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Frank.Einstein

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Posts posted by Frank.Einstein

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    Bronze age comics that are heating up on eBay...

    in Bronze Age Comic Books

    Posted

    On 3/2/2022 at 2:51 PM, Sweet Lou 14 said:

    Honestly, I'm not sure if I should be bragging about this or embarrassed by what I paid.  But here you go.

    1484980271_AmazingSpider-Man101CGC9.6.thumb.jpg.9d25c7a2e3a384b7506271fb5bc236ed.jpg

    I am fully aware that this is probably the WORST possible time to buy ASM #101.  I thought long and hard about staying out of this auction and waiting for another copy after the movie hype dies down.  However, there were a few factors that made me go for it:

    1. I am soooo close to finishing my goal of upgrading #101 through #150 to 9.6 WP.  With this book in the collection, I am down to just four more (none of which are keys -- #121, 122, 124, 129, etc. are all checked off the list already).
    2. This book almost never comes up with white pages.  In fact, off-white seems almost as common as OW/W.
    3. This book is also notorious for centering / wrap issues.  No, this wrap isn't perfect but honestly I can be happy with a thin, even strip of white.  I really dislike when the wrap is crooked and you get a triangle of white, which again is very common on this book.

    So, the market for 9.6 has been anywhere from $9,000 on the low end to $12,000 on the high end, but this book was sitting at over $11K as of February 22, one week before the auction close.  I have bid on enough auctions to know that this meant it was going to take at least $13,500 to win this book.  I also knew there would be at least one other person out there thinking along with me that this was a very nice 9.6 and that there's no way to know when another WP copy was going to come around.

    So I prepared to "go nuts" and bid somewhere in the high $15,000s -- hoping and praying that I was overshooting by a bunch and I'd win it for $12,500 but knowing that all it takes is one other person thinking the same thing and I would get a much more painful win.  And then, no joke, with about 8 seconds to go I just had this feeling that there was going to be someone willing to go to $16K.  So I bid $16,387.

    I won the book for $16,387 because sure enough, somebody bid $16,222.

    So -- had I lost, I would have been sitting there with no book and having helped set the market at $16K on this book and I would have been banging my head against the wall.  Since I won, I am sitting here with a book (that is a big deal, the adrenaline rush and the dopamine hit are real) but I also know I've overpaid.  I can console myself with a few thoughts ...

    • This is a real nice book and I am very happy to have it.
    • I'm going to sell my 9.4, hopefully quickly, and that will take some of the sting out of this if I can get a good price.
    • If I look at the (many many) books already in my collection, and the prices they are going for, I know in the big picture I'm doing fine even though I might have taken a bath on this one book.  Just to take a handful of books I was watching -- ASM #2 through #5 in 9.0 -- all four sold last night for a LOT more than I paid for my 9.0 copies.  That helps me cope with the pain of buying in the current market.
    • In the past, when I've paid what felt like way too much for a book, it usually didn't take long before I was actually thankful I got the book for what I paid.  There's some hope that I'll feel that way (eventually) about this book.  The Morbius movie sounds like it might be a good one, so maybe the character has more "legs" than I wanted to give it credit for.

    As for the books I lost:  Avengers #93, Avengers #94, and Captain America #118 -- all in 9.6 WP, and all of which sold for what I frankly consider to be crazy numbers, though I came in third place on the #93 and second place on the other two so I guess that makes me part of the insanity.  I don't know how to feel about any of this, but I'll get over it.  You're just catching me when it's all still very fresh and I figure what the hell, why not lay it all out here as a little snapshot of what I'm thinking at this moment in time.  I hope at least some of this sounds familiar to others who are trying to navigate this incredibly overheated market.

    Congrats Lou - that was my book! I only just saw this post, otherwise would have chimed in much earlier. I am SO happy it is going to you, into a collection like yours. As I was watching the auction end I was very curious as to where it would end up, and I can't say that about many of my sales :) Enjoy!

    Modern Star Wars Comics that are heating up

    in Modern Age Comic Books

    Posted

    On 2/24/2022 at 6:26 AM, awakeintheashes said:

    Wow. I just grabbed the last copy of HRA 2 from mine. Think I was the only one buying it. Every week since it was released I added a copy to my pile of books. That lack of demand also helped as they added a few of the RIs to my weekly box since nobody else wanted them. 

    I lucked out somehow, as I asked my LCS to order me 20x copies of HRA 2 two weeks ago. He gave it a shot, and - they arrived!  They actually arrived! At the time said LCS owner was surprised he could still order them. That's not the case anymore as of today.

    Silver age comics that are heating up

    in Silver Age Comic Books

    Posted

    On 2/16/2022 at 11:41 AM, GrasshopperFF said:

    I’ve taken the plunge and secured a 7 grade FF 48. Here’s to more to come!! The GPAnalysis info is a very good tool. Thanks for that info. Also: I purchased a smaller valued book from Dale Roberts Comics. Decent experience. Does anyone have experience with icomicexchange (ice)? I have not yet purchased, but the prices look reasonable. 
     

    Forgive the pic if it’s taboo here. Wanted to document the day!

    3E182120-30C3-4ADD-8803-A2E4C8EE9744.jpeg

    Congrats! ICE (icomicexchange) are simply the best to deal with. You are in great hands with Jay and the gang over there. PM me if you want more detailed reference. All the best in growing the collection!

    Real Clue Crime Stories #1 and #7 (1947/1948) - Well loved readers looking for a new home...

    in Golden/Silver/Bronze Age Only

    Posted

    Real Clue Crime Stories #1 and #7

    Offering up two well loved PR/FA copies of Real Clue Comics #1 and #7. Just want these to go to someone who can enjoy them as readers, fillers, or just to have a couple of GA Crime treats around to keep you warm.

    $25 shipped anywhere in the United States, and an extra $10.00 shipping to Canada. US buyers will receive them shipped within the US, Canadian buyers within Canada - no customs or duties to worry about on either side of the border. I'm happy to ship overseas so please inquire.

    14 day returns (Buyer pays return shipping). Paypal or e-transfer.

    :takeit:in the thread trumps all PMs. Thanks for looking.

     

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