What is the most important issue from the year 1980?

[gernblanston]

Not the decade, just the year. Just curious.

[HouseofComics.Com]

Fun question. I'd love to see everybody's nominations but off the top of my head I'd have to say New Teen Titans #1 which was a huge success for DC and kind of got them back in the game. Price-wise it was a big hit, going from 50 cents to $15 a few years later.

 

The story was that Fanfare Comics and Cards speculated on 1000 copies and very quickly was able to sell them for $10 each, which financed them opening their first store. Fanfare is now a big original art dealer and still in business in Kalamazoo.

 

Marc

[gernblanston]

What about DC Comics Presents 26? The reason I brought this up is maybe there is a book out there that someday would be considered the birth of the copper age?

[HouseofComics.Com]

I still call it bronze until Crisis.

[gernblanston]

So, Crisis 1 would be a candidate for beginning of the Copper Age? What about the Watchmen series that is very influential.

[joe_collector]

X-Men 137 by far.

[HouseofComics.Com]

You can leave Crisis as the end of the Bronze and Watchmen as the start of Copper (Modern to me) if you like.

[valiantman]

X-Men 137 by far.

Most often submitted to CGC for 1980...

 

1980 - X-Men 137 - 1,339 submissions

1980 - Amazing Spider-Man 200 - 999 submissions

1980 - X-Men 140 - 946 submissions

1980 - X-Men 138 - 686 submissions

1980 - X-Men 129 - 684 submissions

 

(Top submissions for D.C., 15th, 16th, and 18th overall)

1980 - New Teen Titans 2 - 395 submissions

1980 - New Teen Titans 1 - 264 submissions

1980 - DC Comics Presents 26 - 221 submissions

[DrWatson]

X-Men 137 by far.

[joeypost]

X-Men 137 by far.

 

(thumbs u

[gernblanston]

X-Men 137 by far.

Most often submitted to CGC for 1980...

 

1980 - X-Men 137 - 1,339 submissions

1980 - Amazing Spider-Man 200 - 999 submissions

1980 - X-Men 140 - 946 submissions

1980 - X-Men 138 - 686 submissions

1980 - X-Men 129 - 684 submissions

 

(Top submissions for D.C., 15th, 16th, and 18th overall)

1980 - New Teen Titans 2 - 395 submissions

1980 - New Teen Titans 1 - 264 submissions

1980 - DC Comics Presents 26 - 221 submissions

 

Of those listed, the Big Kahuna of 1980 would be X-Men 129 according to the guide at $60. X-Men 130 also could have some significance as the first Dazzler appearance with the same guide as X-Men 137 at $45. DC Comics Presents 26 comes in at $40. It seems that there should be a more expensive 1980 book out there though.

[DocGo]

Was there a single book that marked the beginning of the Silver & Bronze ages or was it a slew of books? Some of this discussion was touched on in the Copper Age Keys thread. I've always assumed it was a bunch of comics that surfaced around the same year or two for each of the ages.

[gernblanston]

I have a theory that over time collectors will begin to focus on just one book and raise it up to glory, but that could take 30 years from now. I am sure there will be dissent, but I believe that a concensus might emerge, which I think is just now happening in the bronze age with GL 76 (with Marvel dissenters).

[MutantKeys]

X-Men 137 by far.

[joe_collector]

but I believe that a concensus might emerge, which I think is just now happening in the bronze age with GL 76 (with Marvel dissenters).

 

 

Any discussion I've seen has listed Conan 1 right at the top of the list. GL/GA 76 had virtually nothing to do with the Marvel BA, which is 95% of the important stuff in the 70's.

[Sal]

but I believe that a concensus might emerge, which I think is just now happening in the bronze age with GL 76 (with Marvel dissenters).

 

 

Any discussion I've seen has listed Conan 1 right at the top of the list. GL/GA 76 had virtually nothing to do with the Marvel BA, which is 95% of the important stuff in the 70's.

 

right. the value of a book isn't the determining factor when talking about an "age" beginning, and Conan 1 is clearly more a defining point than GL/GA 76, which is more of a reaction than a beginning imho

[gernblanston]

but I believe that a concensus might emerge, which I think is just now happening in the bronze age with GL 76 (with Marvel dissenters).

 

 

Any discussion I've seen has listed Conan 1 right at the top of the list. GL/GA 76 had virtually nothing to do with the Marvel BA, which is 95% of the important stuff in the 70's.

 

I would disagree with that as there is an impetus to the price collectors are willing to pay, and so I wouldn't use such absolutes. I just sold a Conan 1 CGC 9.4 for just under $550. The GL 76 9.4 last traded at $8,300 or so; even if you argue that is a temporary situation, it will not go to the Conan 1 level. There are a lot of collectors out there willng to pay a lot more for the "less defining" GL 76. I guess they just don't get it, but my theory is that they are saying it is the influential book of the era regardless of publisher.

[joe_collector]

right. the value of a book isn't the determining factor when talking about an "age" beginning, and Conan 1 is clearly more a defining point than GL/GA 76

 

Actually, I believe that the valuation of the BA, CA and MA issues is just the opposite, and because Conan #1 was such a massive event, that speculators bought cases and regular collectors took care of their copies.

 

[joe_collector]

I just sold a Conan 1 CGC 9.4 for just under $550. The GL 76 9.4 last traded at $8,300 or so

 

You really can't be this dense, can you?

 

To get a clue, just look at the Census, and then, try to understand that Conan #1 was THE Comic Event of the 70's, and people were buying multiples, cases, etc. and therefore its intense popularity translated into a much larger high-grade supply.

 

And I guarantee that if Conan #1 had similar Census numbers to GL/GA 76, that it would sell for multiples ABOVE the DC book. No question about it.

 

Seriously, to equate valuation with importance on BA books is the height of stupidity.

[joe_collector]

Just so people can really understand what's going on here, this is the high-grade breakdown of the two issues in the CGC Census:

 

Conan #1:

 

CGC 9.8 - 8 copies

CGC 9.6 - 50 copies

CGC 9.4 - 133 copies

 

Green Lantern/Green Arrow 76:

 

CGC 9.8 - 0 copies

CGC 9.6 - 1 copies

CGC 9.4 - 9 copies

 

I'd say "do the math", but even a squirrel could get those numbers.