked-lotspage-lotlinks-12202013&tab=MyTrackedLots-101116

On an AF15 FC presentation is everything. I personally would always look for a blue label that shows off the FC 100% agree... "eye-appeal" is key in this mega-key department. If you can spend / afford the extra bucks go for the nicest presenting front cover blue-label AF15 you can find. The major reason there is often so many legit. price swings from one low-grade AF15 sale to the next is because of how the front cover presents. If its' a book you plan on holding and burying deep into your private collection than go for the gusto and get a blue that makes you smile every time you hold this iconic piece of history in your paws. Faded blemished covers, large chunks out of the front cover, conservation and most restored keys are IMO pacifiers or place-holders until a collector can get a copy into his collection that meets his real requirements. Granted now-a-days with soaring prices, many collectors are just happy with a taste so they have to settle on something but I say save for the full meal and skip the antipasti. My 2 cents.

My initial reaction is it is either NOT legit or the Buyer was truly unsophisticated (to put it politely). Yes a phenomenal (for years underpriced) key on so many levels but sudden inexplicable high sale's prices like this CGC 1.8 on eBay just raises the bar on all the books to the point where you have to imagine there will be some push-back in the market in the future. Collectors can be very much like Pavlov's dogs but instead of the sound of a bell - collectors are conditioned by the sound of a final hammer on every auction price no matter how unreasonable it seems. My 2 cents.

I have bought several comics from Dylan (both raw and graded). I have always been very happy from start to finish with each transaction. Very reliable.

Avengers #4 G/VG per PM

Everyone has different opinions on collecting comics or at least there are a lot of sharp differences for example I hate signature series (it defaces a comic and makes me sad esp when I see a horrid signature on an AF15- but I have exceptions on this rule). Decide what your collecting needs are and stay true to them and evolve over time but with purpose and passion. Personally when I look at books from the 1980s, which have huge populations in the top tiers in 9.8 and 9.6 - I won’t pay top dollar for any copy. I feel if the market should crater or cool off - the first direct hit will be to the inflated and over-valued Variants and then down from there to the 1980s keys. How much money you have to invest and if you are a flipper and or a private collector, who will hold to your books for a long time - is important to know on your end. Personally I prefer books pre 1974 - there are less of them in high grades and I find them more desirable but perhaps I am showing my age. Regarding “Buy the book - not the grade” I find that applies more to older comics (at least for me) and not the very common books, which are pressed the hell out of daily. Finally learn to be an objective grader and also unfortunately you might learn from experience, which collectors over-grade and which collectors you can trust on their raws. Happy hunting... my 2 cents

Even if WW2 ended up being the highest grossing movie in the past 10 years, it will not change my opinion one iota that it deserved ZERO stars and I simply had to turn it off at close to the hour mark. Money / wealth does not always dictate good taste and indeed taste is quite personal. I found this movie as interesting as watching paint drying.

Sage advice. If you send this to CGC send it EXPRESS / walk thru. I would spend the money and also insert the bagged / boarded comic into a top-loader ($3) and like Lions Den stated put a nice clear note on the book HANDLE WITH CARE. Pack this baby like an egg too.

Not everyone is an objective grader and I believe most collectors simply put are below average graders especially when it comes to their own books. Grading I find is often about personal experience with comics, critical honesty and intuitive skills. Without seeing your books I would bet CGC got it 100% right. Someone said it before me but you should 'temper your expectations' and perhaps continue to engage in selective discussions that lead to your becoming a better grader. Also don't fall into the trap of looking at books already graded without seeing the notes and wonder why this book got a 9.0 and not a 9.4 for example. No one is perfect but I find CGC the best game in town - head & shoulders above the rest - and I continue to maintain 100% faith in them. Finally be patient and don't lose sleep over this. My 2 cents.