Colin Nash

Hi Everyone, I'm in a bit of a quandary. I have come into a bit of cash to spend on something Silver Age that I've long wanted. If anyone can give me some advise it would be greaty appreciated. So here it is. Should I buy a CGC high grade Amazing Spiderman #50 or, an Amazing Spiderman #3 in grade 5.5 for the same money ? Only have enough to buy one. What would you recommend. Thanks, Colin

Thank you Leo-man Much appreciated and I will defintely look them up. Colin

Hi Everyone, I'm visiting Chicago from the UK for the first time this May. Can anyone recommend some 'must visit' comic shops ? My main interest is Silver Age and Bronze Age. Thanks, Colin

I have seen and heard a lot about the slow turn around times at CGC and for many of us, its not how things used to be. CGC clearly have too much work post Covid and taking on more people in such a specialised and customer sensitive business can't be easy. I would however, say that there are certain people out there who don't help the situation at all by sending in 20, 30, 50, comics at a time and then, complain about the quality of service and grades they get. Just browse Youtube and you will see them sitting next to huge piles of their newly returned submissions. eg. Comic Book Investments Mint Hunter Comics If you scale this up across the market, no wonder it takes so long for CGC to process the submissions. People such as these, are hogging the process and clogging the CGC system to the detrement of other users. My answer to them is, be more responsible and stop submitting 100's of comics to CGC. You just might bring about a better and quicker service for everyone ?

I have seen a fair bit online about an alarming current trend whereby, CGC comics are arriving back with badly cracked or shattered holders. Careless handling and packaging at CGC is blamed. Can you please advise what is going on with the Quality Control at CGC ? We all need continued confindence in your services and we need answers. Colin

Two simple questions which I've not found in CGC/CCS database. 1. Do CCS put comics in a humidity bath before pressing as part of their routine service? 2. If so, is this done for all tiers of their pressing service? Thanks, Colin

Thanks to everyone who has responded so far. Very much appreciated and its been really helpful to hear the views and opinions of other collectors. Colin

I'm not a grader but, not a novice, and tell you my experience with submitting a vintage comic for CGC grading. I sent in a FF#48 for pressing and grading. From comparison with other similar comics I had submitted it was a definite 5.5. No detached centre fold at all. After pressing and grading it came back 4.5. Grader notes said it had the top staple detached on the centre fold? This gives you an idea of how a detachment can affect the grade. Unfortunately in my case, the fragility of the comic didn't stand up to the pressing process.

You tend to see alot of graded Silver Age/Bronze Age Comics with off-centre covers. In some issues (eg. ASM #129, Werewolf BN #32) it's quite common and extreme with a visible white strip along the spine edge. Although this may be visually not ideal, it does not affect the grade until you get up around a 9.8. Until now I've tried to buy graded comics that have little or no, off-centred covers. It tends to limit my options though. Like when going after a comic in a grade I've been waiting for. I wonder what others would do ? Should I be concerned ? Will a FF grade 8.5 key issue with a missing, or partially visible, 'M' or 'Heads' in the Marvel box on the left hand side be less desirable and sellable than one where its not ? Looking for some more experienced advice here guys. Thanks Colin

Thanks for all the great feedback. I read them all. An amazing study by Pantodude. From what I've read, it looks like there's no hard market evidence for WP comics selling for significantly more. Maybe its there in part but, no one has crunched enough numbers yet ? I feel that if you're lucky enough to find something you really want with WP and the overall quality stacks up, then buy it. BUT don't pay tooooo much. I always keep an eye out for them. They're scarce in SA keys. Its also clear that the sale price of a WP comic is affected by a multitude of factors all converging on the day of sale. Sometimes it sells for more sometimes it doesn't. It depends on who's bidding I suppose. From an appearance point of view, I"ve found the front covers on OW/W often look as good as WP ones. Its the back cover that can show the difference. So, maybe this is another reason why we see similar sales prices?..not sure. Thanks again, Colin

I think this subject may have been touched on many years ago. However, with the current trend of buying any key issue at any price, no matter what it is. I wonder if these new buyers consider the page quality when putting their money down. For example, I have seen CGC grade 6.5 to 7.5 for an Avengers #1 white pages, X-Men #4 white pages out there. Would I expect to pay a premium on these and how much more than say, o/w; ow; cr/ow equivalent ? Opinion seems to have been divided in the past. Comments appreciated, Colin

I've just purchased a CGC Silver Age key. However, the cert number is not recognised and I'm unable to obtain the graders notes. Avengers #1 cgc 6.5 (number 0071105003) Can you help? Colin

Can anyone advise on any good places to buy Silver Age graded comics. I know and have used, the usual places like, Comiclink, Comicconnect, Mycomicshop, Ebay, BUT are there others that may be under the radar ? I've even looked at Heritage which have some excellent items but, with a 20% buyers premium to pay, it just doesn't stack up. I'm trying to build some diversity into where I buy. If I can't find it here, go there and so on. I have found that Mycomicshop are generally overpriced on key issues. Too many consignment items, it seems. Comiclink is just a dogfight to win anything, unless you're willing to spend BIG and are blessed with the fastest broadband link on the planet. For me living in UK, success has always been rare here where the US auctions end at 3 or 4am GMT. Anyway, I'm not affraid to pay good at money for what I really want but, not to walk away feeling as if my pockets been picked or, I've been in the ring with Mike Tyson !! Your feedback would be invaluable.

I have a Silver Age comic with a GGC holder that is scuffed and should be changed. It also has a QES label Would the QES certification be invalidated if I got the comic reholdered ?

I returned to comic collecting 18 months ago. I started by collecting some slabbed Silver Age comics, an age which has always been dear to me. However, I find I can no longer compete with the crazy bids that are now being placed in auctions like Comiclink.com. Last month, Jan 2021, I annoyingly missed out on an X-Men #4 cgc 7.0 due to computer lag on my laptop. Think it went for $2500, thats up $600 from Dec 2020. Ok I thought, thats life, I'll try again next time. To my horror, the current bid in the Comiclink February auction for the same comic is a staggering $3710 !! (The auction still has 3 days to run). This now seems to be the norm on Silver Age major keys. A crazy time to be buying comics? I think there are General Investors, and not, Comic Collectors, out there throwing money at any Collectable they can get their hands on. Should I still buy in this crazy environment, or should I sit it out for a couple of years in the hope things level themselves out? Even then, what prices will they be selling for?

I suppose we have all noticed that buying and selling comics has changed forever. Since May 2020 we have never seen comics rocket in price to such stratospheric levels. Its not just vintage keys and the like, demand for anything new has seen comics like Starwars High Republic variants sell out within 1hr of going online.. This time last year we lived in a steady reliable comic market. A time to remember. Now its panic buying and selling at the highest prices in history. Auctions are still revealing even further growth such as 30% since December 2020. Thats just in 2 months !? This is on top of the 50%, or more, they gained in the previous 6 months. When will it end ? Must it end? I think comic investors at this time who pay such high prices to obtain a key issues will have to wait a number of years to realise any substantial profit. When you buy high you have to hope the market continues to grow rapidly, or be very patient over a number of years. Can the comic market continue to sustain this sort of growth and will prices and demand level out? If not, many comics will become the domain of the wealthy. What a sad enditement for thousands of comic collectors ambitions and aspirations.

Thank you for all the discussion content (Yep, I've read them all). Much appreciated. It seems there far more market forces at work here than just Stimulus money. It looks to have played only a small part in the overall picture, if any Covid has definitely changed the way alot of collectors go about buy comics. Internet browesing and buying has increased across all kinds markets across the world. A shift in our normal habits, I think. Colin

Will the new stimulus payout add another nail in the coffin of the vintage comic collector? The last stimulus hand out saw prices rocket on key issues taking them beyond the budgets of many serious collectors. What will happen this time ? We saw ASM#300 skyrocket in just a few weeks last time. Now with $2000 to spend the pressure on the vintage comic market will surley rise and push prices to even more unsustainable and unaffordable levels. Your thoughts would be both enlightening and appreciated. Colin

Please flood the market with them so the graded issue price comes down and I can finally afford to buy one ??

I am a fan of this exciting artist. I looked through my 2019-2020 comics and I find there are many Dell Otto issues there. I find he's been doing a lot of dark/moody covers (eg. Spiderman, Venom, Silver Surfer). I would love to see what happens if he decides to lighten it up a bit in the near future. I'm sure it would be incredible.

Hi can anyone tell me what is the recognised first full appearance of Spiderman in a black costume. ASM #252 or Secret Wars #8 ?

I put my question about the unexplained hike in ASM #300 prices on the Modern Age section by mistake. (ref. ASM#300 Hype) Anyway, someone put me right and I can see there's alot of people as mystified as I am about it on the Copper Age forum. Someone falls in love with the cover (and it is good) plus the 1st Venom angle and throws silly money at it and it suddenly trends up to a rediculous price like $3400. For a moment I thought Todd MacFarlane had died or something ?? I don't own a copy, but wouldn't bother until common sense comes back into fashion. Can anyone claim to understand the comics market with this sort of thing going on, I wonder. Colin

Would love to hear anyone's opinions about the current crazy price rise in ASM #300. Yes its a key modern issue which, could have been bought just a few months ago for $2000 for a 9.8. There are over a 1000 of them out there, 9.6's over 3000, 9.4's over 3500. With a 9.8 historically being the one to own, its $2000 price has prevailed for sometime and one which, I considered to be a good reflection of its true value. The price has just gone through the roof. Yes, a second Venom movie is arriving but probably won't be released for many, many months under Covid-19 restrictions. Can this be the true reason ? This comic has never been under the radar and cannot have suddenly become a "must have it now" candidate. What the hell is going on ? Any prospective seller sitting on his 9.8 needs to consider this: "Are there enough buyers out there willing to now pay big bucks for my comic when there are so many of them out there?" Can we please get our feet back on the ground ? Colin

The comic looks in fine condition overall. Can't see any adverse defects or marks on the cover, but the back has a few small faint stains/grubbiness near the top possibly due to some previous foxing ? Otherwise a tidy sharp cornered and edged copy. I did obtain the grading notes and they were silent on the "flatness" of the comic. The waviness isn't excessive but noticeable. I'm going on the Overstreet grading guide book which says, an 8.5 should be "nearly flat". I'm not sure what that looks like in reality, but I assume it doesn't mean wavy ? Anyway, I've attached some picks. Blue dots are high areas and red dots low areas.

Thanks KCO, you may have hit the nail on the head. It may not have been pressed at all. Something I hadn't even considered. Your right about the passage of time though, its freaky. Colin