AF #15 7.0 SHATTERS GPA record

[TheSurgeon]

Look how many are for sale now- on ebay today I see 8 of them- 2 super high grade but restored, and the others low - mid grade. Probably a good time to buy a low grade model. We'll have to see how they sell.

 

One of the high grades is a 9.6 from Danny, and I can't imagine anyone spending $75k on a restored pieces added silver age book.

 

The other, CGC 8.5 SP I think was the book sold by Gus a couple of months ago, listed as a slightly restored 9.0 raw book. The reason I think this is because the current seller of the SP 8.5 books sold 5 (five!) AF 15's through Gus at the same time (of which I bought and returned one that was overgraded) to finance the purchase of the raw SP 9.0 copy from Gus (I think he paid $20k for it.) In his current add, he states:

THIS WAS JUST GRADED AT CGC LAST WEEK FEEL FREE TO CALL THEM FOR GRADER NOTES.

 

IF YOU CANT AFFORD A BLUE LABEL AF 15 THEN THIS IS THE CLOSEST YOU CAN GET AND WAY BETTER THEN MOST RESTORED BECAUSE THIS HAS NO TEAR SEALS FIXED AND NO PIECES ADDED. I BOUGHT THIS AS A HIGHER GRADE IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A WAY HIGHER GRADE BUT CGC SAYS 8.5 SO THATS WHAT IT IS.

 

 

[burntboy]

 

Man I just have the best luck.

 

Sell a SA book X-men as a 9.4, comes back 9.6

Sell an Bats #232 as 9.2/9.4 comes back 9.6

Sell an AF #15 6.0 for about GPA and just one day later the 7.5 pops at $43, 000 then the 7.0 a week later pops the $20,000 mark!

 

I'm on a friggin roll. I'd make charities look bad at this point.

 

 

UUhhh, Roy - remind me to stand clear of you should we meet up at a con one day............

[Wally's Comics]

 

Man I just have the best luck.

 

Sell a SA book X-men as a 9.4, comes back 9.6

Sell an Bats #232 as 9.2/9.4 comes back 9.6

Sell an AF #15 6.0 for about GPA and just one day later the 7.5 pops at $43, 000 then the 7.0 a week later pops the $20,000 mark!

 

I'm on a friggin roll. I'd make charities look bad at this point.

 

 

UUhhh, Roy - remind me to stand clear of you should we meet up at a con one day............

 

hey, atleast he has a good set of hair...

 

some men would kill to have thick hair like that.

 

So I guess not all of his luck is bad.

 

go gotta look at the positives man...

t h e p o s i t i v e s!

 

 

 

 

[burntboy]

 

Man I just have the best luck.

 

Sell a SA book X-men as a 9.4, comes back 9.6

Sell an Bats #232 as 9.2/9.4 comes back 9.6

Sell an AF #15 6.0 for about GPA and just one day later the 7.5 pops at $43, 000 then the 7.0 a week later pops the $20,000 mark!

 

I'm on a friggin roll. I'd make charities look bad at this point.

 

 

UUhhh, Roy - remind me to stand clear of you should we meet up at a con one day............

 

hey, atleast he has a good set of hair...

 

some men would kill to have thick hair like that.

 

So I guess not all of his luck is bad.

 

go gotta look at the positives man...

t h e p o s i t i v e s!

 

 

 

 

and as i've surmised, his G-friend totally kicks azz.........so you're absolutely right - take your victories where they may...........

[tth2]

Sell an AF #15 6.0 for about GPA and just one day later the 7.5 pops at $43, 000 then the 7.0 a week later pops the $20,000 mark!

Roy, not to pour salt in the wound, but... Dude, where have you been?!

 

GPA can be thrown out on AF 15 right now. The book seems to be on a big move across all grades, and until it's reached some stability at a new price point, GPA (which is a trailing indicator) will be a buyer's best friend.

[TeddieMercede]

I think anybody who is looking to sell a copy of this book that is at least mid grade unrestored would be crazy not to put it in some sort of auction format at this point (non ebay). Im sure there is a price point ceiling and maybe its already been reached but considering the insane demand for this book you really cant see the book dropping that much from the highs the book is setting right now.

[JLA_ALL_THE_WAY]

And the reason for the recent big move on this book is that people are pulling (what's left of) their money out of the stock market/RE and putting it where it'll do some good...right, Gene?

 

Rick

[TeddieMercede]

isn't there an economic school of thought that suggests in tight times and poor market performance, Collectibles are sometimes seen as an attractive alternative...

 

Here's another school of thought: comic collectors are and aren't generally very savvy investors.

 

Comic Collectors all are Peter Lynch Disciples.

[delekkerste]

Comic Collectors all are Peter Lynch Disciples.

 

Peter Lynch said to invest in what you know...if it's actually has investment merit. Most people conveniently forget the last part and end up investing in things like comic books or Krispy Kreme stock.

 

I suspect the typical comic collector's thought process goes something like this:

 

Yay! The economy's doing well and so people are buying comics. Buy more comics!

 

Oh no! The economy's sucking so people are going to sell their traditional investments to buy more comics. Buy more comics!

 

Hmm, the future of the economy is uncertain. But, this period of uncertainty is going to eventually lead to the economy either doing well again or sucking, so...Buy more comics!

 

This is more than faintly ludicrous, of course, but the bottom line is that many comic collectors are capable of infinite rationalization and self-delusion if it means they are able to justify sinking more money into comics. It really is a disease.

[TeddieMercede]

Comic Collectors all are Peter Lynch Disciples.

 

Peter Lynch said to invest in what you know...if it's actually has investment merit. Most people conveniently forget the last part and end up investing in things like comic books or Krispy Kreme stock.

 

I suspect the typical comic collector's thought process goes something like this:

 

Yay! The economy's doing well and so people are buying comics. Buy more comics!

 

Oh no! The economy's sucking so people are going to sell their traditional investments to buy more comics. Buy more comics!

 

Hmm, the future of the economy is uncertain. But, this period of uncertainty is going to eventually lead to the economy either doing well again or sucking, so...Buy more comics!

 

This is more than faintly ludicrous, of course, but the bottom line is that many comic collectors are capable of infinite rationalization and self-delusion if it means they are able to justify sinking more money into comics. It really is a disease.

 

Im glad you enjoyed my sarcasm, I thought it was funny.

[Wally's Comics]

But I'm sure you realize that not every comic collector is on this boat...

 

Anyway, I buy what I can afford after 401k and other key investments

dedicated toward retirement.

 

Now that I have said that, I DO believe that an AF15 fits well into long term

portfolio at a certain price. (as well as any mega GA/ SA key) The hotness of this

particular book now would keep me off of it though If I didn't already own it.

 

Anyway I didn't buy this book to flip. I bought it because I have always wanted it.

It's nice to clap and say hurray hurrah this particular grade blasted to 58% above

the last GPA in that particular grade, but I'm not saying it will ever happen again.

 

I am just sitting back having a nice Pinot and enjoying the fact that I own this book that

is my true grail.

 

(thumbs u

 

 

 

[He11blazer]

Why have prices on comics been on such a tear of late? I thought the econmy was faltering?

 

Ok, here is my take on the recent jumps in books: it's because of my generation of fans the "comic boomers" for lack of a better term.

 

I was born in 1976, so I was at the perfect age for jumping on the mid 80's to 90's comic run. While so many of those comics are worthless today (Supply vs. Demand) it did spike the interest in comics very high at the time. All my friends collected comics. Those were good stories, good artwork, good times...

 

As with any stage of collecting, my generation of comic fans are now in there early to mid 30's. We have jobs, wives, kids, etc... and want to recapture the good times we remember. So with so many of us out there who loved comics during the mid 80's - 90's, now we have $$ to spend.

 

I always wanted an AF #15, but I just bought mine a few weeks ago. In December of 07 I bought a Giant Size X-Men #1. I plan on buying a Daredevil #1, Avengers #4, Hulk #181, ASM #14, etc... over the next few years. If you thought my generation was crazy buying out comic shops in the 90's, now we're buying the 1st Appearances of our favorite characters we couldn't afford to buy when we were 13.

 

Simply put, you see it 1st with AF #15 and Hulk #181, since Spidey and Wolverine were the two most popular characters. I don't see these prices dropping anytime soon.

 

Personally, I enjoy low grade books. I like the nostalgia of owning significant books, and don't really care about the grade. BUT... remember all those "comic boomers" who would buy variant after variant thinking it was an investment... they're back thinking high grade CGC's are the next investment of the future.

 

 

 

This could've been me speaking, only I probably wouldn't have made myself so clearly understood.

 

I do believe you hit the nail squarely on the head (thumbs u

[JiveTurkeyMoFo]

Comic Collectors all are Peter Lynch Disciples.

 

Peter Lynch said to invest in what you know...if it's actually has investment merit. Most people conveniently forget the last part and end up investing in things like comic books or Krispy Kreme stock.

 

I suspect the typical comic collector's thought process goes something like this:

 

Yay! The economy's doing well and so people are buying comics. Buy more comics!

 

Oh no! The economy's sucking so people are going to sell their traditional investments to buy more comics. Buy more comics!

 

Hmm, the future of the economy is uncertain. But, this period of uncertainty is going to eventually lead to the economy either doing well again or sucking, so...Buy more comics!

 

This is more than faintly ludicrous, of course, but the bottom line is that many comic collectors are capable of infinite rationalization and self-delusion if it means they are able to justify sinking more money into comics. It really is a disease.

 

Gene, let's be real. Anyone who spends $40k on a mid-grade AF # 15 isn't a comic collector, they are an insufficiently_thoughtful_person with too much money and too little knowledge about what they are buying.

 

Most true "comic collectors" would struggle to finance a low grade AF purchase under $5k, and anyone with good sense AND $40k to blow would surely hold out for a nicer copy then 7.5 (or blow $20k for a 7.0 for that matter).

 

Anyway, this shouldn't come as a surprise to you. With all the liquidity out there in the world, if the stock market sucks, and holding dollars sucks, why not put money into a "hard commodity" like Comics or Oil? Granted, that's the logic that makes for massive bubbles, but as long as you "know when to fold 'em", why not play the game?

 

DISCLAIMER: The guy that bought the AF # 15 7.5 for $40k is clearly the greater fool....he just doesn't know it yet.

 

 

[CHAMELEOONCOMICS-migration]

My brother has a AF # 15 - cgc 3.0

 

Can anyone lmk what this is worth nowadays?

 

TIA

[He11blazer]

My brother has a AF # 15 - cgc 3.0

 

Can anyone lmk what this is worth nowadays?

 

TIA

 

Blue label?

 

All time average for CGC 3.0 is $2,365.73

 

Most recent sale $3,500

 

Page quality, and simply how 'nice' it looks for a 3.0 can influence the price a lot.

 

[CHAMELEOONCOMICS-migration]

Yes. Blue label. Thanks for your response. Exactly what I was looking for. A general idea.

[maloney414]

My brother has a AF # 15 - cgc 3.0

 

Can anyone lmk what this is worth nowadays?

 

TIA

 

 

To be fair and honest, you should know this book seems to have it's own market. Eye appeal is a huge factor for determining its value. It often times outweighs the CGC score.

 

For example: This 1.8 with a big chuck missing on the right side just sold for $1,855.00

 

 

However: This 1.5 with good eye appeal sold for a higher price of $2,150.00

 

[tth2]

Comic Collectors all are Peter Lynch Disciples.

 

Peter Lynch said to invest in what you know...if it's actually has investment merit. Most people conveniently forget the last part and end up investing in things like comic books or Krispy Kreme stock.

 

I suspect the typical comic collector's thought process goes something like this:

 

Yay! The economy's doing well and so people are buying comics. Buy more comics!

 

Oh no! The economy's sucking so people are going to sell their traditional investments to buy more comics. Buy more comics!

 

Hmm, the future of the economy is uncertain. But, this period of uncertainty is going to eventually lead to the economy either doing well again or sucking, so...Buy more comics!

 

This is more than faintly ludicrous, of course, but the bottom line is that many comic collectors are capable of infinite rationalization and self-delusion if it means they are able to justify sinking more money into comics. It really is a disease.

And yet, anyone who bought an AF 15 during the go-go 1960s, then during the early 1970s recession, then during the early 1980s recession, then during the 1980s bull market, then after the 1987 market crash, then during the early 1990s recession, then during the 1990s bull market, then during the tippy top of the dotcom bubble, then during the recession in 2002, etc. etc. (i.e., the best of times and the worst of times), would have done very well for himself.

 

So actually, your examples prove to be great advice!

[burntboy]

Comic Collectors all are Peter Lynch Disciples.

 

Peter Lynch said to invest in what you know...if it's actually has investment merit. Most people conveniently forget the last part and end up investing in things like comic books or Krispy Kreme stock.

 

I suspect the typical comic collector's thought process goes something like this:

 

Yay! The economy's doing well and so people are buying comics. Buy more comics!

 

Oh no! The economy's sucking so people are going to sell their traditional investments to buy more comics. Buy more comics!

 

Hmm, the future of the economy is uncertain. But, this period of uncertainty is going to eventually lead to the economy either doing well again or sucking, so...Buy more comics!

 

This is more than faintly ludicrous, of course, but the bottom line is that many comic collectors are capable of infinite rationalization and self-delusion if it means they are able to justify sinking more money into comics. It really is a disease.

 

Gene; you are starting to sound like the newly reformed Ex-Smoker getting on his Soapbox about the evils of smoking................

 

i'm not sure (given the constant runup of comic book prices this decade) how one could quote that particular Peter Lynch statement to a bunch of knowledgeable Comic Hobbyists who have followed that very advice (perhaps unknowingly) and done quite well for themselves.

 

I believe a period of stagnancy is eventually inevitable, but who knows when (even JC couldn't get it right this decade)............

[burntboy]

I think anybody who is looking to sell a copy of this book that is at least mid grade unrestored would be crazy not to put it in some sort of auction format at this point (non ebay). Im sure there is a price point ceiling and maybe its already been reached but considering the insane demand for this book you really cant see the book dropping that much from the highs the book is setting right now.

 

I agree somewhat Eric, but auctions just freak me out when selling.

 

somebody puts up a nice AF #15 that should theoretically go for $15K and (if they were to follow the direction of many here and go the NO reserve route) it closes at $11k turning into a windfall for the buyer. This assumes a totally legit approach to said auction with no shilling by anyone. this latter point increases the risk tremendously, methinks..........

 

I give big Kudos to those who place big books into no reserve auctions (assuming the auction is on the up-and-up). Admittedly, most seem to do quite well, but it ain't for chickenlittles like me..........

 

when i sell my big books someday, i'm just gonna put a price i can live with on them and be patient