Sale of the Year - New Mutants #98 CGC 9.9 for $12,250 5 5

[shiverbones]

I used to love Fruit Stripe gum.

 

 

Great gum but it only lasted like 2 minutes...

 

 

the same amount of time Liefeld fooled people into thinking he was good.

[AbsoluteCarnage]

Maybe find an old label ASM CGC 9.4 that could be pressed into a CGC 9.6.

 

Offer full disclosure on the sale as most people don't care anyway but like having a books known history and right about 4 to 6 weeks before the spider-man movie reboot comes out, I would eject that ASM#6 CGC 9.6 for BIG MONEY!!!!!

 

And use that to start my GA collection of low to mid grade MMC & Torch books.

 

This instead of having to worry about a $12K Book turning into a $90 book in the mail when some underpaid delivery guy decides 2 throw my package with some force against the back of the mail truck & SCS occurs but 2 each their own...

[RockMyAmadeus]

1. I really don't like eBay tweaking things yet again. This whole "look what ELSE we have for sale" which is never, ever accurate in collectibles, is stupid.

 

2. I miss the days when people put nice, big scans IN THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ITEM, without forcing people to click, click, clickety click 18 more places to see the pictures.

 

[Vtcomics]

I used to love Fruit Stripe gum.

 

 

Great gum but it only lasted like 2 minutes...

 

Do they still make that gum?

[Vtcomics]

I used to love Fruit Stripe gum.

 

 

Great gum but it only lasted like 2 minutes...

 

 

the same amount of time Liefeld fooled people into thinking he was good.

 

LMFAO! Post of the frigging week!

[ashrael]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=360308281067&ssPageName=ADME:B:WNA:US:1123&autorefresh=true

 

OA isn't for everyone, but wonder what the guy who paid $12K for the 9.9 would buy if he had it to do over again. The highest graded copy (of which there are now 3, I believe?) or a truly one-of-kind collectible (at 1/3 the price).

 

Yeah, modern prices are so screwy...OA would have been much better.

 

$4k for a Liefeld page. i'm sure there are OA guys who are thinking that's screwy too.

 

sorry, but i beg to differ, that's a page from his first appearance, i'm thinking that is a very wise investment, the CGC 9.9...no.

 

$12K for a Liefeld book, or 1/3 that for OA featuring the 1st appearance of a key character. Whether $4K is too much or not, the OA is a much better investment.

[bocaratondefense]

$4K doesn't seem that crazy for the first appearance of a major character. I would take that over a copy of NM 98 any day, even if a 9.9 copy costs three times as much.

[Nexus]

To the man on the street (and likely, to most on this board), both buys are nuts. I didn't post the OA link to show that it's a better "investment". I posted it because I bet those who would pay $12K (and there were at least two) for a NM #98 9.9 probably never considered the OA. The rationale of the guy who paid $12K for the 9.9 was that it was the highest graded copy, the only one in the grade ("one-of-a-kind") and that it would remain that way for a while. Unfortunately for him, there have been two more 9.9s since. He also said he had multiple offers after the auction to buy the book for a decent mark-up.

 

My point was that for those guys, who obviously place a premium on "one-of-a-kind", OA can be a cheaper alternative and is truly one-of-a-kind. And mock the art all you want (it's terrible)...but if there are Deadpool fans willing to pay $12K (or more) for a *copy* of the comic, then the page, even at $4K, probably has some upside.

 

Of course, to those who would never consider paying $12K for a 9.9, this all means nothing.

[bocaratondefense]

OA is such a small and specialized area of the hobby, while high grade slabs carry the day on these forums, at the cons, on ebay and at live auctions (at least in terms of volume if not value). To some of us, the original artwork that sold on ebay makes a lot more sense, but it is something that most high grade CGC collectors never would consider.

[Nexus]

That's all true. As I said in the beginning, OA isn't for everyone. But I do believe there are those who haven't considered OA because they just weren't aware of it. Why do some slab collectors seek high grades, especially highest grades?

 

When I collected slabs, I always tried for eye-appeal along with the high grade. I wasn't obsessed with highest grade, but appreciated a nice 9.4 or 9.6 (depending on era). However, once I discovered OA, that made more sense and satisfied my collecting fix more than buying copies of comics that (I was told) had the fewest microscopic defects.

 

Just speaking for myself, of course.

[bocaratondefense]

I don't collect high grades slabbed comics, so am just guessing here. I imagine many people collect the highest grade CGC books, in part for the the aesthetic appeal of a flawless collectible, and in part for the the pride of ownership of a rare item. There are other reasons for sure, but for the two reasons cited above, OA meets the rare item criteria, but not the flawless collectible criteria. Many collectors are transitioning to collecting OA, and yet the two areas of the hobby still seem almost unrelated.

 

 

 

 

[DiceX]

Ok. Time for a poll...

If a 10.0 copy of NM98 hit the market today, what would the hammer price be?

 

 

[Nexus]

I don't collect high grades slabbed comics, so am just guessing here. I imagine many people collect the highest grade CGC books, in part for the the aesthetic appeal of a flawless collectible, and in part for the the pride of ownership of a rare item. There are other reasons for sure, but for the two reasons cited above, OA meets the rare item criteria, but not the flawless collectible criteria. Many collectors are transitioning to collecting OA, and yet the two areas of the hobby still seem almost unrelated.

 

No doubt, those are two primary factors. For me, I became a lot less interested when the books started getting manipulated via CPR. The "flawless" book didn't impress me so much anymore. But again, to each their own. Everyone's still a comics fan at the core, and people can spend their money however they wish.

[Bosco685]

[passion4comics]

I would be just as happy with a 9.8 and $12,100 in my pocket.

 

A 10.0 would be over 20k since the 9.9 already set the price. Look at most comics and their curves once they pass 9.4. When the pass 9.8 they go so high that you'll have to adjust your scaling on excel.

Edited January 27, 2011 by passion4comics

[DiceX]

I would be just as happy with a 9.8 and $12,100 in my pocket.

 

You have obviously never studied economics at a university.

 

 

[passion4comics]

I would be just as happy with a 9.8 and $12,100 in my pocket.

 

You have obviously never studied economics at a university.

 

 

I personally don't see a real difference between the two. A 9.8 and 9.9 visually look the same. If I wanted the comic in great grade a 9.8 is a great grade. If I had a choice between the two I would take the 9.9, but is someone collecting comics or a little number in the right hand side of a slab?

[DiceX]

Here. Allow me to explain it to you...

 

I have a few questions for our board appointed economics professors (I play one at the local University in real life, by the way). What is the comic worth if...

 

1. There was at least one other person willing to pay $12,350 on the eve of the auction? ANSWER: $12,350 (to that other person, at least on that particular day). That's not including the other bidders who dropped out before reaching this number. And, interestingly, the buyer (me) already had offers from colleagues who collect high grade books for a significant "return" on my "investment." Go figure.

 

2. What is it worth to people who find ZERO intrinsic value in this particular issue in this particular grade? ANSWER: $0 Thus, I will likely not attempt to sell any of my high grade comics to members of this board. For instance, G.I. Joe issue #21, even if a 9.9 pops up, is still worth crapola, and I will never ever own a copy. Why? It has absolutley ZERO intrinsic value for me (and G.I. Joe really really does suck donkey ballz).

 

3. In the comic book industry, can someone please intelligently explain the theory of "Exponential Value Theory"? HINT: The difference in value between .5 and 1.5 is less than 1.5 and 1.8... The difference in value between a 9.6 and a 9.4 is greater than a 9.4 and a 9.2. For an example, just look at the price of Tales of Suspense #39 in 9.0 and 9.2... and then look at the prices between 9.2 and 9.4. Other examples...

 

EXAMPLE A: Luke Cage: Hero for Hire CGC 7.0 sells for $69. There is no significant increase in value until you hit the 9.4 range when it's worth a few hundred bucks. However, Luke Cage: Hero for Hire CGC 9.6 sells for $3,000. And the single 9.8? Well, it sells for whatever ungodly amount of money the winner can afford to grab the book when (if) it ever comes up for sale (I won't be selling it any time soon).

 

EXAMPLE B: Everyone on the board seems to be aware of Incredible Hulk #181. A CGC 9.4 sells for $3,000, a 9.6 sells for $5,000, a 9.8 for $15,000 ($25,000 on a good good day), and a 9.9, again, for whatever ungodly amount of money the winner can afford to grab the book for when (if) it ever comes up for sale.

 

EXAMPLE C: NEW MUTANTS 87 in 9.8 sells for $125 to $150. 9.9 Sold for $3,500 (i.e., an ungodly amount of money that the winner happened to be able to afford when he stumbled across the auction).

 

EXAMPLE D: Iron First #14 sells for $500 in 9.4, $800 in 9.6, and $2500 in 9.8 (I was lucky and snagged a copy at $2,100 -- am I lucky for getting it on the cheap, $400 below FMV, or stupid for not donating the money to poor starving children in Africa? It would pay for 200+ manual laborers in Kenya, by the way). If a 9.9 ever pops up, Good Lord, you'd better be Pablo Escobar to have a prayer of owning the book -- you need to be rich and willing to kill to get it.

 

EXAMPLE E: New Mutants 98. 9.6 sells for the same price as your garden variety "Charmin," 9.8 sells for $200 to $250, and 9.9? Yes, whatever ungodly amount of money, blah, blah, blah.

 

THIS is the lesson that should be discussed. Comics are worth more (significantly more) as their condition increases. How much a book increases in value depends on: individual taste x popularity/demand for a particular issue x scarcity of the issue x popularity of the character x key "event" in an issue x CGC grade (PGX and other company's -- because of their lack of discipline -- doesn't count, unfortunately) x scarcity of CGC grade x luck (knowing of the auction, being in the country to bid for the auction, when other people are NOT aware of the auction, etc.) x [insert whatever variable I'm missing here, please]. Good luck figuring the math out. Please email me when you have.

 

The idea of "pressing," getting screwed, spending too much, etc. is irrelevant. The "possibilities" of how/why this book is no different from 9.8s is moot. Indeed, outside of the case, it's worthless and I would be a complete fool for cracking it open. For starters, I'd instantly be out $12,500. But, thankfully it's still in the case and graded by CGC. CGC, while not perfect, is perfectly objective. At some point, on some day, three CGC employees agreed this book deserves a 9.9 and they assiged this particular book the grade 9.9, and they did not give this grade to any of the previous 9.8s. Yes, the "label" makes the value and not the book itself. Why? Because it's not me, Moose, Tommy Boy, Ricky, The Sperminator, or any other "board" member assigning the grade after we've "pressed" the out of the book. It's CGC, the industry bible. Is the grade a mistake? Maybe. Fluke? Perhaps. Will other high grade books "come forward?" Probably. But even with others -- or even a perfect 10 -- the odds of landing this issue, in this objectively graded condition by industry experts who are presently recognized as "The Authority" on comic book condition, is astronomically remote. The only difference would be that now someone else would have another extremely rare -- and valuable -- high grade comic.

 

The lessons for the high grade collector? 1) Exponential Value Theory means that the price of the "one grade below" has NOTHING to do with the price of the book "one grade above." 2) Valuing a comic is a complicated process that consists of many many variables and you'd better be aware of them before you buy (or sell). 3) ANYONE spending more than cover price on a comic is spending more money than the average Kenyan earns in a day. And 4) if you find a super high grade "popular" book with few others listed on the CGC census, act immediately, or lose the book (and be prepared to give your left nut for the book you want -- I, by the way, am now sans ballz).

 

Thus endeth the lesson.

 

FYI... Pedigree cashed the check today.

 

Or to sum it up...

 

 

[BlowUpTheMoon]

I would be just as happy with a 9.8 and $12,100 in my pocket.

 

You have obviously never studied economics at a university.

 

 

I personally don't see a real difference between the two. A 9.8 and 9.9 visually look the same. If I wanted the comic in great grade a 9.8 is a great grade. If I had a choice between the two I would take the 9.9, but is someone collecting comics or a little number in the right hand side of a slab?

 

The little number in the left hand side of a slab.

[passion4comics]

I would be just as happy with a 9.8 and $12,100 in my pocket.

 

You have obviously never studied economics at a university.

 

 

I personally don't see a real difference between the two. A 9.8 and 9.9 visually look the same. If I wanted the comic in great grade a 9.8 is a great grade. If I had a choice between the two I would take the 9.9, but is someone collecting comics or a little number in the right hand side of a slab?

 

The little number in the left hand side of a slab.

 

My other right.

 

Cut me some slack. I just woke up.

 

Trying to down 2 coffees before I shovel 8 inches of snow. Procrastinating here reading about funny books.

Edited January 27, 2011 by passion4comics