Giant Size X-Men #1, CGC 9.4 - thoughts?

[jordanabigail]

There are a handful of "key" books I've always wanted to get my hands on. A Giant Size X-Men 1 is one of the top ones.

 

I've been offered this book in CGC 9.4 condition. OWW - nice book. I'd love to just put it away in my "vault of untouchables"!!

 

Thoughts? How much would you pay for it?

thanks.

[Darthdiesel]

$500 b/c it is the start of the branze age!

[g-man]

$1200-1500?

[jordanabigail]

Yeah, your price is right on the money. On the low end if I throw in a book or two he wants, or on the high end if it's straight up cash...

[delekkerste]

CGC 9.4s were selling in the $950-$1100 range for most of 2001, moved up to $1300-1500 this summer and have actually continued rising. Recent sales have been in the $1800 range ($1780 for an oww on 10/28, $1825 for an ow on 10/3). So this is one of those books that has escaped the downturn in Bronze prices.

 

That said, the census shows three 9.8s of this book, 54 9.6s, 92 9.4s and 103 9.2s slabbed thus far (certainly not all the HG copies out there). So it is very, very plentiful in high grade (though certainly in perennial demand).

 

At the current valuation of $1800, I am extremely skeptical about the appreciation potential of this book. I just don't see it being able to hold a $2K+ valuation (if it gets there) for very long. $2K can still buy a lot of cool stuff outside of the comics world. So, if you're determined to get the book, I would try to get it for less than $1400 and to trade as much as you can for it to minimize your actual cash outlay.

Gene

[BronzeBruce13]

I think I would be looking for a buy on the low end of that scale $1200, as there have been nearly as many 9.6's selling just at 2K and under... than 9.6's selling above $2K. Since the spread is so wide on 9.6's in recent months (up to a $600+ gap), If I'm willing to pay $1500+ for a 9.4... I don't.... and wait to pay $1900-2,000 for a 9.6. a much better value.

 

I'll email you the data later Jeff... wait for a lower selling 9.6. Gene's right that 9.4's have been selling higher than expected all things considered. I think 9.4's are far more unstable and risky at that $1500 than a 9.6 is at $2K.

[comicartfan]

Bruce is right on the money...as well as Gene.....hang on for a 9.6 - Any key Bronze age book will be fairly plentiful in higher grade than Silver Keys.

 

Mike

[greggy]

Yes, I agree with the rest regarding the valuation of this book -- EXCEPT Darth!

 

The price on this book seems volatile at the 9.6 level. I was lucky to sell my 9.6 with white pages in the Spring time for $2,850. Prior to that, the 9.6s were barely getting $2,000. So....if you want this book as a keeper, you should wait for an affordable 9.6 because GOD knows, there are tons of this book in high grade.

 

Good Luck!

[jordanabigail]

OK - great advice from everyone.

Thanks!!!

So, who has a 9.6 copy they will sell me

[fantastic_four]

The 9.6 with White pages sale wasn't all that lucky. There are a LOT of 9.6 and up Bronze collectors who won't buy anything but White pages. I've seen one White 9.4, one White 9.2, and one White 9.0, but yours is the only White 9.6 I've seen.

 

They all seem to have off-white to white at best.

[blowout]

"They all seem to have off-white to white at best."

 

speaking of page quality, did you ask cgc about the notation confusion james?

[fantastic_four]

Yep, I asked them whether a description like "off-white to white" was both a mixed page color AND a uniform midpoint between off-white and white, but they didn't respond. Think I posted it in the "Ask CGC" forum late last week.

 

A few minutes after I first posted the question in that thread in the General forum, I noticed Steve Borock reading the thread via the "Who's Online" link. Guess he didn't feel like responding either time I asked! I don't hold it against them; I never expected them to have every angle of every issue about grading ironed out right from day 1. Or even from day 1000; grading is extremely complex, and to think CGC could have found ANYONE who had fully explored the subject is hopelessly Utopian at this stage of comics collecting.

 

I've noticed a few of those hopeless Utopians are regular posters in these forums.

[greggy]

The reason why I thought it was "lucky" was that I was somewhat monitoring sales of the book for around a year and did notice that there was a drop in prices being realized. Honestly, I don't really recall seeing another 9.6 with white pages so it may be reasonably hard to find. Also, it helped that ComicLink sold one of the 9.8s at that time for approximately $5,800. Therefore, my copy seemed like a relative bargain at that time.

[FlComicFan]

I'd wait they will come down to $1000-1200 its one of the many 70's books which are available in high grade in large supply just check the census there a ton of them and more and more are being slabbed all the time. I just dont see it being a huge growth book, I've owned many high grade copies of that book. Once enough of these are slabbed some "investors" will lose their patience and sell them for less than the price they paid early on. Speaking of which once a book is plentiful in the CGC census in high grade does it seem like people lose interest??

[blowout]

"Speaking of which once a book is plentiful in the CGC census in high grade does it seem like people lose interest??'

 

i don't think collectors are too bothered by the census numbers, they may not pay as high a price for a high grade copy as they would if the book was less common though.

it is speculators that are most affected by the census, when a book shows high census numbers no spec will touch it IMHO.

[FlComicFan]

I think it does hurt interest and definetely is negative as far as the price is concerned. Take Star Wars 1 for example. A common book in NM certainly boxfulls were speculated on even back in 1977. When the first CGC copies came up on Ebay people were paying $300 and up for NM 9.6 copies try getting much more than a $100 now that a ton have been certified that or better. Anyone that is paying 10x guide for a late 60's on books is going to end up losing in the long run once the census reflects the amount that are out there. Yes there are going to be books that are going to end up being scarce in high grade. I would say those will be books that werent collected heavily until recently The amount of books in high grade isnt going to get smaller it can only get bigger. I love super high grade books as much as the next guy but these prices are getting really crazy and I kind of feel dangerous. I can distinctly remember dealers at cons looking at me like I was an insufficiently_thoughtful_person when I would return books back to their display board because they didnt know how to grade what is now a CGC 9.4 book. Spine stress marks corner dings and tanning books were NM to them.When I did find sharp stuff I had to pay a premium back then but it wasnt multiples of guide. If a book was real killer copy maybe 1.5 times would usually seal the deal. I think we the market will adjust once it has the time to do so. Many of the speculators that CGC has brought into comics 1. know squat about comics 2. couldnt care less about the content 3. are buying what they somebody has told them is a wise investment Granted CGC grading takes a lot of the risk out of buying books. Certainly you can feel a lot more confident when you pay for CGC 9.4 book that its going to be a pretty nice looking copy with minimal if any visible defects. But is it worth paying 5-6 times guide for this? Me personally its not. One thing I have to say is it has brought out a lot of great books that werent available till they got slabbed. I searched for a lot of 70's keys in high grade for many years and all the dealers would either say they didnt have them because they werent worth aything or it wasnt worth selling.yet...... Now that there are a ton of these books coming out of the woodwork it must be a great time to sell for these dealers to be moving them.

[CosmicBob]

I can distinctly remember dealers at cons looking at me like I was an insufficiently_thoughtful_person when I would return books back to their display board because they didnt know how to grade what is now a CGC 9.4 book. Spine stress marks corner dings and tanning books were NM to them.

 

My feelings exactly. Even now I'll look at some books dealers have and I'm just amazed at how they price them. Most dealers, it seems, won't grade books on display, but they sure will price them as NM. I did look very hard at an ASM #100 that was priced at $200. But the corner was creased (color broken). The problem was that the line of color broken made it sort of look like a line on the cover, which is covered with brown line drawings. It was very hard to see. But I'm sure CGC would have caught it!

 

So I passed on the book. Maybe it was a mistake, but who knows for sure?

[FlComicFan]

yeah all you need to do to make many dealers at a con sweat is ask them so what do you think your book grades. Funny how it can be full guide or better but they wont have the nuts to give it a grade. Years ago I remeber one or two that would actually sticker the book with a numerical grade sometimes with no price and then you could wheel and deal with them but at least you had a fair starting point. I've bought less and less at shows best deals I've gotten the past 3 years has been on Ebay. As long as a dealer is willing to refund my money if the grade is off (non CGC of course) than I'm willing to check it out Those all sales final guys can keep their books.

[Guest]

One thing I have to say is it has brought out a lot of great books that werent available till they got slabbed.

 

I'm with you on this one. This is my favorite offshoot of CGC having entered the hobby.

 

I can distinctly remember dealers at cons looking at me like I was an insufficiently_thoughtful_person when I would return books back to their display board because they didnt know how to grade what is now a CGC 9.4 book. Spine stress marks corner dings and tanning books were NM to them.

 

This is the basis for the popularity of CGC. Aside from making internet purchasing more comfortable wrt grade, I think people were fed up with dealers that couldn't grade, but could find the NM price in the latest Overstreet.

[FlComicFan]

Yep all great things that have happened with CGC but......... the pricing is a little out of wack or I'm just a value buyer (damned cheapskate) and cant understand paying these prices. If 3 years ago I was paying guide to 1.5 guide for what is now NM 9.4 or better unslabbed in Bronze why are those same books now worth 4-10 times guide sometimes even more? Early Silver I wont argue, if you have the bucks go for it those books for the most part are super scarce and dealers who specialized in them ( Marnin R) even 5-6 years ago were getting crazy multiples of guide. Chet