Jesse-Lee

I do think it's worth it for me - but to be clear, I don't own a ton of slabbed books or anything. There were a few key books that I really wanted, and for me, since I buy a lot online, it was worth it to have a copy that I knew was a 9.4 since it was graded instead of taking a chance on a raw copy. There are a lot of books that I've found where the slabbed price isn't really all that much more than the raw price when you consider the costs of grading, etc. And with a slabbed copy I feel like at least I know what I'm getting vs a raw copy listed as "NM" that looks more like an 8.0 once you receive it.

Like a lot of this hobby, and like you said, it depends on a lot of factors and variables - your goal, your collection philosophy, your budget, etc. As someone who "collected" comics as a kid in the 80s and early 90s (I use quotes because really I just bought to read, and a lot of the books I bought back then are either gone or super low grade) and then got back in recently (within the last few months), here's my outlook. I've been buying books on a few different criteria: raw books that I used to have and want again in as high a grade as I can accept and afford; books (raw or graded) that I always wanted, again in as high a grade as I can accept and afford; and "blue chip" books - books that are universally sought after, typically in the bronze/copper age because that's what I lean toward, that should continue to perform well because their status as a collectible is fairly cemented. These books are the ones I buy graded, and again, an intersection of affordability and grade is what I look for. Personally, I don't chase 9.8s. A lot of people probably disagree with this, but I've looked at a lot of book trends, and I've noticed a pattern of books in the 9.2-9.6 range (and in some cases, lower) that are high performers, in that the percent gain on upward price mobility often outstrips that of a 9.8 on the same book. Meaning, in the same time a $1,000 9.8 sees a 20% increase to $1,200, the same book in a 9.4 at $200 might increase to $300, which is a 50% increase - these are hypothetical numbers of course and are an extreme example, but you can find real examples of this in a lot of books. Obviously there are advantages to 9.8s - owning what is practically the "top grade" in a book, relative scarcity, the ability to potentially set the top end of the market. However, if you're seeing a disparity in percentage increases, it allows you to diversify across titles - you could buy 5 $200 9.4 books for the same price as 1 $1,000 9.8 book, for example. To me that means if one title tanks for some reason, you're potentially protected by not having all your eggs in one basket. I also try to find deals below current Fair Market Values whenever possible in order to make my dollar go farther. Not through nefarious means, but just through targeting a couple of specific titles at a time and really watching sales on the auctions, eBay, etc. to hunt the best deal and find under-priced anomalies. So far the only graded book I've paid above FMV for is Amazing Spider-Man 300, and the upward movement of that book has been so fast-paced that the current FMV already adjusted to be greater than my purchase price, and I bought in only a few weeks ago. I'm not saying my way is better than anyone's, and I'm sure many seasoned collectors here could probably argue against what I'm saying and poke holes in my reasoning. But so far it's worked for me and I've bought a number of CGC graded books in what I consider really nice grades that I'm proud to own, potentially display, and that should show gains or at least get me my money back if I ever decided to sell. When I started a couple of months ago though, I tried to limp into the hobby with a really low budget and high expectations, and in doing that, you may find yourself unsatisfied or under-equipped. I'm sure if you looked at my earliest posts here you'd see I made a lot of mistakes and had a lot of bad preconceived notions at first. Since then I changed my philosophy, studied, and diverted investment dollars from some other areas I had money in (I'm a long-time domain name trader for example, and I sold off a few of those recently to re-invest in comics). At the end if the day, like a lot of things I like to invest in or collect, I typically only buy/collect what I personally like, but with an eye toward also protecting myself from losing out. I also love the quality of a nice encapsulated book, especially when it's something I've always admired or have some kind of memory/experience tied to it. Sorry, this was a longer post than I intended, but hopefully it helps in some way. And good luck on the journey!

Two of these left at a nearby LCS today. I grabbed the nicest of the two for cover price - looks 9.8 to me, which means it's probably 9.4-9.6. Looks like it's already selling on eBay for around $20, with new listings between $20-$30. If I'd realized that I would have just grabbed them both, but at least someone else can get a good find. (Not my scan):

A 9.6 went for an astounding $2,550 with 47 bids - that's a bit of an anomaly most likely due to the fact that it's a 9.6 in a really old CGC slab, so the winner is surely hoping to press and regrade into a 9.8. But it's amazing to look at sales in all grades and how this still continues to climb - not just in Buy It Now sales, but in auctions with a high number of bids.

Shared this in the "New in your collection" thread, but I thought people might like to see it here too - these are some really cool books. I've wanted that Son of the Demon LTD edition for a while, and I got an amazing deal on these in really nice condition! Batman: Son of the Demon 1st print Limited Edition, signed by Mike Barr and Jerry Bingham, numbered 535 of 1,700. First appearance of Damian Wayne? And Batman: Bride of the Demon 1st print hardcover, still sealed.

Yeah, that surprised me too because it really was hyped, but I just loved the Ross cover a lot. I think it seems pretty clear cut though, he's got about 4-pages of book time and he's named in it too...

Here's a recent personal example though - I just bought a three-cover package of Wolverine 6 (so the A,B and C covers issues of the same comic) for $8 + shipping, so like $12 total, three weeks ago on eBay. I just saw that same package sell for $28.50 today... But on the flip side, I have bought some higher-priced variants recently, but just because I absolutely loved the cover. I don't know, maybe I'm overthinking it.

This is kind of how I feel about modern comics - and tell me if I'm wrong - but it seems like you can pre-order stuff no problem for the most part. but then a year later or whatever you're looking at $5 cover issues going for hundreds... I guess maybe it's a little different because you have to have an inkling of what might get hot, but it's confusing to me to see some books skyrocket to like $600 or more when older (and many times, more relatively scarce, especially in high grade) books can be had for less.

Batman: Son of the Demon 1st print Limited Edition, signed by Mike Barr and Jerry Bingham, numbered 535 of 1,700. First appearance of Damian Wayne? And Batman: Bride of the Demon 1st print hardcover, still sealed.

Looks like they gave it a facelift, new format. Must have been down while they updated.

I actually just posted this comment last night on another thread (and I've made this comment before too): My preference on copper books is toward the newsstands, because the closest "comic specialty shop" for me in the 80s was an hour and a half away (and I was still a few years away from being able to drive), so my only option was to buy off the rack at the local drug store and grocery store. So I like buying comics now that represent what I mostly would have had the chance to buy back then. I think for now it boils down a lot to either personal preference or probably most likely opportunity - best copy for the price, regardless of newsstand or direct. Maybe at some point we'll see a real difference in actual cost/value but I don't know if we're there yet in most cases.

That's funny, I posted this in another thread: I think for now it boils down a lot to either personal preference or probably most likely opportunity - best copy for the price. Maybe at some point we'll see a difference in actual cost/value but I don't know if we're there yet.

They all look great, but this is such an eye-catching cover. Congrats!

What's your stance on the inverse - direct copies in a time when newsstands were the norm? I'm obviously talking about books before this one hit, say early 80s? Take Thor 337 as an example - key book, first appearance, and direct copies seem to be far more scarce than newsstand. Do you think there's a market advantage for people holding direct copies of that book or others like it from a time when newsstands made up a majority of the copies? Or do you see it as a "relative scarcity" of high grade books that were either mangled on spinner racks or destroyed if unsold?

Was happy to pick up a 9.2 from here on the boards recently (it's on its way home to me now) - mostly because I just want a copy of this book in my collection, but also partly because of the recent rumors/reports of Ryan Reynolds signing a massive deal in the MCU. I have zero plans to flip this book; it's a long-term hold for me because, like I said, I want it in my collection. But it'll be interesting to see if this news has any impact on the book.

Mr. Mxyzptlk and Dentist - Mr. Mxyzplaque

When you say "my most valuable comics" are we talking along the lines of Amazing Fantasy 15 or Peter Porker, Spider-Ham? It depends on a lot of variables.

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Do you think other early issues (beyond 2-4, 5 second print, 7 second print) will eventually see a bump in price? It's surprising to me to see #1s going for tens of thousands and other issues early in the run still going for less than $10 in a lot of cases.

Mine's just a lowly 8.5, but I bought to hold long-term. I paid $380 on Sept. 16 when it was on GoCollect at an FMV of $350, and since then GoCollect upped the FMV to $425, and it's been selling above that both before and after anyway. One exception on 9/28 - I saw that book listed at $100 starting bid, then it was taken down, and then it was sold at a $300 BIN, so someone obviously contacted the seller and got a deal. It's an old, red-label CGC and it was the only comic the seller had listed, so it was kind of an anomaly.

Ah, got it. I just find it a lot harder to trust raws these days when there's less availability to actually hold the book in your hands and inspect it (talking if you're doing a lot of buying on eBay for example), but I can see how that could be preferred too.

Current FMV on GSXM 1 iin a 9.8 s 5x that of a 9.0. I do understand the mindset of wanting to have the top grade - scarcity, it's the "best," the returns can be large as you can help set the market in some senses. But I don't feel like it's necessarily senseless to buy in at lower grades - isn't there also something to be said for diversification of assets? Meaning, if you can buy 5 different books with positive trends and desirability in a 9.0 for the same price as 1 book in a 9.8, it helps spread risk around in case one specific book would crash in value (obviously I don't think GSXM is going to crash, I'm speaking more generally).

In 2006 (32 years after the IH 181 came out), the value of a "NM" copy (so let's call it a 9.4) was $1,350. Now, 32 years after ASM 300 came out, 9.4 ASM 300s are approaching sales of $800. That same 9.4 IH today looks like it's sitting around $9,0000. I know scarcity and census and all of that has been talked to death, but there are also interesting parallels between these books (full introduction if a massively popular character for example), plus 300 has the extra distinction of an anniversary issue and one of the comic "game changing" artists (like him or not). I know people think this is a bubble, but I know I'd also have hated to miss out getting in on this book like I missed out getting in on IH 181...