What are the top ten golden age keys if we started a portfolio?

[TheWatcher]

Great thread and it makes me wonder if anyone would ever set up an investment fund that bought CGC graded books as a portfolio and stored them in archival conditions

 

It's something that had crossed my mind for a while now. I know it's done with fine wine. There are firms that will create a portfolio by buying cases of wine and storing them for their client, so theoretically it could be done with comics. Now, implementation is another matter.

[t3quila]

Apparently Captain America Comic #2 is all the rage nowadays, I expect there maybe some movement upwards of the lower grades after Filter81's ebay sale.

[G.A.tor]

Apparently Captain America Comic #2 is all the rage nowadays, I expect there maybe some movement upwards of the lower grades after Filter81's ebay sale.

I don't... high grade prices rarely pull lower grade/non comparable copies up...

 

that said, if anyone wants to buy my #2 in cgc 4.5, lmk

[t3quila]

Apparently Captain America Comic #2 is all the rage nowadays, I expect there maybe some movement upwards of the lower grades after Filter81's ebay sale.

I don't... high grade prices rarely pull lower grade/non comparable copies up...

 

that said, if anyone wants to buy my #2 in cgc 4.5, lmk

 

Well Cap is hot at present, Movie in the works always helps focus comic collecting minds

[HGComics-migration]

Probably based on demand:

 

1. Superman 1

2. Batman 1

3. Action 1

4. Tec 27

5. Cap 1

6. Tec 31

7. MM 9

8. Action 7

9. All American 16

10. Flash 1

 

 

MC 1 probably #11 but no Adventure 40, MF 52 as don't see the longer term demand for them.

 

I agree most sought after comics will continue to rise.

[Primetime]

Apparently Captain America Comic #2 is all the rage nowadays, I expect there maybe some movement upwards of the lower grades after Filter81's ebay sale.

I don't... high grade prices rarely pull lower grade/non comparable copies up...

 

that said, if anyone wants to buy my #2 in cgc 4.5, lmk

 

[Doohickamabob]

If you can pick 10 golden age keys from 1935 to 1954 to invest in, what would they be and why? Please give this some good thought as I am going to ask the mods for this to be a sticky. this is for investment purposes only.

 

Here are a few more of my thoughts. Keep in mind that I'm an amateur compared to most of the other people here, so take my comments with a spoonful of salt.

 

-- People are saying that Captain America comics are a good investment because of the upcoming movie. That makes sense: A movie introduces a comic character to whole new generations, who will then explore the comics and eventually expand the market for the valuable old originals.

 

I looked at IMDB to see what else is being made into a movie, and it appears there are plans for flicks based on Ant Man, Nick Fury, Silver Surfer, and Thor. Iron Man is also coming back.

 

Obviously these are Silver Age/Bronze Age heroes, but it got me to thinking (as well as regretting having sold my only Ant Man comic!). What Golden Age superheroes would make the best movies?

 

In my opinion, Plastic Man would make a great movie (does anybody own the rights?). CGI technology has advanced to the point where a Plastic Man movie would be entirely feasible. There was a sort-of "plastic man" aspect to the Fantastic Four movies, but I think a whole movie based on the character would be great. So Plastic Man / Police comics would be something to invest in.

 

-- Another hero I think deserves a resurgence is Captain Marvel. Not sure what's up with the rights to that, but the premise would make a great movie, and it has the advantage of tending to be funnier than Superman. (Personally I think there's a glut of superhero movies lately, but I will eventually Netflix the ones that get good reviews as a guilty pleasure.)

 

-- Which reminds me: There's a Wonder Woman movie in pre-production. I don't know much about it, as I don't keep up with this sort of thing. But clearly Wonder Woman is one of the greats who deserves an A-list movie and not just a 1970s TV show or an animated show. Right now, Wonder Woman comics are much more affordable than their DC counterparts Superman and Batman, so that could be a great area for investment. Not to mention -- the art and stories are cool.

 

-- That also reminds me, there's a Green Lantern movie coming up, starring Ryan Reynolds. So there's another title worthy of investment. (Why do I get the feeling everybody here is way ahead of me on this stuff? How do you find out which companies own rights to which publications?)

 

-- If future media is an indicator of investment potential, I guess you'd want to look at any other Golden Age heroes who would make good movie characters. I am sure somebody could do something fun with Miss Fury, Phantom Lady, Hawkman, The Flash, etc. Again, I'm pullin' for Plastic Man.

 

-- Another thing that came to mind is that 3-D technology is about to explode, if James Cameron's "Avatar" is at all successful. Hollywood's big studios are all gearing up to figure out how to make the theater experience more exciting with 3-D. If they can, it will breathe new life into people's interest in the early days of 3-D stuff. So perhaps it is worth investing in some of the first 3-D comics (anybody know which ones were first?). For example, EC Comics has two very cool 3-D titles, "Tales From the Crypt of Terror" and "EC Classics in 3-D."

 

-- Other investment areas: Focus on artists. Find an artist who is associated with an enduring work or works, and invest in lesser-known stuff that same artist worked on. It certainly works for Matt Baker, if the recent sale prices of some of his romance comics are any indication. Artists are often the entry point for collectors who are learning about different titles and such -- somebody who likes Jack Kamen's work for EC Comics will eventually discover all the terrific work he did in Fox and Superior comics, etc.

 

-- Another area: Focus on cultural/historical relevance. Comics that reference WWII tend to be better sellers, as are comics with atomic blasts, communist references, drug references, civil rights themes, blatant racism, and so on. Most of the comics relating to blacks are already very valuable (All-Negro, Negro Romance). I can think of a few titles/covers with themes relating to Latinos that still haven't gotten the attention they deserve. I am not going to say what they are.

 

-- Which brings me to another point: Asking people here what are the best investments is probably not going to get you good answers from those who have the best knowledge. The reason why is simple: They'll want to be the ones who profit from that information, and they have no reason to give it away for free. So your first best bet will always be to learn the market and its trends on your own and come up with your own theories.

 

-- To that end, the Overstreet Guides have some very good information from dealers and sellers, at the beginning of the books. Different people write about the top sellers and which comics have seen the most growth. A few years ago somebody wrote about how comics with images of people smoking were getting more interest as more states in the U.S. were banning public smoking.

 

-- A really unfortunate thing about comic value is that it seems to be hurt if the comic is so popular that it is widely reprinted and anthologized. The example that comes to mind is EC Comics. By all rights their New Trend titles should be some of the most valuable comics of the early 1950s, but because you can buy reprints for $1 at any comic-book store, as well as books full of every issue, some collectors do not find them as satisfying to nab. At least that's what I've heard.

 

-- One other thing that always bears repeating is that you should invest in comics that you personally LIKE. That way, if they don't accrue value like you wanted them to, at least you're happy to own them.

 

Okay, well like I said, I am an amateur about all this. Just a few random thoughts.

[Primetime]

If you can pick 10 golden age keys from 1935 to 1954 to invest in, what would they be and why? Please give this some good thought as I am going to ask the mods for this to be a sticky. this is for investment purposes only.

 

Here are a few more of my thoughts. Keep in mind that I'm an amateur compared to most of the other people here, so take my comments with a spoonful of salt.

 

-- People are saying that Captain America comics are a good investment because of the upcoming movie. That makes sense: A movie introduces a comic character to whole new generations, who will then explore the comics and eventually expand the market for the valuable old originals.

 

I looked at IMDB to see what else is being made into a movie, and it appears there are plans for flicks based on Ant Man, Nick Fury, Silver Surfer, and Thor. Iron Man is also coming back.

 

Obviously these are Silver Age/Bronze Age heroes, but it got me to thinking (as well as regretting having sold my only Ant Man comic!). What Golden Age superheroes would make the best movies?

 

In my opinion, Plastic Man would make a great movie (does anybody own the rights?). CGI technology has advanced to the point where a Plastic Man movie would be entirely feasible. There was a sort-of "plastic man" aspect to the Fantastic Four movies, but I think a whole movie based on the character would be great. So Plastic Man / Police comics would be something to invest in.

 

-- Another hero I think deserves a resurgence is Captain Marvel. Not sure what's up with the rights to that, but the premise would make a great movie, and it has the advantage of tending to be funnier than Superman. (Personally I think there's a glut of superhero movies lately, but I will eventually Netflix the ones that get good reviews as a guilty pleasure.)

 

-- Which reminds me: There's a Wonder Woman movie in pre-production. I don't know much about it, as I don't keep up with this sort of thing. But clearly Wonder Woman is one of the greats who deserves an A-list movie and not just a 1970s TV show or an animated show. Right now, Wonder Woman comics are much more affordable than their DC counterparts Superman and Batman, so that could be a great area for investment. Not to mention -- the art and stories are cool.

 

-- That also reminds me, there's a Green Lantern movie coming up, starring Ryan Reynolds. So there's another title worthy of investment. (Why do I get the feeling everybody here is way ahead of me on this stuff? How do you find out which companies own rights to which publications?)

 

-- If future media is an indicator of investment potential, I guess you'd want to look at any other Golden Age heroes who would make good movie characters. I am sure somebody could do something fun with Miss Fury, Phantom Lady, Hawkman, The Flash, etc. Again, I'm pullin' for Plastic Man.

 

-- Another thing that came to mind is that 3-D technology is about to explode, if James Cameron's "Avatar" is at all successful. Hollywood's big studios are all gearing up to figure out how to make the theater experience more exciting with 3-D. If they can, it will breathe new life into people's interest in the early days of 3-D stuff. So perhaps it is worth investing in some of the first 3-D comics (anybody know which ones were first?). For example, EC Comics has two very cool 3-D titles, "Tales From the Crypt of Terror" and "EC Classics in 3-D."

 

-- Other investment areas: Focus on artists. Find an artist who is associated with an enduring work or works, and invest in lesser-known stuff that same artist worked on. It certainly works for Matt Baker, if the recent sale prices of some of his romance comics are any indication. Artists are often the entry point for collectors who are learning about different titles and such -- somebody who likes Jack Kamen's work for EC Comics will eventually discover all the terrific work he did in Fox and Superior comics, etc.

 

-- Another area: Focus on cultural/historical relevance. Comics that reference WWII tend to be better sellers, as are comics with atomic blasts, communist references, drug references, civil rights themes, blatant racism, and so on. Most of the comics relating to blacks are already very valuable (All-Negro, Negro Romance). I can think of a few titles/covers with themes relating to Latinos that still haven't gotten the attention they deserve. I am not going to say what they are.

 

-- Which brings me to another point: Asking people here what are the best investments is probably not going to get you good answers from those who have the best knowledge. The reason why is simple: They'll want to be the ones who profit from that information, and they have no reason to give it away for free. So your first best bet will always be to learn the market and its trends on your own and come up with your own theories.

 

-- To that end, the Overstreet Guides have some very good information from dealers and sellers, at the beginning of the books. Different people write about the top sellers and which comics have seen the most growth. A few years ago somebody wrote about how comics with images of people smoking were getting more interest as more states in the U.S. were banning public smoking.

 

-- A really unfortunate thing about comic value is that it seems to be hurt if the comic is so popular that it is widely reprinted and anthologized. The example that comes to mind is EC Comics. By all rights their New Trend titles should be some of the most valuable comics of the early 1950s, but because you can buy reprints for $1 at any comic-book store, as well as books full of every issue, some collectors do not find them as satisfying to nab. At least that's what I've heard.

 

-- One other thing that always bears repeating is that you should invest in comics that you personally LIKE. That way, if they don't accrue value like you wanted them to, at least you're happy to own them.

 

Okay, well like I said, I am an amateur about all this. Just a few random thoughts.

well thought! (thumbs u

[Primetime]

Not in any particular order, but just my

 

1. Cap 1

2. Marvel 1

3. Marvel Mystery 9

4. Action 1

5. Supe 1

6. Tec 27

7. Tec 29

8. Tec 31

9. Batman 1

10. Action 7

 

These books represent the 1st App.(overall or title) or very early cover appearances of the 2-3 most popular Superheroes from DC and Timely in the GA time period...

[shrunkenhead]

Probably based on demand:

 

1. Superman 1

2. Batman 1

3. Action 1

4. Tec 27

5. Cap 1

6. Tec 31

7. MM 9

8. Action 7

9. All American 16

10. Flash 1

 

 

MC 1 probably #11 but no Adventure 40, MF 52 as don't see the longer term demand for them.

 

Am I just incredibly biased or is the absence of an All-Star #3 or an #8 a glaring omission? (They should rate #9 and #10, at the least!)

[G.A.tor]

Probably based on demand:

 

1. Superman 1

2. Batman 1

3. Action 1

4. Tec 27

5. Cap 1

6. Tec 31

7. MM 9

8. Action 7

9. All American 16

10. Flash 1

 

 

MC 1 probably #11 but no Adventure 40, MF 52 as don't see the longer term demand for them.

 

Am I just incredibly biased or is the absence of an All-Star #3 or an #8 a glaring omission? (They should rate #9 and #10, at the least!)

in terms of investment, unlikely they deserve to be in a top 20 list...very little to no growth potential in either, though I doubt either will start dropping in value either...likely flat (with nod to 8 for potential if a WW movie is ever made)

[MR.COMICBOOK]

at the end of the year, I will make a top ten list from these posts.

[BLBcomics-migration]

a top ten is just what ever the individual is into

 

mileage will vary widely on this thought pattern

 

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[TSwift25]

Here's my top 10:

 

Action 1

Detective Comics 27

Superman 1

All American 16

Batman 1

Tec 31

Captain America 1

Marvel Mystery 9

Cap 74

Marvel 1

[mr.schomburg]

The greatest growth I have personally experienced in comic collecting...via GA, SA or any other is by buying what I like, and holding on to it. Factors which play significant are Content, Grade, Cover, Scarcity and Demand.

 

So my sugestion for anyone building a portfolio with the idea of keeping it for long term gain is buy books based upon what I like to call CGCSD. The idea would then be to make decisions based not only of CGCSD but if you like the book with those items in mind. Or if you like a comic, how does it conversly fit into the criteria of.

 

Long term portfolio collecting should be profitable if you follow CGCSD but a heck lot more fun if you choose books you like with in that perameter. Not to mention if you have good taste it might even net you more growth. I guess the old saying buy what you like is true, but in terms of investing it should meet some of the above guides, or you are shooting in the dark.

 

Example would be Suspense #3, the Content is really its only downfall, but the cover, sarcity and demand are big enough to overcome, and if you add grade which multiply's the scarcity then even better. So my advice is to collect what you really enjoy and use information to narrow down and in 20 years you will I believe have a fantastic portfolio with huge returns in fun and $.

 

Paul

 

PS. the term CGCSD is now copyright to me...