2009 OSPG top 10

[peewee22]

Just curious, why are so many comic book collectors preoccupied with prices and values

 

Many of us have chosen to put some of our retirement money into the things we love....it would be nice to just be a purist...just not realistic as far as I'm concerned.GOD BLESS...

 

-jimbo(a friend of jesus) (thumbs u

 

this is actually a reasonable answer to my question. I fully understand this perspective, though it is not my own perspective.

 

That said, I think that "apparent values" is what has ruined the comics hobby over the last 20 years and in particular, the CGC years.

 

Let me say this: when I buy something for my collection, it may as well be worth nothing because I didn't buy any item that I have in my collection because it has any value than that I get from the item on a spiritual level.

 

I didn't buy it to sell it. I bought it to keep it and from that point on, the only value it has financially is insured replacement value if it gets stolen.

 

If it's in my collection (with the intention of permanence) then it might as well be the brick that I use for a door stop value-wise.

 

Look, I have a 1941 Prince Valiant Sunday.. It isn't for sale and though I have sold the large part of my former art collection & moved on to different hobbies (movie posters) I did keep about 40 pieces that I have no intention of selling ever. I won't be adding to my art collection again, but I have no plans on selling any of the last items I kept. Therefore, that Foster piece may as well be a pair of shoes. But it will last longer.

 

I am not concerned what the perception of value is on the piece because I won't be selling it. It has no financial value to me.. It has spiritual value

 

the same goes for my posters to films adapted from or written by Raymond Chandler, as well as my Black Mask pulps with Chandler stories and my first editions..

 

Or my comic books

Or my other pulps

Or my other movie posters

or etc etc etc

 

That doesn't mean that as a seller of collectibles that I do not invest my money in comics and posters and art. I do, but I don't pay retail prices for that material. I buy a collection for X price where the collection is worth 2x or 3x or whatever x the cost of my purchase. But I did it very specifically with the intention of selling every last item. It was not an "as collector purchase". It was a dealer purchase

 

So when I asked my question, it is asked as a collector to collectors.

 

I think it's sad that 99.9% of all posted comments about comics, or art are all about "value" which to me demeans the real purpose of collecting - the idea that you have a nostalgic attachment to the items that you are seeking to buy

 

CGC has distilled comic collecting to a "value specific" interest.

 

You can't read CGC slabbed books, you can only admire the cover art, or the condition, or the 9.6 label and to me that spoils everything about collecting comic books WHICH ARE MEANT TO BE READ TO BE ENJOYED

 

So that brings us to why books are slabbed. It is entirely a value-centric process.

 

It used to be that "investors" would go to every table at SDCC and make certain buys. Imagine this (not hard to imagine, happened all the time) .........

 

a guy goes to one dealer's table and sees Captain America #1 graded by that dealer at VFN and priced at $52,000 (I only have a 2 year old PG). So he buys it for $52k and goes to the other dealers whereupon he sees another dealer selling a copy in the same condition, BUT THIS DEALER GRADES IT AS VGFN and has it priced at $20,000

 

That INVESTOR has just lost $32,000 because one dealer & another dealer do not grade the same way and as a result, the investor leaves the hobby. Good riddance pal. Who needs you? All you did as an investor is make it harder for me to complete my nostalgic collection

 

That's what CGC is all about. CGC says the copy is 8.0. Then it is forever an 8.0 and every dealer will honor that grade and the correlating price (for the sake of this argument, we'll say that PG price, is the price). CGC is 99.9% geared for investors, which begs the question....

 

"Why the heck do you need investors in hobbying anyway????"

 

 

 

 

Your view is small minded and I often find your posts often negative. It sounds to me like you have a fair amount of money or a decent income to play with while relatively speaking and many of us don't. Many people choose their purchases carefully and try to stay liquid if we need to. The fact that you don't need to sell 40 pieces of art, and that you need to state that on a public forum comes across in a condescending manner.

 

The fact that there investors in the hobby is no more negtive than the fact that there are low grade collectors in the hobby.

 

As with eny eco system, or organization it takes an assortment of different componants to make the circle complete. The "oohs" and "aaahhs" that higher end books get keep a certain excitment in the hobby that is not found in coverless readers. Not that one is greater than the other...they are both equally needed.

 

R.

 

Well said Roy

 

"Roy, Roy, he's our boy!!"

[VintageComics]

Ebay rare. I don't think anything silver age is Gerber rare unless you consider grade. But when you start talking about high grade, these books are just not found and come up for sale very seldom.

 

Try finding one of these in anything above 6.0

 

 

[peewee22]

That yours Roy?

[VintageComics]

Yup. Believe it or not there is a long history between me and that book. Suffice to say that I lusted after it when Bob Storms had it raw in 2003/2004 in Toronto, I couldn't afford it at the time, I lost track of it as it changed hands several times and then a good friend ended up with the book and gave it as a gift to me 5 years later! He didn't realize that it was the very same copy I wanted 5 years prior!

 

Bob and I both thought it was a 9.0 raw.

[peewee22]

Nicest Torr & Droom I've seen. I owned a 7.0 (raw) years ago and let it go. Just knowing "you" own a AA1 as the first issue in the AFseries makes oneself have chills!! Many people do not realize the importance and significance of this grail. But WE do.

 

And make a note of this. I inspect every AA1 I see and this one has the canary yellow cover NOT the mustard-faded cover that many have !! A Beaut and thanks for sharing!

 

You know me....I'd have to bust it loose !!

 

 

[VintageComics]

The book is gorgeous in hand. I'm on the fence on cracking it....I did hold and flip through the book in 2004 though and thought it was just gorgeous in hand.

 

I truly understand the significance of that book on every level. It's been argued through and through and has fallen into the annals of history to be overshadowed by AF #15. It's a shame as I consider this book to Marvel what Showcase #1 is to DC.

 

R.

 

 

[peewee22]

Amazing how it went full circle and BACK to you.

 

I know this is corny, but if I see the beat up poor 0.001 AF15 (my first AF15 I owned back in '85), I'll take it like you did the AA1.

 

That AA1 deserves you!!

[VintageComics]

You should have seen the look on my face when I pulled the book from my friend's pile. I couldn't believe it myself.

 

There are a few books out there with incredible stories like that.

 

Don't know if you read my write up on the Marvel Comics #1 I'm buying but there is an incredible story that winds back decades on that particular copy. It's quite a tale.

 

http://boards.collectors-society.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=3048489&fpart=1

[peewee22]

I missed that thread. WoW!

 

That MC run is fantastic...and the story behind the #1!

 

PM me sometime and we'll talk some more without taking up thread time...

 

Those are books you DREAM about...Congrats Roy!!

[MR.COMICBOOK]

I just got the new Guide today and I am shocked, SHOCKED that none of the following Silver comics were mentioned in the Silver age sales section, or talked about by any of the contributors in the Market Report:

 

Amazing Adventure #1

Star Spangled War Stories #110

Wonder Woman 98, 105

Strange Tales 89, 97

Showcase 6

Journey Into Mystery 62

Brave and the Bold 25

Rawhide Kid 17

Strange Adventures 117

 

These are all very rare and very desirable books in HG...and I know for a fact that there were some record breaking prices for high-grade copies of a number of these books.

 

Oh well...I wonder why these books are minimized? Is it a Cover-up...or Decreased interest.. not bloody likely on the latter!

 

All great long-term investments.Some people are just discovering Avengers 4, give them time.

[jjonahjameson1]

1...af 15...$65k....30% increase

2...ff1...52K (moved from #3 to #2)...27% increase

3...showcase 4..48K....7% increase

4...asm1...44k....10% increase

5...hulk 1...40k...25% increase...

6...xmen1...22k...16% increase

7..jim83..18k....20% increase

7..showcase 8...18k (no change from last years price)

9 ...tos39...15K...20% increase

10....flash 105...$14K....12% increase

and avengers 1 cracks the top 20 at #20

 

Wow, Avengers 1 cracked the top 10 by displacing ASM #2 which is listed at $9K (6% increase). I was surprised ASM #2 increased by only 6% so I took a look at increases to some of the early ASM's:

 

ASM 3 = 12.5%

ASM 4 = 20%

ASM 5 = 22%

 

Wonder if ASM #2 will climb back into the OSPG Top 20 next year?

 

Also noticed some Marvels are climbing into the 6-7K range early ASM, FF), and DD1 is at $6.8K. Is it only a matter of time before these books displace some of the long-standing DC books for a coveted top 20 spot?

 

[jkc313]

Hulk 1 for sure and maybe even JIM 83. I absolutely LOVE Showcase 4 and most pre 1966 DCs but let's face it, for investment, it's Marvel. I love the 9.6 Showcase 60 and B&B 61 I have but from an investment stand point I should have spent the $$ on low grade copies of AF 15