CLink Focused Auction August 2008

[goldust40]

I remember picking up an Av #4 8.5 for a grand...you couldn't move that book under guide to save your life!

 

 

I remember picking up a white paged, solid NM- copy of Avengers 9 in NYC in 1996 from an established dealer, thinking after the transaction that I'd overpaid.

 

I paid $130 for the book. How times change, sometimes beyond reason.

 

Dam. For that money I'd read it outside while eating a hot dog and then roll it up and put it in the back of my pocket for the rest of the con!

 

 

Even worse was that I found another copy of that book in the same grade from another dealer for about the same price at that very show.

 

That book was growing on trees back in '96....

 

 

[rodan57]

I remember picking up a white paged, solid NM- copy of Avengers 9 in NYC in 1996 from an established dealer, thinking after the transaction that I'd overpaid.

 

I paid $130 for the book. How times change, sometimes beyond reason.

 

Really good line.

[goldust40]

I remember picking up a white paged, solid NM- copy of Avengers 9 in NYC in 1996 from an established dealer, thinking after the transaction that I'd overpaid.

 

I paid $130 for the book. How times change, sometimes beyond reason.

 

Really good line.

 

Glad you liked that. I thought about putting in "beyond belief", but thought "reason" was much better.

[tonytiger]

I can't believe how many Flash runs have come on the market ever since I sold off my collection because no ultra-HG early SA Flashes were coming on the market.

 

Got to agree, you did staggeringly well out of that sale, and now they're coming out out of the wood work, in a semi regular fashion.

I guess a lot of people were holding onto them, valuing their intrinsict value over what they thought the market would financially value them at

 

I think the state of the economy may be shaking out some of these collections. It's certainly been interesting seeing what SA/BA DCs have been popping up lately!

A bad economy should be affecting what buyers are willing too. I think the prices have just gotten high enough that they're now worth the effort to slab and sell the books.

 

Yes, common sense would dictate that you should not be bidding based upon the current census population numbers. Agressive prices for these more common non-key issues that were not as "slab quality" are bound to bring out more uber HG copies of these books.

 

If you are planning to hold onto these types of hot books for a period of time, the potential value of your collection might be dropping quite significantly if you are paying these kind of nosebleed prices.

 

Maybe the people bidding just want the book really badly.......

 

Genuine bidders would wait to the last day to bid. Why bid and bid again with 2 weeks to go? It just does not seem right.

 

Tony

[Guardian Comics]

I'm going to assume to scare people off, and not give it a second glance when the auction is nearing its end. Not a tactic I use but it makes a little bit of sense.

 

Jim

[VintageComics]

I'm going to assume to scare people off, and not give it a second glance when the auction is nearing its end. Not a tactic I use but it makes a little bit of sense.

 

Jim

 

I actually bid like this once on an Ebay auction. VERY strong initial bid on the 1st day. The price never moved after that and I won.

 

 

[lou_fine]

I remember picking up an Av #4 8.5 for a grand...you couldn't move that book under guide to save your life!

 

 

I remember picking up a white paged, solid NM- copy of Avengers 9 in NYC in 1996 from an established dealer, thinking after the transaction that I'd overpaid.

 

I paid $130 for the book. How times change, sometimes beyond reason.

 

Dam. For that money I'd read it outside while eating a hot dog and then roll it up and put it in the back of my pocket for the rest of the con!

 

 

Even worse was that I found another copy of that book in the same grade from another dealer for about the same price at that very show.

 

That book was growing on trees back in '96....

 

 

And as I was saying earlier from my above post:

 

Yes, common sense would dictate that you should not be bidding based upon the current census population numbers. Agressive prices for these more common non-key issues that were not as "slab quality" are bound to bring out more uber HG copies of these books.

 

If you are planning to hold onto these types of hot books for a period of time, the potential value of your collection might be dropping quite significantly if you are paying these kind of nosebleed prices.

Amen

[lou_fine]

I can't believe how many Flash runs have come on the market ever since I sold off my collection because no ultra-HG early SA Flashes were coming on the market.

 

Got to agree, you did staggeringly well out of that sale, and now they're coming out out of the wood work, in a semi regular fashion.

I guess a lot of people were holding onto them, valuing their intrinsict value over what they thought the market would financially value them at

 

I think the state of the economy may be shaking out some of these collections. It's certainly been interesting seeing what SA/BA DCs have been popping up lately!

A bad economy should be affecting what buyers are willing too. I think the prices have just gotten high enough that they're now worth the effort to slab and sell the books.

 

Yes, common sense would dictate that you should not be bidding based upon the current census population numbers. Agressive prices for these more common non-key issues that were not as "slab quality" are bound to bring out more uber HG copies of these books.

 

If you are planning to hold onto these types of hot books for a period of time, the potential value of your collection might be dropping quite significantly if you are paying these kind of nosebleed prices.

 

Maybe the people bidding just want the book really badly.......

 

And if you believe this is the real reason the book is currently bidded so high, then I've got some swamp land in the Nevada desert for you to buy.

 

Bottom line: The only reason why this book has been bidded so high has much more to do with the CGC label at this particular point in time than the underlying book itself.

 

If there was another copy in the census in 9.6 or a copy listed in 9.8, there is no way in the world this particular book that you say people want would be going for this kind of price. Similarly, if the graders had been in a different mood and had slapped book with a 9.4 or even a dreaded 9.2, there is again no way in the world this exact same book would be going for this kind of money.

 

It's really the CGC label they want so badly, not so much the underlying book itself as you claim.

[sterlingcomics]

That's an extremely high price for that book...although there are only 3 9.4's and 1 9.6 that top it on the census.It does seem to be less common in high grade...but there are only 150 or so on the census, indicating that more high grade copies are likely.Now that prices are rising, Avengers 3 is beginning to be represented by more high grade copies on the census, and the 9 is certainly not more scarce in grade than the 3 is.I could be wrong but I'd say along with the first issue, the # 5 is probably the only other issue in the first 10 that is truly tough in grade.The 3 would probably be next on the list.One thing about Avengers...the current series has been a top seller for Marvel for over a decade and is due for a price correction.It's current popularity in the modern market coupled with it's upcoming movie hype are a perfect recipe for that. The 8.0 Avengers 4 @ a grand or less is definitely a thing of the past.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

I love common sense...please infect the bidders!

[RickHigh]

That's an extremely high price for that book...although there are only 3 9.4's and 1 9.6 that top it on the census.It does seem to be less common in high grade...but there are only 150 or so on the census, indicating that more high grade copies are likely.Now that prices are rising, Avengers 3 is beginning to be represented by more high grade copies on the census, and the 9 is certainly not more scarce in grade than the 3 is.I could be wrong but I'd say along with the first issue, the # 5 is probably the only other issue in the first 10 that is truly tough in grade.The 3 would probably be next on the list.One thing about Avengers...the current series has been a top seller for Marvel for over a decade and is due for a price correction.It's current popularity in the modern market coupled with it's upcoming movie hype are a perfect recipe for that. The 8.0 Avengers 4 @ a grand or less is definitely a thing of the past.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

I love common sense...please infect the bidders!

 

Hey Sterling, you can be sure that common sense won't be present when the bidding really begins on a couple of those HG horror books in the auction!

[tth2]

That book was growing on trees back in '96....

 

 

And as I was saying earlier from my above post:

 

Yes, common sense would dictate that you should not be bidding based upon the current census population numbers. Agressive prices for these more common non-key issues that were not as "slab quality" are bound to bring out more uber HG copies of these books.

 

If you are planning to hold onto these types of hot books for a period of time, the potential value of your collection might be dropping quite significantly if you are paying these kind of nosebleed prices.

Amen

Not sure I follow you, Dean. As Andy says, the book was plentiful in '96 at $130, and has become even more plentiful in 2008, and yet goes for multiples of $130 that well exceed the rate of inflation during the past 12 years. By your thinking, no one should have bought in 1966, 1976, 1986, 1996 or 2006, because more copies will continue to come onto the market, which should have led to prices being on a direct downward trajectory. I think you're overly focusing on the supply axis at the expense of also considering the demand axis.

[tth2]

If there was another copy in the census in 9.6 or a copy listed in 9.8, there is no way in the world this particular book that you say people want would be going for this kind of price. Similarly, if the graders had been in a different mood and had slapped book with a 9.4 or even a dreaded 9.2, there is again no way in the world this exact same book would be going for this kind of money.

 

It's really the CGC label they want so badly, not so much the underlying book itself as you claim.

I made this point in another thread: people are still failing to make the conceptual leap that the book is the slab and the slab is the book. It doesn't matter whether in some metaphysical sense the book could have been a 9.6 or a 9.2, the fact is that it is in a slab and the label on the slab says 9.4. It also doesn't matter whether the book would go for X outside the slab, because it's in the slab. So long as it remains in a slab, there is a market for slabbed books with the label with that number.

[Flash105]

And the more I get into this new age of slabbed books, I can see genuine differences between 9.4,9.6, and 9.8 books. I love the 9.6 and 9.8 books especially with white pages.

 

I have a Flash 221 9.8 with white pages and a blazing red cover and it might be my favorite book. It is just awesome to pull it out and look at it in good light.

 

 

[Guardian Comics]

Avengers #4, has now cracked the $5,000 mark

 

Jim

[jimjum12]

Avengers #4, has now cracked the $5,000 mark

 

Jim

 

The C / OW 9.0 Avengers 4 on Heritage broke 4 K.....THAT was also surprising.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[sterlingcomics]

Hey Sterling, you can be sure that common sense won't be present when the bidding really begins on a couple of those HG horror books in the auction!

 

No problem...I'll be happy to buy them from the winner several years down for 50% less.

[brasseye]

Sterling, your not one of the guys bidding up that Brave and the Bold #93 CGc 9.8.

 

Lone top census copy or not, but $2,100 with 5 days to go does seem a little crazy. Ya I know it's got a fantastic cover, but is there anyhting else apart from scarcity in the top spot going for this book

[jimjum12]

Like a friend of mine who collects cards once said...it's about bragging rights.There would also be some appreciation for perfection...and love for a particular aspect of an artform. The ones that puzzle me are the top graded copies that go for big money even when they're off center and mis-cut. GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

[brasseye]

Jim, well I have to say your probably all too right there. And it does look to be a proper example of a what 9.8 should look like.

CGC can get it right sometimes (thumbs u

But thats a lot to pony up for a bit of bragging dues

[brasseye]

Ok, they've both had movies, and one of them was decidedly better than the other one as far as fan, and general public appreciation.

 

So why is a VF+ Hulk #1 currently sitting on $45k, and the VFNM TOS #39 at just under $20K.

 

Comics and movies...the link to the high end buyer is obviously a bit more tenuous that I first thought.