DC#

Another expert may chime in here but sources I have read here and on other platforms have shown that roughly 10-15% of the total published volume in 1979 were direct. But because of the non-returnable nature of direct, the survival rate of ASM 194 is more like a 30-40% direct and 60-70% Newsstand. If true - not sure you could really say direct is really that much more rare. But there is also no way a newstand deserves a premium for a 1979 ASM 194

No doubt. Looking at full picture in GPA is very helpful while pursuing specific books. Wondering aloud here without actually going back through the CL data I have compiled for nearly two years now - have the Clink auction results actually been a leading indicator? Have they proceeded the declines that then show up in the month(s) that followed on EBay, etc? Especially in the average silver, bronze, copper and modern books. And if that is the case, will they continue as leading indicator if prices turn? I wasn’t watching closely during the boom days to know how out in front Clink might have been vs other GPA contributors

Here is a recap of Session 1 of the ComicLink auction. Given that so many of these books don't change hands that often - I altered my recap to look at comparison vs 12 Mos Avg (and still most books don't have sales) as well as peak sale. As others have stated, might be hard to draw conclusions about overall state of market given the rarity of some of the items. Anyway.....hope you find it interesting.

Just to compare - the first copy below sold on Clink on 7/24 for $5100 which is in the zone for most of those GPA sales. The second is the $7200 Clink sale from 9/1. The 9/1 copy does have a slightly better wrap (and I mean a very slight) in looking at the top of the 7/24 copy. And there is that CVA stamp….. At least two people thought there was enough difference to support a +40% premium. And forgot that there were two more 9.8s in this Clink auction that closed on 8/29 - one WP at $4600 and one OW/WP with double cover that went for $4847.

And another from Clink. But $24k lower than the recent CC sale.

Also take New Teen Titans #29 VF/NM New Teen Titans #36 NM- New Teen Titans #49 NM- New Teen Titans #52 NM- New Teen Titans Annual #1 VF/NM

Here are 7.5 sales since April 2022. Aug 2023 still a bit behind Aug 2022 but perhaps first half of 2023 was the trough. Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 - $450k April 2022. Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 - $270k in June 2022 (Clink). Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 - $210k June 2022 (Heritage) Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 = $198k August 2022 (heritage) Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 - $117k March 2023 (Heritage) Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 - $122k June 2023 (Goldin) Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 - $170.8k Jul 2023 (Hakes) Amazing Fantasy #15 7.5 - $175k Aug 2023 (Clink)

Take: Captain America 285, Annual 7 Spectacular Spider-Man 19 West Coast Avengers 47 Dark Knight Strikes Again 1-3 Set

Two more from August Comic Connect auction.

Not a typo and I am aware of the totality of their purchase. My point, based on several friends that work in the world of private equity, is that Blackstone did some analysis of the markets in which CGC operates including comic books, cards, coins, etc. I am sure that analysis went a little deeper by market based on revenue mix for CGC and likely also sized overall collectibles market both domestic and international. They need to know where the growth is, what businesses they should push the operational teams to exit or revamp, and which portions of the business they could combine with other assets they own or could purchase at a later time. Their analysis could have very well told them that they needed to exit comic books because it is too labor, cost, or resource intensive (lower margins) and/or that the market sizing revealed it was in a secular decline. Doesn't seem to be the case but only they know. And Hello Sunshine purchase was part of Blackstone's on-going investment in Candle Media which has been acquiring multiple media assets including the widely successful CocoMelon franchise. They way overpaid for Sunshine.

It would be really interesting to see the market analysis Blackstone used in their purchase of CGC. Granted, private equity rarely is concerned with the really long game but would still be interesting to see what their thesis of collecting and the comic market was. I really appreciate the dealer POV on current demos that are buying at shows/LCS. I still feel there is a sizable 40s and under crowd when I am at shows. And though I appreciate the medium is driven by younger people, almost all of the YouTubers (and IGers) focused on creating comic collecting content are pretty young (Comic Tom, Swagglehaus, Mint Hunter, Automatic Comics, Very Gary, Comic Book Investments, Bry, Lunch Money, Longbox Love Affair, Golden Age Guru, etc). I think the sports card market probably has an even more dynamic pop of younger participants. Watched some videos from the National and there were young people and kids seemingly everywhere.

Just finished my first sale on Collectors Comics of a nice SA Spidey. Very pleased - book met 12 month and 90 day average (and matched prior sale). And then no seller fee to boot…for now. I suspect I am net +$400 better than I would have been selling on other platforms based on my recent results

Comiclink continues to confound (even putting aside recent tech issues)...here are two copies of Star Wars #1 9.8 WP. One closed on 7/27 for $3,168 (which was before the tech issues and is about $500 lower than 90 day noting there are two August sales of $3300 and $2994) while the other closed on 8/9 for $4,025 (which is the highest sale since early May). I will let you pick which one is which.......

I would if I could. The 2019 data no longer exists in GPA in their topline summary - to do it would require manually calculating the avg for all sales in all grades I happen to look at from CL. Anything older than 2021 only shows high and low at this point. Starting Jan 2024 we will lose the 2021 avg as well Here is a screen cap of UF #4. Where you can see available data.

Looks like they did not adjust the start date of the next auction on 8/18 either. So this auction (excluding Certified Link) ends on 8/17 and then they roll straight into the next.

While we all await the restoration of ComicLink....here are results from Session 1 and 2 (?). I can't see the various sessions now but this covers everything before the Golden Age session.

Same - I processed my 7/24 wins on 7/25 and check cleared on 7/31.

I am still getting "want list" emails this morning so some part of their inventory system is still operational. Surprised they haven't sent out an email to their distro list with updates of what is going on.

one thing for sure - the head of IT is not having a relaxing night at home

I would just pull all lots that had not closed today when problem hit and move to a future auction while keeping all other lots starting tomorrow on schedule. Maybe eliminate seller commission for those lots that are being shifted to a future date as a make good to impacted sellers. Better to disrupt a few hundred lots than the next 10 days of lots

so a no MC CR/OW 3.5 went for $38.4k on Heritage tonight.

Here is the $43k book from Heritage this week. Definitely weaker than recent sales though some of those had MC too as I recall.

Hakes results tonight were pretty strong - here are two I just added to the six figure club thread. Record result for Spidey #1 and big rebound for AF 15 7.5 Tracking some of the Clink results which I will recap later

Went for $520k. Two more books for the list out of Hakes (which seemed surprisingly strong for a lot of books) AsM 1 9.6 for $520.4k AF 15 7.5 for $170.8k

@CGC Mike So I just received an order where I sent in a 2nd generation slab for a reholder. The reholder came back with significant scuffing across the front of the book. I tried to create mechanical error submission but when I input the certification number (which is the same cert number as the original slab and still shows the original Aug 2013 grade date in the system) I get the message that my holder was received more than 14 days ago when it was actually received 3 days ago. What’s the workaround on this one?