Modern books where 99.9% of the run is in 9.2 or better shape and taken well care of since they were printed, cannot be compared to Hulk #1 and Fantastic Four #1, who's value has been established over nearly 60 years and is based on it's proven desirability, and not a hypothetical future success or relevance.
As for what price is too much. In the same way that WD lifts all other moderns below it when it tracks a new high, and proves "what's possible". The golden age rarities do the same and open up space for people to pay more on the silvers. Same way things like the mcfarlane art sale "let" people start justify paying much more for OA, even pieces of questionable future relevance.
Dips in a market, or corrections to a bubble, are buying opportunities for well positioned people. Not just in comics, but all markets. It shakes out weak hands, breaks people playing on margin (debt), and sets strong floors for values. aka, even during the correction item X never went below price Y.
There are lots of bubbles in the comics world (OA, Slabbed books, Moderns, comics with TV rumors, copper/bronze keys, maybe even silver minor keys), if and when some of them finally "correct", it only does so to improve the overall strength of the market as a whole.
If someone want to pay all time highs for a book, just make sure the numismatic value of it is truly there, and you wont lose out. Action 1s arent going to go on sale, even if the bottom of the entire comic market fell out. If you are willing to set a record price for something, just know where it stands in the pecking order.
Good post.....if a market adjustment happens again, and I am sure it will.....just make sure your ready because a lot of your current stuff will end up worthless.....pay close attention and invest only where you think the book had legs to hold up. People buying 100 copies of every #1 out there will ge she'll shocked when this happens....just my
I personally tend to stay away from moderns as far as "a book with legs" I only buy them simply because I love the book itself, usually because I love the cover. I remember when people were paying $25-30K for 9.8 Hulk 181's but of course as more and more copies got the 9.8 grade, the price dipped, now one can be had for around 10K
I'd certianly would not want to be that guy who paid 150K for the only 9.9 copy that was on comiclink a few years ago. Or even one of the guys who paid the 25K for a 9.8, or the 9.9 NM 98 for 12K. In the comic world however, condition is King! Would I pay 5K for a ASM 300 9.9? Nope. Why? I don't see much of a future for the character Venom, also the print run is too large. Very nice book but i'd settle for a 9.8 and just be happy with that.
WD #1 is the new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #1...Laugh all you want, but it's true.
Getting back to East of West, I bought 12 copies and I'll just slab and flip them. Only reason why people bough 5-10+ copies of it anyway!