Fantastic Four #48 - STILL a major key book?!?!

[jordanabigail]

I usually don't plunk down big cash for Silver books, but the ol Surfer has always been one of my all-time favorites and in the last couple of days I bought a CGC 9.4 FF 48!!

I remember at one point a number of years ago that this was THE book to own. Is it still seen as a major keeper, or are there other books that have eclipsed it?

 

Thoughts on this book?

 

Any chance it'll help pay for my daughter's college in 15 years?!?!?!?!?

[Kevin76]

FF 48 is very common in high grade...i have seen a few 9.8's out there,with all these comic book movies coming out,hope for a FF and/or silver surfer movie that are well made...I used to own a FF 48 in 9.4 like you,but i sold that,my buddy bought and later sold his 9.6. As far as paying for your daughter college in 15 years,i doubt. Maybe it'll pay for one semester at that time.My advice would be to sell this book,or if you can return it that would be good too,Invest in High grade ASM's 1-20,stay away from #19 though actually more like 1-15 in 9.4 or 9.6,or even some Mile High golden Age Books would be a great investment,but then again...how much is her college going to be in 15 years??

[comicartfan]

First, congrads on such a purchase !!! - I feel , and many people will agree (Blazing Bob is a big advocate of this point) that it is a common book compared to some other key books...even FF 49 & 50 are tougher....BUT...this is a HUGE book and will ALWAYS be in-demand for the serious collector. Kirby art at it's finest, and I feel that even though SS never really took off in terms of popularity like the Hulk or Spidey or even DD, the 18 issue run of SS is highly desirable and thus his first apperance is more so....and let's face it....in my opinion, there isn't a better cover that just screams "Silver Age !!" -- Like Action 1 or Detective 27, or AF 15, this is one of the all time great covers. -

[comicinvestor-migration]

Any chance it'll help pay for my daughter's college in 15 years?!?!?!?!?

 

Probably not, and I really, really hope you were joking about this.

[murph0]

As Shuley said above, the book is relatively common plus it was for a while a major $ increaser so every single copy seemed to come out of the woodwork for some time. I think it suffers the same as some other older keys will suffer, that although there aren't an unlimited supply..there are however enough to constantly keep the market somewhat saturated with the book. I'd also second Shuley's advice on low # ASM, but avoid the ones that are already pretty pricey..ASM 15 is a great buy right now.

 

Brian

[Hensley300]

From my observations ive seen numerous high grade FF 48's. Ive never seen a 9.8. I saw a 9.6 that went for a good bit though. You guys don't think the speculator market for a 9.8 would drive the final book cost through the roof though? Even maintain a ridiculous price even 15 years down the road? Just wondering.-

[lighthouse]

Congrats on the purchase...

 

As far as the book paying for your daughter's education, I can't imagine that being a great idea.

 

The fact is that it is far cheaper for your daughter in the long run if she pays for her own college education with student loans than for you to invest for it. In a choice between paying for her education with your disposable income of 2002 or her disposable income of 2027, it makes far more sense for her to pay for it. Her eventual net worth is substantially higher if you maintain your investments and bequeath them to her down the road than to pay for her college, since any investment will out-perform the interest on a student loan. Paying in advance for an education reduces a family's net worth. I know that statement isn't popular, but it's true.

 

As far as FF48 being a major key, it seems to be for those people who grew up with it. But there has not been a compelling Surfer story in 20 years, so I question whether it maintains its place in the pantheon. Surfer currently hangs with Aquaman, Hawkman, and Ka-Zar as 2nd tier characters that can't maintain interest in their titles.

 

That said, it is still a book that causes significant green-eyed envy from other collectors, and a lot of collectors will be rightly jealous that you have one and they don't. And you can count me among the envious "don't"s.

[jordanabigail]

I was joking

But maybe it'll pay for her 1st semester BOOKS!!!!!

 

 

[jordanabigail]

Obviously the ASM 1 book is out of my price range...but why do you think those books are the ones to own? Isn't the market for Spidey books basically at a peak right now? Why not focus on a title that doesn't get the respect but has some major heroes like the Avengers?

[Kevin76]

what you are seeing on ASM is nothing..Avengers suck...only thing good in Avengers is #1 and #4.If u don't have that kind of spidey cash then either an early Hulk 1-6 or a JIM 83 in 9.0 or better or even a X-Men 1-5 in 9.4 OW Pages or better,But Stick to Pre 1965 in 9.4 or better.Point is,stick to rare high grade popular Silver or Gold for the best potential.

 

P.S. Keep away from Daredevil

[g-man]

jeff,

nice pick up! good job! please do not listen to shuley. if only we could all not listen or read what he has to say. He comes across like whatever he says must be true or else. Like a barkin dog, eventually it will stop and with any luck (please God) just go away.

G

[Bronty]

My two cents is that now is a real tough time even to invest in the blue chips. Crash or no crash, there is enough instability and uncertainty in the comic market right now to make this a very risky time... Will low # ASMs go up? Maybe, maybe not - they are already extremely pricey and Marvel in general and Spidey in particular are on an unprecedented run that cannot last... The time to buy low # high grade Spideys was three years ago.

 

High grade key golden age has always gone up (so far), but hands up who has the $100K to risk on a comic? Not me. This is serious BSD territory, and average condition or average content golden age is NOT going to outperform.

 

My bet? "Penny stocks." Good moderns that will be classic books 15 years from now with great content and therefore some potential. Raw low # Preachers (etc.) in 9.6/9.8 for the $5 a pop it'll cost you at a show. Etc. Stuff like this is the only sure bet of not losing your shirt right now.

 

The bottom line is I think it's more a time to watch out for bargains while waiting to see how the current market plays itself out because right now, it's anybody's guess.

[jimjum12]

don't disregard the 8.5-9.2 range completely.if you have a good eye there are many examples of slabbed books that are obviously much nicer than their assigned grade.tho not a key by any means, i picked up an F.F. 73 in 8.0 that is every bit as nice as most of the 9.2's i've seen.i've seen quite a few 6.0 & 6.5 copies that could easily be represented as VF( a 50% capital gain).as far as your daughter's college,a loan from your 401K is one way.heck,you might be able to persuade her to become a comic book dealer...then she won't need college.in any event,i wouldn't bank too hard on books that are perceived as "under valued".most of those books have been that way for years because the are also(ahem) under desired.it sure would be nice to find a reasonable avengers # 3 or # 5 in 9.4.i believe the # 3 is an early(1st ?) hulk with the ripped pants and "the attitude".

may GOD bless you and your family...

-jimbo(a friend of jesus)

[comicartfan]

I hadn't paid attention to the part of your post regarding the college tuition part of buying the FF 48...I was too envious of the purchase ...drooling over the book. I agree with everyone here that said it probably won't help with her tuition. The way to do that is to buy a book, unslabbed and turn it over after grading, make a decent profit and reinvest in 401k or mutal fund. I was under the impression that you bought it for the sake of having it. - and that's only if you get something that is hot now that you paid little for then....I bought a DD 159 for nine bucks and it came back a 9.8 ...i could have sold it for more than i did, but i did a nice trade/cash deal....but those moments are rare. --and as far as the point that SS hasn't been active, true, but it's still a major key book.

[Guest]

shuley giving out investment advice...

 

Let me guess, those are the books people should be buying because they never lose value, right? No matter what ourageous amount you pay or how much they've already run up? Makes all the sense in the world.

 

[Guest]

Sure, it's still a key book despite its ubiquity - the recent sales figures have been strong and confirm that fact. Will it still be in 15 years? Probably, though unless we see renewed interest in the FF, Surfer and/or comics in general, there's a not insubstantial price risk in holding the book, IMHO.

 

As for helping to pay your daughter's tuition - personally, I don't see what would make this book appreciate beyond the rate of inflation - what catalyst is going to send this very established book soaring? At best, I think you preserve your purchasing power over time. At worst...well, between the deflationary economic environment I expect and the lessening attachment to SA as collectors age (along with a long-term decline in the actual *collecting* part of the hobby which all the new movies have NOT reversed)...I think you could probably do a lot better in other investments for your daughter's tuition.

 

Remember, as CI says, what is popular to one generation of collectors is very often not what is popular in the future...will today's Gen Y collectors (all 10 of them) still be ga-ga over SS in 2017?

 

Gene

[delekkerste]

Whoops, forgot to login on the last post. Didn't even realize you could post without logging in!

 

Gene

[Kevin76]

doesn't it? since when is a 9.4 Spidey #1 going to go down? If you think these books have reached thier peak then you are a very close minded person,Spider-man is right up there with superman and batman...you think ebYa is a price guide? it's not and neither is heritage,just because one book sold for a huge amount one day and then 2 month later that same book gets auctioned off for not as much as the last one,that doesn't mean it's dropping in price and value.

[Guest]

GOD help me, I agree with Kevin on this. Certain books, the MEGA-staples of the hobby, the LONG-TIME key books, not those that become hot or not by hype, but the true CLASSICS (the books that are on 99% of all want lists), as an example including:

 

FF1, 5, 12, 25, 48

Spiderman 1, 14, 50, 122

X-Men 1, 12, 94, GS1

JIM 83, 112

DD 1

Hulk 1, 181

Avengers 1, 4

AF 15

 

...these are the books that appear to stand the greatest immunity against depreciation. There are far more single issue/key comic collectors in the hobby than completists who must collect the entire run, and while prices may roll back on intermediary issues, even in high grade, these 21 books are the cornerstones of a hobbyist's collection, whether he has a 1 book or 1million book collection. The demand for FF48s never seems to be filled. It's one of those "must have" Marvel keys for FF, origin, first appearance, key, or Surfer collectors and although 49 and 50 are infintely more rare in grade, they are NOT the first appearance issues. 48 is, double the print run or not! In my estimation, and I've said it before, Spiderman 14 is in close enough proximity to #1, date and issue-wise, and the significance of the introduction of Spiderman's MAIN and most important antagonist, the GG, that it should warrant the #14 being the second most valuable Spiderman title issue, right behind #1, and ahead of #2 or #3 (AF15, Spiderman 1, 14, 2, 3, 4......etc.).

[murph0]

I'd group ASM #100 in that as well..and possibly 96-98 which are nearly infamous in comic book collecting.

 

Brian