World Devourer

We are currently in a bear market, so sales are slow. IF you can afford to buy a gem and then WAIT, it will pay off. Note that I'm taking about high-end items, not low-end bric-a-brac that might jump slightly.

Possibly. Once we see out this bear market some will no doubt appear.

Too near Xmas. People have other priorities. Still, it is a very healthy profit on the original cost.

Damn right. That's why I purchased my ASM#129, Hulk #181 and Giant-Size X-Men #1 in 9.8 years ago. Part of my retirement fund.

Agreed. Since the advent of CGC ours became a cover sport. The introduction of rare variants then made certain CGC items the "prizes" to own. Yes, I have all the obvious gems in 9.8 W, but there are many older issues that are bonafide quality (examples include Marvel Team-Up #16 with Captain Marvel and art by Gil Kane, Avengers #167 with amazing art and layouts by George Perez, and Rom #18 with the killer Frank Miller/Terry Austin cover) that are sadly ignored and have been lost to time.

In all seriousness, that's a good point and deserving of its own thread. How many readers/collectors vs investors are there now?

Yes, already pricey as the right investment items. Lobo won't go anywhere. DC has no oomph.

It's a nice idea, but unlikely. People are getting smarter and looking for a guaranteed return. Key Batman, Spider-Man and Wolverine are where it is at.

I don't think it matters when the price is already in the stratosphere. Can it be repeated? Probably. The thing to remember is that the people who got in early (some years ago now) and paid a fraction of that price for a copy will always be winners when they eventually sell.

The 2010 Campbell variant that just sold for 18K on Ebay. The one with staying power...

For many items, yes. A few will retain their oomph, but will probably only bear fruit after the current bear market.

True, but still a fizzer as a DC effort. Nowhere near the explosion on Wolverine #1.

And sure enough, a few other Melvin Goombahs have jumped on the bandwagon and listed for a similar price.

Heh. There's no "if". Did you read what the thread was first? You are responsible for what and where you post. Not the moderators. Moving on.

I personally agree with much of what you are saying, but the market shows the near-obsession people have with these items. I also think the old notion of a "key" issue has all but disappeared. Not too many significant first appearances anymore.

Respectfully, rare variants are the keys of the modern era. It is the next stage in the evolution of the hobby.

As I said earlier, if you have something truly desirable, you have a chance. However, it must be Batman, Spider-Man or Wolverine. Other characters (eg. Catwoman, Supergirl) simply don't have the staying power.

I'm talking about the top shelf items with the most popular characters, a la Amazing Spider-Man #678 and Wolverine #145 (Nabisco) in 9.8. Always a market for these.

If a buyer has the capital, absolutely. I also think people might be receptive to swaps as opposed to large cash transactions. I'm going to try at any rate.

We're all feeling it. I have a filing cabinet drawer full of rare variants I'm sitting on as now is not the right time.

I don't think it will be as bad as all that. Yes, we are undergoing a period of readjustment, but we've just been through a global event. Barring the outbreak of war, I think consumer confidence will be restored sooner rather than later. I do think some sellers may need to be more realistic about prices, but that will happen organically.

Agreed. We are in the middle of a very bearish period. If people can afford to hold on to those rare variants etc, they will make their money back. However, it is a long game.

Hey, I own a 9.8 W. I'm happy.

In fact I think the only DC covers that had real flair and broke new ground were the now-classic Neal Adams Batman covers. Here's a sample: https://13thdimension.com/neal-adams-13-greatest-batman-covers-ranked/

Yes, unfortunately true. There have been many, many discussions about this. DC often had more sophisticated stories but Marvel had very sexy eye-catching covers, which adds to perceived value (a good example being the picture box covers of the 70s, especially the ultra-rare black in 9.8). More reading about picture box covers: https://www.cbr.com/marvel-comics-picture-frame-cover-era/