da.amazing.spiderman

I personally sent this copy of Amazing Fantasy #15 to CGC for grading back in 2004. I recall buying this puppy sometime during the 80's for less than $500. Even back then, I absolutely refused to procure any early Silver Age books with Marvel Chipping (which is my #1 pet peeve when it comes to buying comics)

G.A.tor is playing in the BIG LEAGUES with his photos in this group shot thread. His stash is just AMAZING...FANTASTIC...INCREDIBLE!!! The rest of us small time players will hoard / make a bet on the Tier 2 stuff (like X-Men #10) and "hope" that we're betting on the right horse and that our investment pays off in the future.

Hmmm.... The auction results from Comic Link today (December 2, 2020) could mean nothing...or maybe it's a strong indication that The Incredible Hulk #1 is now in a dog fight with Fantastic Four #1 for the position as the SECOND most coveted Silver Age book behind Amazing Fantasy #15. I find it interesting that The Incredible Hulk #1 (CGC 7.0 ; Cream to Off-White Pages ; No Marvel Chipping) ended with a hammer price of $46,000. Note that GoCollect shows the value of this item in CGC 7.0 as $43,000. In comparison, Fantastic Four #1 (CGC 7.0 ; Off-White Pages ; No Marvel Chipping) ended with a hammer price of $48,111. Note that GoCollect shows the value of this item in CGC 7.0 as $39,000. In summary, the final auction price of the FF #1 (CGC 7.0) and the equivalent Hulk #1 (CGC 7.0) both ended at almost the same hammer price. Is this a fluke or is FF #1 catching up to (or dare I say overtaking) the second most coveted Silver Age spot from Hulk #1?

My mid-grade Daredevil #1 (CGC 7.0 ; OW/W Pages)

My mid-grade X-Men #1 (CGC 6.0 ; OW/W Pages)

1 of 5 in CGC 9.8. JMHO, but I believe this puppy has a lot of "potential" in the near future.

Okay, I'll play. It's not very often this thread "Astonishing Tales Club" is active with participants. My graded copies of Astonishing Tales #12 (1st comic book appearance of Man-Thing).

I'll take... 1) Creatures on the Loose #30 2) Dead of Night #11

I'll take it. Fantastic Four #120 (CGC 9.6 ; OW/W Pages).

Hmmmm... Drummy and I must think alike since we have the same (4) puppy's to show. I'm happy with all of my books, but Drummy does outshine me at every turn. All of his books are exactly half a CGC grade point higher and exactly one notch higher in page quality than mine. As the old saying goes, "There's always someone with better toys" :-)

Marvel Tails #1

X-Men #129

JMHO...So please no flaming. Now, it's almost an absolute certainty that Galactus and the Silver Surfer will be a major factor in the MCU in the years to come. Furthermore, there are many of us who believe / speculate that Disney has plans to involve MORE than just (1) of Galactus Heralds in the MCU. Ask yourself this. Why should Disney bring just (1) of Galactus heralds to the big screen when there are so many outstanding / cool Heralds in the Marvel Universe??? In particular, the Silver Surfer (Fantastic Four #48), Firelord (Thor #225), and Terrax (FF #211) are currently the most likely candidates / heralds to be brought to the MCU. Needless to say, of these (3) books I've mentioned, FF #211 is the bargain / lowest priced item in CGC 9.8.

Tales of Suspense #52

Excellent Silver Age Hierarchy poll conducted by 1koko +/-2 years ago of the "Premiere Silver Age Keys". I think he does this poll once every (5) years. Remember, this poll was taken in mid-2016 when all of the Fantastic Four books were pretty much dead. Yet, even in 2016 when no one was interested in the Fantastic Four books, FF #1 was still able to place in the #2 spot (just behind Amazing Fantasy #15). Just thought I'd bring this list to your attention.

"Heck, I'll go further and state that I would be concerned if AF #15 wasn't leading this comic bull market. If your "General" isn't leading the charge, then something is definitely wrong." My exact sentiments. Above is a sentence / quote from my 1st post on these CGC boards about a year ago. ___________ Normally, I'm just a lurker and prefer to keep my opinions to myself.However, this talk of a "bubble" in the comic market and the concerns over the pricing of AF #15 has me itching to add my two cents to this discussion.Okay, though some of you might disagree, I've lived long enough to learn (the hard way) that the (4) most detrimental words to your wealth that those in power (Your Banker, Your Broker, Your Politician, Your Realtor, Your Mortgage Company, Your Government) want you to believe are these..."This Time it's Different"Gang...It's NEVER different. The bigger the boom...The bigger the bust!!!I have no doubt that if we continue on our current trajectory of price escalation, the comic market will eventually tank / bust.However, let's not let fear of the possible market bust prevent us from enjoying this bull ride while our beloved comic market is kicking . So, if we don't allow fear to control our decision, but instead utilize logic, then there are (2) important questions you should be asking yourself.1) Why has the comic market gone ballistic???2) How far / where are we in this bull market comic cycle??? Perhaps more importantly to this AF #15 board, should I be concerned about the dramatic price escalation of AF #15 across all grades.The answer to the first question (why has the comic market gone ballistic) is very simple. It's called a paradigm shift. Whenever and wherever a paradigm shift occurs (doesn't matter what industry or market), a great amount of money can be made and / or lost (depending on your point of entrance and exit).Now, if you look up the word paradigm shift in the dictionary, you'll more or less see the following definition...- A radical change in the underlying beliefs or theory.I know I'm preaching to the choir, but this is exactly what has happened to the comic industry. Gang, the comic industry is "cool". We are "it" with the X, Y, and Z generation. Not only in the US and Canada, but the comic industry and it's characters are "da bomb" across the entire globe.Collecting comics is no longer only for the introverts and the nerds, but it's growing exponentially with each and every Marvel movie that's being produced. Please...please...please...point out to me another collectible market (coins, stamps, cards, painting, cars, etc.) that is "cool", "It", "Da Bomb" which has experienced the fantastic ballistic growth our comic industry has seen the past few years. There are none. There never has been anything like this in any of the collectible markets. Period!!!Here in the Central Valley of California, we have small Mickey Mouse towns that are embracing this paradigm shift by holding Comic Cons that draws 5,000 to 10,000 or more people per day. Ten years ago, you'd be lucky to have more attendees than dealers at these shows.Now, for the 2nd part - Where are we in this comic bull market and should we be concerned about the recent dramatic / continued price increase of AF #15? The answer is "NO" short term and "YES" long term only...IF...IF...certain other events occur in the next few years. Why do I say "NO" short term, because it doesn't matter if we're talking about stocks, bonds, houses, collectibles, etc. What's ALWAYS...ALWAYS...true is that the most desirable, most coveted, most wanted item in that field / industry will lead the charge and provide the highest return on your investment. It goes without saying that I've just described AF #15. In other words, DO NOT be concerned that AF #15 is spearheading this bull market and pulling away from the rest of the comic pack. This is the way ALL...ALL...bull markets work. Heck, I'll go further and state that I would be concerned if AF #15 wasn't leading this comic bull market. If your "General" isn't leading the charge, then something is definitely wrong. Those of you that always complain about the "supply" side of AF #15 continue to miss the bigger picture and must have slept thru Economics 101. The "demand" for this book from buyers (which includes collectors, dealers, investors, institutions, etc) is just overwhelming. There isn't one single person out there reading this that doesn't want to own a copy of AF #15. At least AF #15 is "relatively" attainable for most buyers. Unlike Action #1 or Detective #27. Even if you have the funds, there is virtually "0" supply of these (2) Golden Age grails to go around. Finally, when is the bust (bear market) going to occur?Yes, I also definitely have a strong opinion to this question. However, because I've babbled long enough, I'll go back to being a lurker and wish everyone the best of luck!!!See ya.

It's amazing how fast the market moves and perceptions change. About 2 years ago, I had this solid mid-grade copy of FF #1 (CGC 6.0 ; OW/W Pages ; No Marvel Chipping) listed on Ebay with an asking price of $13,500. Of course, everyone was looking for a "better deal" and didn't want to pay the retail price for this landmark book. The best offer I received was $10K. Needless to say, I got lucky that no one stepped up to the plate and paid my asking price. I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure this puppy has just about doubled in price from 2 years ago.

Marvel Spotlight #22

Doorway to Nightmare #1 (CGC 9.8) I'll take it!